Fedoras Getting Popular Again?

[MK]

Another fedora sighting in Hollywood

Terry Stacey is a cinematographer. He is working on In Her Shoes a film starring Cameron Diaz in New York.

The trend is growing.

 

[MK]

Also this article from the NY Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/17/f...=e20293ef8cf7b323&ei=5050&partner=RRCENTRALNY

Fedoras Fly and Trilbys, Too: Downtown Tips Its Hat to Harlem
By GINIA BELLAFANTE

Published: August 17, 2004


When Rod Keenan arrived in Manhattan from Kansas more than a decade ago, transported by dreams of becoming a kind of contemporary Charles James, he took to the benighted habit of wearing a hat, a practice that yielded certain demographic discoveries. Generally speaking, his encounters with mockery took place in locations south of Morningside Park.

"I'd be walking around downtown, and people would give me a weird look or say `What is up with that hat?' " Mr. Keenan explained last week at his West 122nd Street town house. "But in Harlem, where there is a long tradition of formal dress, I'd always get a `Hey, man, nice hat.' "

Fortunately for Mr. Keenan, who is one of the city's few custom men's hat makers, such geographic divisions no longer hold. At a time when formality is hardly the order of the day and presidential candidates campaign for office as if the whole of their wardrobes derived from the Gap gestalt, traditional men's hats including Panamas, fedoras and newsboy caps, among other iterations, are experiencing an unforeseen resurgence.

The current issue of Cargo, the new fashion magazine for young men, features a model in a plaid suit and a two-toned golf cap on one page, and another scouring a library shelf in a tweed trilby from Lands' End on the next. Mr. Keenan has watched with some fascination as his traditional hats have turned up in eccentrically minded style publications like Flaunt, as well as in Maxim and Stuff, men's magazines that pay little attention to the foppish.

At the same time, the Stetson company has chosen this moment to revamp its image. Early next year, the 140-year-old milliner, known as much for its organization-man hats as for its Western styles, will open its first-ever store on Bleecker Street, amidst the frenzy of the Marc Jacobs and Ralph Lauren boutiques. Eighteen months ago, the company put a new creative team in place to produce a line of expensive men's hats, some with intricate weaves and hand painting, that would sell at stores like Bergdorf Goodman to the urbane sorts who drive Vespas and speak more than one Romance language. It would be called "the modern collection."

During the venture's first season, Henry Hershkowitz, the company's new creative director, said, only 12 fedoras from the new line were sold to stores. For the coming winter season, the company sold hundreds. And for spring 2005, Mr. Hershkowitz, once a lawyer and an owner of the Screening Room in TriBeCa, reported that the modern collection will offer three varieties of the fedora, so great is the demand for the hat.

"It's very interesting to look at the demographics of all this," said Aida O'Toole, the owner of J. J. Hats on Fifth Avenue, the 93-year-old purveyor of old-guard Stetsons, boaters and Borsalinos. "We're getting 16-year-olds coming in here now asking for fedoras." Three or four years ago, Ms. O'Toole began noticing younger browsers in her shop. "We saw a big hat craze around the time of `Urban Cowboy,' " she said, "but after that it was quiet for a very long time."

When considering the cultural forces behind the renewed affection for such head gear, the impact of celebrity endorsement cannot be ignored. "I hate to say it, but if I had to cite a reason for all this, I'd have to say `Queer Eye,' " Mr. Keenan acknowledged. But hip-hop artists like Wyclef Jean frequently turn up in formal hats, and so do movie stars like Brad Pitt. Not long after a contestant on "Celebrity Poker Showdown" on Bravo played his hands wearing a particular trilby, Mr. Keenan was deluged with requests for the hat.

One afternoon last week, the actor Nicolas Cage paid a visit to the Midtown studio of Orlando, the one-named custom milliner who also produces hats for Worth & Worth and looks as though he should be a competitive tango dancer. In his work space, surrounded by wood hat blocks, steaming devices and framed advertisements that might have appeared in Fortune circa 1952, are Irish walking hats and the straw sorts that seem to be begging for the companionship only seersucker blazers could provide.

"Fifteen years ago, you'd see the mature man coming here ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äù you know, 50 and up," Orlando noted. "Now I'm seeing the $150,000-a-year-plus, 32-year-old professional." Orlando's felt hats cost about $125; his cashmere ones, $350. Each year, though, he turns out two or three finely woven Montecristi straw hats that each take a year and 10 pairs of hands to weave. Mr. Cage bought one for $3,000.

However influential celebrity hat-wearing may be, most in the millinery trade acknowledge a gloomier imperative. "The whole hip-hop generation has done a lot for the hat business," Ms. O'Toole said. "But the real reason behind it all? Skin cancer."

 

[jamespowers]

Tell Mr. Stacey to snap the brim down and put the hat on right---at a jaunty angle of course.
As for the article, Oh No! My eccentricity is going to become mainstream. I just knew it. Whenever I get into something everyone else follows.

Regards to all,

J

 

[Renderking Fisk]

I'm going to cop an attitude here for a second. I'm entitled to because I've been at this for more then 20 years.

Fedora's are coming back because FOLKS LIKE US NEVER STOPPED WEARING THEM. New York times can call MK, Michealson, or even myself if they want to interview some real fedora wearers. These celebs are just little pikers.

