My 1930's Fez hat continued!

[Tenorclef]

Ok chaps, well my hat arrived today I was really excited to finally own a 1930's genuine vintage Fez hat. I'm loading up some photos for your viewing. As you can imagine this is an incredible find! The story from what I can understand was that the eBay seller explained it was purchased by his grandfather and sent to his grandfathers mothers house and then the hat was never worn and has basically lived in this box for 75 years! It is truly a beautiful example of a 1930's Turkish aka Ottoman Fez hat. The colour being more dark red than its Egyptian counter part. It has all the correct features as already mentioned. leather band, straw interior. Proper wool fabric. Absolutely love it. I wonder what I can learn about Parnell hatters and it would be really cool if any one here could explain the foreign label text or logo to me. I've applied a bit of traditional dubbin with finger only to the leather lining as I can see with age it is starting to crack and dry out.

 

[The Wiser Hatter]

That is a fantastic Fez. What a great find.

 

[jhe888]

I had no idea they were felt over straw. I have a nice-ish modern fez, and it is felt only.

Great find.

 

[Tenorclef]

Apparently its virtually a lost art now. Last year I bought a couple of tourist fez hats from Turkey and these were basically card covered with a dark red felt material. A friend mentioned a book by Jeremy Seal 'A Fez of the Heart' and i discovered a lot about true fez hats and its intriguing history. I should add this is not a daily wear hat hahaha but I will wear a fez for parties like NYE or for the occasional quirky gig.

 

[Fastuni]

Very interesting and exotic headgear.

However I have no doubt that it is Egyptian and not Turkish.

1. The paper label inside shows the Royal Egyptian Flag: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Egypt

2. The Ottoman Empire ended in 1923.
The Turkish Republic discontinued the Fez in 1925 (adopting Western hats) and the Arabic script in 1928 (adopting the Latin alphabet).

If the Fez is genuinely from the 1930s, it would be very unlikely from Turkey.
And the flag inside is a certain giveaway of its Egyptian origin.

In any case outstanding and full of interesting history.

 

[Tenorclef]

Well that is fantastic information! Yes I was aware that Fez hats were band in Turkey by Mustapha Kemel (Ataturk) in 1924 but there was some resistance at first by some to give up their hats. However if the logo as you suggest is Egyptian then i must concede to it being likely made in Egypt. However still 1930's I think. Two things I do know for sure, Egyptian Fez hats stand a good couple of inches taller than the Turkish (Ottoman style) hat and the Ottoman Fez hat is also a darker red than the Egyptian hat. I would therefore conclude that if the hat was made in Egypt it was made in the more traditional 'Ottoman' style.

 

[Fastuni]

I would therefore conclude that if the hat was made in Egypt it was made in the more traditional 'Ottoman' style.

This would be a possibility... here is an alternative explanation:

The flag shown was (in a red version) also the flag of the "Khedivate of Egypt", the pre-1914 tributary state of the Ottoman Empire.
The Fez could then have been made in Egypt for Ottoman Turkish costumers. Possibly the second, partially torn flag was the Ottoman/Turkish flag.
In this case the fez would be pre-1914 though.

If it is 1930's the explanation that it was made in Egypt in an Ottoman style would make sense.

 

[Tenorclef]

Yes I think that might likely be the case. Attached is a photo of a traditional 1930's style Turkish flag. If one concluded that the Egyptian flag was the to the right and the Turkish (Ottoman) to the left, it certainly could be!

 

[Tenorclef]

I'm surprised i've not come across these before but found a brilliant web site with some fab photos of chaps looking very dapper in their traditional Ottoman hats. Great quote too 'Something about its elemental design added gravitas in ways denied to more elaborate headwear. The top hat for example really needed an overcoat and ideally a cane to mark its wearer as a man about town. The fez needs nothing more than a jacket.'

 

[Mr.Astor]

I'm surprised i've not come across these before but found a brilliant web site with some fab photos of chaps looking very dapper in their traditional Ottoman hats. Great quote too 'Something about its elemental design added gravitas in ways denied to more elaborate headwear. The top hat for example really needed an overcoat and ideally a cane to mark its wearer as a man about town. The fez needs nothing more than a jacket.'

Nice history lesson in a short period of time! Bravo Gentlemen!

 

[bloc]

Looks great on you!

 

[ManofKent]

Nice history lesson in a short period of time! Bravo Gentlemen!

+1

 

[mayserwegener]

Looks fantastic! The felt is most likely from a Austrian or German source. I know that TONAK (was JHS, see photo on the Fez thread) still has the red dye formulas and are very protective of them.

 

[Tenorclef]

Looks fantastic! The felt is most likely from a Austrian or German source. I know that TONAK (was JHS, see photo on the Fez thread) still has the red dye formulas and are very protective of them.

There is a FEZ thread!? Link please.

 

[AntonAAK]

There is a FEZ thread!? Link please.

Several...

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?52862-So-I-got-me-this-Fez-see

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?38395-Anyone-wearing-s-Fez-these-days

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?46295-Looking-for-a-good-Fez

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?14471-Wearing-a-fez

 

[Tenorclef]

Several...

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?52862-So-I-got-me-this-Fez-see

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?38395-Anyone-wearing-s-Fez-these-days

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?46295-Looking-for-a-good-Fez

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?14471-Wearing-a-fez

Thanks AntonAAK, I've just read through all of those threads and thoroughly enjoyed seeing the photos and what other Fez hats fellow loungers knew about this curious hat and its history. A couple of photos of me here in Turkey last year, although made illegal to wear a Fez in Turkey by Mustapha Kemel they seem to sell them in most of the tourist shops for around 5 lira. I was told by the hotel not to walk into official building wearing one as they would tell me to remove it otherwise most people in Turkey now see the Fez hat very much the way we see the Top hat. I must say its rare to see some one walking down the street in a top hat BUT come to think of it about 3 weeks ago I did see a steam punk sporting quite a topper! As for my Fez, i won't wear it much but I can see me in my striped linen pygamas, silk dressing gown and Church slippers & pipe, sporting my Fez around the house on a lazy Sunday

 

[mayserwegener]

There is a FEZ thread!? Link please.

Sorry I meant the thread where I posted the old JHS photo with the Turkish and Austrian flags. I see Anton posted the Fez related threads.