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Felt hats in summer..

Messages
10,342
Location
vancouver, canada
I picked up a light weight felt from Mike at NW Hats. He pounced it extra thin, in a Sand coloured felt, no liner just a tip. It is perfect for spring /early summer up here in Vancouver, Canada. At most we have two months to wear straw and this fills in nicely. It is the perfect light weight hat for this climate.
 

ScionPI2005

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,335
Location
Seattle, Washington
I'm originally from the desert (New Mexico to be exact). While living there, I found my threshold to be about 70 degrees before I had to give up a felt hat and go to straw or linen caps. Currently, I live in the Pacific Northwest, which is more humid. I've found my threshold has actually dropped to about 65 degrees now. I sweat pretty easily, so wearing a felt hat when it is too warm is really pretty uncomfortable for me.
 

RJR

Messages
10,620
Location
Iowa
I'm originally from the desert (New Mexico to be exact). While living there, I found my threshold to be about 70 degrees before I had to give up a felt hat and go to straw or linen caps. Currently, I live in the Pacific Northwest, which is more humid. I've found my threshold has actually dropped to about 65 degrees now. I sweat pretty easily, so wearing a felt hat when it is too warm is really pretty uncomfortable for me.
I'm in the Midwest,but my tolerance is about the same.
 

ND1SU

New in Town
Messages
24
Location
Indianapolis, Indiana
Here's how I handle it (I'm such a computer programmer). Summer and winter in Indiana are no-brainers. Spring and autumn, however:
  1. Look at the weather forecast for the high temperature and likelihood of rain that day.
  2. If rain is likely, wear an ivy cap (until I can Scotchgard a couple of felts)
  3. If HT <= 70°F (21 °C), wear felt
  4. If 70 °F <= HT < 75 °F (24 °C), consider humidity and cloudiness
  5. If HT >75 °F, wear straw
 

FedOregon

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,134
Location
Oregon
As long as I'm not out in the direct sun, I'll wear felt up to about 75 - 80 degrees F. Above that I sweat a lot in anything, but usually go to Panama straw or a Milan weave at that point.

Art at Vintage Silhouettes has my order for a lighter dress weight Silvermist felt with a removable satin liner. I also asked him to put his snowflake shaped vents in the sides. They look very classy.
 

addison

One of the Regulars
Messages
164
Location
Wisconsin
Hey, Jamespowers...

that looks like a Dallas Cowboy hat (Fedora). The color, the star.....
That would have been the perfect hat for Tom Landry.

Tom Landry was a class act!

And that compliment is coming from a lifelong Steelers fan!

tom_landry_1985_01_01.jpg
 

addison

One of the Regulars
Messages
164
Location
Wisconsin
...and to answer the question (sort-of), I'm way up in northern WI and I'm still wearing straws in mid '70's weather.
I need to try one of them there fancy vented felts! ;)
 

TheDane

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,670
Location
Copenhagen, Denmark
If it's not raining, and the temperature is 65°F or above, it's a straw hat day. If there are slight chances of a little drizzle, I wear my PB-hemp. It's pretty easy to re-shape or "sharpen up", if the silhouette get's a little "lazy" :)
 

RJR

Messages
10,620
Location
Iowa
If it's not raining, and the temperature is 65°F or above, it's a straw hat day. If there are slight chances of a little drizzle, I wear my PB-hemp. It's pretty easy to re-shape or "sharpen up", if the silhouette get's a little "lazy" :)
+1 re the PB hemp.
 

Chepstow

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,406
Location
Germany/ Remscheid
Great to hear you Ole! I hope all is well. Thanks a lot my friend for the kind words about the Straw Burg! I am glad that I done it! It's always a little attraction.
RJR, thank you very much! It's appreciated.


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madame babette

New in Town
Messages
27
Location
California
Hi,

Well, this is an interesting thread, which raises good questions. I have not read all the replies but wanted to give a few thoughts so pardon me if this has been raised previously. Certainly it is perfectly fine to wear a felt hat in the summer, it is a tradition that goes back well over 100 years. What I can add to it is that in the late Victorian and Edwardian eras, there was such a thing as "Summer Felts" in both mens' hats and womens' hats. Extra lightweight and thinner than most. Here is a ad from 1913, this one is for womens' hats but you get the idea, especially since the hats are all masculine styles. I have ads with mens' summer flat hats also.

I also have an antique hat ventilator, still in the original box, from around 1910 I am guessing. It has a metal punch and a celluloid template with a variety of sized holes to choose from. And a little ebony wood and boar bristle brush to finish the felt after punchng.

Funny thing, last night I watched a old movie (not so good, I think some Milton Berle thing but Ruth Roman was stunning) and one of the men had a hat with ventilated sides. My buddy asked me "did you see that guy's hat...it had holes in it...what was that all about?" So I told him. Now he wants me to punch his hat!

Anyway, I agree that wearing a felt in summer can be a very cool thing to do.

By the way, Chepstow, that combination straw and felt hat is wonderful.

summer felts 2.jpg
 

Chepstow

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,406
Location
Germany/ Remscheid
Thank you madame babette, glad that you like it! I made it for my self - The felt Part is of an old 50s Wegener Colonel Homburg and the Straw part is a Mayser Country. But I agree with you - It's indeed popular to wear felt hats in Summer, why not.
The Ventholes in hats are a fine thing and can cool your head.


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