Do you see your Indy hats as "formal" or "casual" hats?

grey ghost · Jan 24, 2009

I would have to say both..............

Torpedo · Jan 25, 2009

Nebraska Schulte said:
I've found my Adventurebilt Crystal Skull fedora to be quite versatile, such as for academic conferences (also see my avatar):

Everyday wear:

And out in the field (Ramat Rachel dig, just outside of Jerusalem)

Don't mind my mug too much--I hope these are some good examples of how an Indy hat can work with lots of different styles.

best wishes,
Nebraska Schulte

Hi,

I would say you very much look like the modern day incarnation of Dr. Jones - being a real archaeologist and all!

Not-Bogart13 · Jan 25, 2009

Yeah, Nebraska really owns that hat, doesn't he? I like it best paired with the specialty bow tie!

Torpedo · Jan 25, 2009

Not-Bogart13 said:
Yeah, Nebraska really owns that hat, doesn't he? I like it best paired with the specialty bow tie!

I had to look again to see what are you referring to. Yes! Definitely a great choice of bowtie! :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

Nebraska Schulte · Jan 25, 2009

Gentlemen, thank you kindly for your compliments.

As for the bow ties, the tan and black is a pre-tied Dead Sea Scrolls tie, but the blue silk bow tie in my avatar is my first "real" bow tie, based on photos of the Community Rule (purchased from the Dead Sea Scrolls foundation at a recent conference).

So yes, Torpedo--I find it a very flexible hat. Enjoy yours, and wear it in good health!

best wishes,
Nebraska Schulte

Torpedo · Jan 25, 2009

Nebraska Schulte said:
Gentlemen, thank you kindly for your compliments. As for the bow ties, the tan and black is a pre-tied Dead Sea Scrolls tie, but the blue silk bow tie in my avatar is my first "real" bow tie, based on photos of the Community Rule (purchased from the Dead Sea Scrolls foundation at a recent conference).

So yes, Torpedo--I find it a very flexible hat. Enjoy yours, and wear it in good health!

best wishes,
Nebraska Schulte

fftopic:

I take it that by "real bow tie" you mean self-styled. I have a handful of bow ties, all vintage and all self-styled, and I plan to increase their number. But sometimes I am tempted by pre-tied or even clip-on varieties, because the most daring designs are often available just in these styles.

Mmmmh... should I couple a bow tie with the Raiders hat and see how I feel about it?

Regards!

Benzadmiral · Feb 9, 2011

Nebraska Schulte said:
Gentlemen, thank you kindly for your compliments. As for the bow ties, the tan and black is a pre-tied Dead Sea Scrolls tie, but the blue silk bow tie in my avatar is my first "real" bow tie, based on photos of the Community Rule (purchased from the Dead Sea Scrolls foundation at a recent conference).

So yes, Torpedo--I find it a very flexible hat. Enjoy yours, and wear it in good health!

best wishes,
Nebraska Schulte

Leave us not forget that the (in)famous Dr. Jones wore a bowtie with his tweed jacket when he dressed for dinner in "Temple of Doom" -- or am I recalling that wrong?

In my case, it's hard to say what my Fed IVs would go with. I have the dark dark Carbon Grey and a Moonstone, and I have trouble linking up such a wide brim with a suit and tie of the modern day. I know cops and other characters in Forties movies wore wide brims, and Indy, as someone pointed out, wore his grey hat with a dark suit for traveling, but somehow it jars me, for me.

If I had the Moonstone's brim trimmed back to 2 5/8" or 2 1/2" and had a mid-grey, smaller ribbon put on it, to me, that seems more *right* for a suit and tie. Or maybe I've been influenced by all those color paintings in the ads for Stetson Stratoliners and Whippets?

hatophile · Feb 9, 2011

I have a moonstone Fed IV and a tawny colored one. I have to admit, I usually wear them with more casual clothing, not with suit and tie. That's not to say I don't think they would go,
because they are perfectly nice hats, and I have no problem with the brim width, to me they just look more casual. Plus, I have many bound-edge or felted edge hats that I think are a little dressier.

That's just my opinion, others here may feel otherwise.

gtdean48 · Feb 9, 2011

Casual

AtomicEraTom · Feb 9, 2011

I would definitely say more of a casual hat.

monbla256 · Feb 9, 2011

Strictly casual regardless of wearing with a suit and tie.

Mobile Vulgus · Feb 9, 2011

You know, this whole discussion of whether a fedora is "formal" or "casual" is only a modern problem. The fedora is itself a somewhat casual hat in the first place. The formal hat of the day was the homburg and the top hat and the more business hat was the bowler (derby). So asking if a fedora could be formal is simply an ill-informed question. After all, just look at photos of the 30,40s,50s etc and you'll see men in fedoras while wearing overall, for heaven's sake! Overalls are far from formal wear!

