Duke of Windsor: Picture of his Panama?

[Dayonfire]

On the website for the San Francisco Hat Company it states, " The Duke of Windsor wore a particularly fine panama - rolled like a handkerchief in his breast pocket."

I can't find a picture of this anywhere. Does anyone know where I can find it?

Curious.

Michael

 

[Tomasso]

I've never seen the photo in question and I've seen thousands of the DoW in books and on the net. You might try contacting the SF Hat Co. and inquiring as to its exsistance. Good luck and post it here if you find it.

 

[Dayonfire]

Yep, I have contacted them. Someone is supposed to get back to me. I'll make sure and post what I find!

 

[Baron Kurtz]

There are pictures of various hats, including a number of panamas, in the catalogue of the 1998 Sotheby's auction of his and Wallis's Paris chateau contents … There is a blog somewhere that stole all my photos and text descriptions from the catalogue (they call themselves "journalists"). Should be searchable.

 

[HungaryTom]

There are pictures of various hats, including a number of panamas, in the catalogue of the 1998 Sotheby's auction of his and Wallis's Paris chateau contents … There is a blog somewhere that stole all my photos and text descriptions from the catalogue (they call themselves "journalists"). Should be searchable.

http://mistercrew.com/blog/2011/03/01/the-duke-of-windsors-accessories/

The suit and the shoes collection photos were very familiar, I think those were also posted on the FLounge.

 

[Paul Roerich]

From the website, pics of the Duke's straw hats, panamas included.

In action.

And it's strangely comforting to see that the Duke of Windsor wore rubber-soled canvas "wino shoes".

 

[Dayonfire]

Aha...but no

I saw these pics, too. But there is no way any of those Panamas could be the exceptionally fine specimen that he supposedly kept rolled in his breast pocket. Nope, the search for the pic continues.

 

[Paul Roerich]

Daytonfire, it's possible that the San Francisco Hat Company got its information from the text of an old newspaper or magazine article about the Duke. For all we know, no photos of the hat were ever taken, or at least published.

 

[Tomasso]

it's possible that the San Francisco Hat Company got its information from the text of an old newspaper or magazine article about the Duke. For all we know, no photos of the hat were ever taken, or at least published.

That's what I'm thinking.

 

[cookie]

From the website, pics of the Duke's straw hats, panamas included.

In action.

And it's strangely comforting to see that the Duke of Windsor wore rubber-soled canvas "wino shoes".

That is the famous photo of him arriving in Nice I think in the late 40s/early50s? wearing a tussah silk suit, the famous specs and that Milan hat in the above collection.

 

[HungaryTom]

I think we will never find any such a photo with a panama hat as a breast pocket substitute.
Why? finely woven montecristi panama hats are kept rolled in tubes, see the photos of Marc Chevalier's and HarpPlayerGenes vintage pre WW2 treasures for example. Merchants were adding a few myths to this truth to make even more impression and to make their produce even more expensive.
1. If you roll a panama hat body, the length is adding up from the crown height (4-5 inches) and the brim width (2-3-4 inches). Which totals 6-9 inches so then the wearer must have either a deep breast-pouch since the 'breast-hat' shouldn't stick into his nose, or he should FOLD that poor rolled thing again...two or three times to fit into a normal breast pocket which would go to waste during the squeeze.... the hat ribbon and hatband would be also ruined, and the resulting nice big bulge would look like a screwed up Amazon with her one breast left over on the left i.e. wrong side... mens suits and sports jackets have the breast pocket on the left, while the Amazons had their right breasts kept to be able to aim with the arrow...
2. Just put a silk or linen breastpocket and a Montecristi Panama hat with leather sweatband and a nice ribbon besides each other and imagine what volume they would yield when folded... traditional English longbow archery perfomed in a Savile Row suit, breast stuffed with a pair of white tennis socks, or a Weekend Edition of a Major Newspaper would perfectly replicate the feel and the look...
I can’t imagine anyone who spends and waits for a bespoke suit and an elusive Montecristi Superfino aiming for that "Mythological Plastic Surgery Epic Fail" outfit. The late Duke of Windsor included.

 

[Tomasso]

Good points, Tom. It may just be an old haberdasher's tale.

 

[HungaryTom]

http://www.oldmagazinearticles.com/Duke_of_Windsor_influenece_on_mens_fashion_pdf

Again, not even a panama hat photo, the article just mentions that the Duke wore Panama hat when it was out of fashion.
And he didn't crumple his panama hat.

 

[Paul Roerich]

http://www.oldmagazinearticles.com/Duke_of_Windsor_influenece_on_mens_fashion_pdf

The very best thing about that magazine article is, it reveals that the Windsor knot (which was not invented by the Duke of Windsor, only popularized by him) was originally called the larke knot.

 

[Tomasso]

(which was not invented by the Duke of Windsor, only popularized by him)

The same could be said for all the trends he set.

 

[Paul Roerich]

The same could be said for all the trends he set.

True, but most of those other trends were not renamed 'Prince of Wales' or 'Windsor', at least.

 

[Rabbit]

The very best thing about that magazine article is, it reveals that the Windsor knot (which was not invented by the Duke of Windsor, only popularized by him) was originally called the larke knot.

Unless I'm very much mistaken, the Duke of Windsor always used the four-in-hand, just like most well-dressed men do - an exception being Cary Grant, for instance, who often preferred the half Windsor.