Photos of me & my "beginner hats" (many pics - thread may take a LONG time to load!)

[nicolasb]

1) Pictures of me have been known to crack the camera lens before now, so viewers of a nervous disposition are advised to look away now.

2) Most of the hats I own so far are very cheap and not very nice. I am aware of this, so please don't be too hard on me.

More posts follow, one hat per post.

 

[nicolasb]

Okay, this one is by Stevens Hats, and it's "beaver blend". Doesn't fit awfully well.

Here's me in it:

 

[nicolasb]

This one is a Stetson Sovereign:

The colour isn't quite right there - it's a little closer in this one:

 

[nicolasb]

Dodgy brown tweed trilby (I won't be keeping this one, I don't think, as it's a particularly bad fit):

 

[nicolasb]

Almost equally dodgy (albeit newer) check tweed trily. Also going to have to be sold on as it's too small. Really seriously does not go with the shirt I am wearing.

 

[nicolasb]

Cheap, black, narrow-brim fedora, in wool felt. The pictures make it look far smarter and better fitting than it actually is!

The hat by itself:

 

[nicolasb]

This one is an ultra-cheap panama-hat knock-off, made in the UK (from palm fibre), but it has some sentimental value, as it's my first ever hat.

 

[nicolasb]

A much nicer black trilby, soft fur felt, velour. (These pictures really don't do it justice).

Here's me in it:

 

[nicolasb]

This is a very wide-brim, very high crown, black fedora. It's probably my favourite out of my current hats. It's not quite as grey as it looks here....

Here's me in it:

 

[nicolasb]

Erm... I'm taking the fifth amendment on this one:

 

[nicolasb]

Finally here's my so-called "extra fino cuenca" panama hat from Planete Panama. I'm not wildly happy with it, but, as one or two people specifically asked me to post some photos of this, there are some high-resolution images here.




First, me in it:

And now the hat itself:

 

[Biltmore Bob]

Totally Rabbi...

The black wide brim...

 

[BellyTank]

...or Hair?

(Rabbi/Rabbit/Hare/Hair)

Thanks for posting nicolasb



B
T

 

[Biltmore Bob]

Hardy har har. Did ya take a break for awhile, BT?

 

[MJL]

Sadly, there is no 5th Amendment in the UK. I reckon that is one of the reasons we chose to "go our own way". On another note I like the fact that I am not the only guy here who seems to be wearing black suspenders. I have worn suspenders for years now. I first started wearing them to assist in keeping my drawers up when wearing large concealed handguns. I later found them to be MUCH more comfortable than belts. Now I pocket small concealed handguns and still wear the suspenders.

 

[Panamabob]

I'm sorry Planeta sells these low dollar hats as extra fine hats. I'd send it back if it was me. It is nice to know what they are doing.

Ese sombrero con ala larga, hay chihuahua!

 

[skwerl-hat]

beautiful hats nicolas b. im especially envious of that grey wide brim you showed there very snappy

 

[Daniel Riser]

I think your first panama is terrific! I love the colors in the band. And I loved the fith ammendment post. Great sense of humor. People with wit keep the boards alive (that's why I'm known for killing threads)

Can't wait to see more hats from you over the years.

 

[nicolasb]

I'm sorry Planeta sells these low dollar hats as extra fine hats. I'd send it back if it was me. It is nice to know what they are doing.

Hi Robert! To be fair, it was pretty cheap. Plan?ɬ®te Panama sell three grades of Cuenca hat, and four grades of Montecristi hat. The one I have is the highest of the three Cuenca grades. To the US it normally sells for $60 + $20 shipping. Their Montecristi hats start at $150 for a Fino. The "extra fino" montecristi is $400 (which probably is a bit overpriced).

I paid 50 Euros + 8 Euros shipping (from France) for my hat; importantly that was including all forms of tax and import duty, as it was shipped from inside the EU. They are usually a bit more expensive than that - they were selling a batch of hats at 30% below normal price. I presume the normal European rate has to factor individual shipping from Ecuador, but this time they'd sent a large batch all at once from Ecuador to their office in Marseille.

Anyway, for 58 Euros including tax and shipping, I don't think it's that bad for a llano weave cuenca hat.

Sadly, there is no 5th Amendment in the UK.

There isn't?!

Yeah, living in the UK, I did know that but I was hoping that, this being an american forum, my posts might get constitutional protection. Of course, you guys are probably going to ship me out to Guantanamo Bay and make me post from there just to make sure.

On another note I like the fact that I am not the only guy here who seems to be wearing black suspenders. I have worn suspenders for years now. I first started wearing them to assist in keeping my drawers up when wearing large concealed handguns. I later found them to be MUCH more comfortable than belts. Now I pocket small concealed handguns and still wear the suspenders.

Er... okay.

(looks around for the door)



I agree about the comfort factor, though, in my case, it has a lot to do with my weight. Belts really only work if your waist is actually narrower than your hips. If it isn't it's a bit like trying to belt something onto the lower half of an inflated beach ball.

I probably don't look too fat in those photos - this is partly creative photography but also partly that I have actually lost quite a lot of weight lately. I'm 6 feet tall and somewhere around 220 pounds now, which is still a lot more than I should weigh; but, when I started dieting about 13 months ago I was somewhere around 335 pounds. Belts definitely a no-go when you're that shape.

beautiful hats nicolas b. im especially envious of that grey wide brim you showed there very snappy

Why thank you. It's actually black rather than grey in real-life. I'm rather fond of it. It wasn't that expensive, either, or at least not by British standards (by american standards it's probably overpriced). ?Ǭ£50 new. Something not actually a great deal better than that in (say) James Lock and Co. would cost close to three times as much.

But I think it's quite smart. I wasn't sure if I could get away with that high a crown and a three-and-a-quarter inch brim, but I think it works.

I'm also rather pleased with my nicer black trilby, which was ?Ǭ£15 almost new on Ebay....

I think your first panama is terrific! I love the colors in the band.

One really shouldn't dignify it by calling it a Panama, palm fibre or no palm fibre but as a cheapie straw hat it's okay. (And does actually nearly fit me, which is a novelty!)

 

[Panamabob]

I shouldn't even post anymore as I'm way too far in knowing the real prices.