 

[jamespowers]

Originally posted by Renderking Fisk
I'm going to cop an attitude here for a second. I'm entitled to because I've been at this for more then 20 years.

Fedora's are coming back because FOLKS LIKE US NEVER STOPPED WEARING THEM. New York times can call MK, Michealson, or even myself if they want to interview some real fedora wearers. These celebs are just little pikers.

You tell 'em. The problem is that none of us are all that famous---and I prefer it that way. LOL

Regards to all,

J

 

[The Wingnut]

That's what I was thinking, James...instead of being out of the ordinary, we distinguished gentlemen are now relegated to being trend-followers.

It's nice to see the fedora making a comeback, but I can't help but think of the ways in which the tradition of wearing a proper hat will be perverted by mainstream thought.

 

[jamespowers]

I think one of the first things to go will be hat ettiquette. Slobs will be eating in a restaurant with a hat on because they do it now with those infernal caps(baseball, trucker, etc.). The only time you will be able to get it off them is when you put them in The Box. LOL I also can't tell you how much I am looking forward to dayglow green fedoras. LOL LOL

Regards to all,

J

 

[Nathan Flowers]

I don't think it will last. I really wish it would, though!

Right now, it's just a fashion statement. Back in the day, men wore hats because they had a purpose. These people just see it as an accessory. Perhaps if it catches on enough, then we will see a resurgence. Time will tell.

 

[jamespowers]

Purpose---Skin Cancer. I even have a cheap straw hat that I use around the yard that says "prevents skin cancer" in the lining. Interesting marketing technique but I would have added "with style." LOL

Regards to all,

J

 

[Nathan Flowers]

That's exactly the reason I wear my hats, JP. But I venture to say that most of these new folks don't even think about the reasons for, and benefits from wearing a hat.

Maybe I'm just a curmudgeon

 

[jamespowers]

Originally posted by Zohar
Maybe I'm just a curmudgeon

You too, huh? A title I wear with pride.

 

[Andykev]

Fedora on the upswing?

In reference to the post by MK regarding a fedora sighting.....

Yesterday I went to the Giants game in SBC Park, in SF. It is one of the most beautiful ball parks in the country. (I even phoned Zohar during the 7th inning!).

I had a great time: here is the hat part.
The temps were in the mid to low 80's, and I sat in full sun in section 128, row 21. It was just up and past the 3rd base line. Super view of the game.

Women were dressed oh sooooo nicely, and I counted HUNDREDS!! of Fedora Straw Montecristi style hats! WOW. Of course the hat of the day was the ball cap.
However, I was very impressed with the number of dress straw hats being worn! I of course wore the Montecristi from Panamabob and made by Art! Kept the sun off my face. (OK OK I did use SPF 45 sunblock too!).

What was frightening, was how many men and women who had NO hat and sat the full game in the sun. My sensitive skin wouldn't go for that!

On the way home on BART (our subway), I saw a man dressed in a business suit, and wearing a BASEBALL CAP! HAHAHAH. Poor taste.

 

[jamespowers]

Not only poor taste but no taste at all. LOL

 

[Andykev]

View of the field!

Here is our view of the field during the game. Imagine seeing lots of the seats filled with men in Fedora Straw hats. I wish I had my camera!

EDIT. sorry this is the OPPOSITE view, but it shows the field better. We were on the 3rd base line.

 

[Pen Collector]

Zohar said.....

"I don't think it will last. I really wish it would, though!
Right now, it's just a fashion statement. "


I agree with Zohar. I don't think it will last. The only problem is that these "high profile" fashion statement folks will probably jack up the fedora prices. After the damage has been done they will tire of wearing the hats and move on to something else.

We gentlemen here, will of course, wear our Fedoras forever.......

Right? Yea!!

 

[Renderking Fisk]

Fedoras are part of our lifestyle and arn't going away forever thanks to the likes of us.

But I'm miffed that celeberties get the credit. I'll feel better if these celebs demad their rolls are complete with proper lids. (Hybrid Retro cars are my next crusade.)

 

[Butters]

Hybrid retro cars, now theres an idea, i would like to see them try that on one of those customizing shows like monster garage or something. If they can prove it can be done, maybe companies will start selling packages for some of the more popular classics, like the model A's or something. I dont think anything will come out for my mustang however, because people with the muscle car era cars like them to have power, not fuel efficency =D

 

[Matt Deckard]

The only thing I think could put a hamper on the return of the fedora could be Fur activists.

To them I have to say...

Nothing like being on the prairie kicking back in your leather cowboy boots while eating a steak and wearing a fur felt fedora.

 

[schwammy]

There was a time when I would have said 'no way.' Fedoras will never come back, at least, not to the point of unverisal acceptance that they once enjoyed. But recent trends have caused me to reconsider that.

For one thing, I looked around in the locker room recently, and even high school kids seem to be wearing boxers these days. Nobody wore boxers when I was in high school. The almighty brief was king.

For another thing, the era of boring cars is finally over! At long last, Detroit is again starting to manufacture autombiles with personality. I LOVE those new Thunderbirds.

So at this point I say, 'it could happen.'

 

[Matt Deckard]

And the Crossfire with the fastback design.
Also the Chrysler 300... Now that car looks like a poor man's Bently and I like it.