Then hats went away for a few decades and as they are coming back, people have developed a mistaken sense that fedoras are somehow a formal hat! It's just a wholly mistaken belief.

What this shows is that our culture has become so degraded and informal that people haven't a clue how to handle a hat!!

Now, this is not to say people are "stupid." Merely uninformed, merely uncultured or out of touch with facts is all.

Jedwbpm · Feb 9, 2011

Mobile Vulgus said:
You know, this whole discussion of whether a fedora is "formal" or "casual" is only a modern problem. The fedora is itself a somewhat casual hat in the first place. The formal hat of the day was the homburg and the top hat and the more business hat was the bowler (derby). So asking if a fedora could be formal is simply an ill-informed question. After all, just look at photos of the 30,40s,50s etc and you'll see men in fedoras while wearing overall, for heaven's sake! Overalls are far from formal wear!

Then hats went away for a few decades and as they are coming back, people have developed a mistaken sense that fedoras are somehow a formal hat! It's just a wholly mistaken belief.

What this shows is that our culture has become so degraded and informal that people haven't a clue how to handle a hat!!

Now, this is not to say people are "stupid." Merely uninformed, merely uncultured or out of touch with facts is all.

I think it depends on the changing definition of Formal. When you speak of formal and Homburgs you are hearkening back to a time of evening dress. The business suit at least in the US has been worn with a Fedora since 40's on ward. Now bankers and people who wished to project an air of conservative trustworthiness would wear a Homburg or Bowler in the UK. that said the school teacher, office worker in the gray flannel suit, or just off to church wore a Fedora. There are styles of Fedoras and Homburgs that I would not be caught dead in no matter my clothing. From your statement an electric blue Homburg with a valor finish would be fine with a Tux by virtue of its Hombugness. If you look at all the old Hat ads that are posted most of the time it is a man in a business suit and a fedora I did not see to many shots of overalls. Nor did I see many ads for Homburgs.
In my past profession I wore a Tux every Saturday( and yes I wore a black fedora with it) and a Suit every other day, never a sport coat and trousers. At that time to me a tweed jacket and gray trousers was dressing down and really slumming would be gray trousers a golf shirt and blue blazer with docksiders may with or without socks. Maybe the question should have been phrased "in today's world do you find your IJ hats appropriate with a suit?"

Jeff

monbla256 · Feb 9, 2011

"Maybe the question should have been phrased "in today's world do you find your IJ hats appropriate with a suit?"

I think you hit the nail on the head Jed. I also wore suits as well as tweed jackets at my work years ago, but have always looked at "formal" attire as Tuxedos, tails etc. and if you wore a hat with them it was either a Homburg or Topper. But this is the 21st century and "... we don't need no stinking rules" as some are want to say these days.
and as I say, Onward thru the Fog

theinterchange · Feb 9, 2011

Mobile Vulgus said:
Now, this is not to say people are "stupid." Merely uninformed, merely uncultured or out of touch with facts is all.

I find the first part of that statement to be false. A good number of people really are stupid, as well as uninformed, uncultured, and out of touch with facts. They require other people to tell them what to think, wear, drive, vote, where to live... I could go on.

Rant aside, I do not see an Indy fedora as formal in any sense of the word.

Mobile Vulgus · Feb 9, 2011

Jedwbpm said:
I think it depends on the changing definition of Formal. When you speak of formal and Homburgs you are hearkening back to a time of evening dress. The business suit at least in the US has been worn with a Fedora since 40's on ward. Now bankers and people who wished to project an air of conservative trustworthiness would wear a Homburg or Bowler in the UK. that said the school teacher, office worker in the gray flannel suit, or just off to church wore a Fedora. There are styles of Fedoras and Homburgs that I would not be caught dead in no matter my clothing. From your statement an electric blue Homburg with a valor finish would be fine with a Tux by virtue of its Hombugness. If you look at all the old Hat ads that are posted most of the time it is a man in a business suit and a fedora I did not see to many shots of overalls. Nor did I see many ads for Homburgs.
In my past profession I wore a Tux every Saturday( and yes I wore a black fedora with it) and a Suit every other day, never a sport coat and trousers. At that time to me a tweed jacket and gray trousers was dressing down and really slumming would be gray trousers a golf shirt and blue blazer with docksiders may with or without socks. Maybe the question should have been phrased "in today's world do you find your IJ hats appropriate with a suit?"

Jeff

Mostly agree except for the part about wearing fedoras with business suits since "since 40's on ward." It goes back a lot further than that.

Yeps · Feb 9, 2011

I think they are casual hats. Then again, my sense of casual includes tweed jackets and knit ties, so it is a little warped. However, due to the big, dimensional brim, I think they could be worn as casually as you would a cowboy hat.
That said, they can also look really snazzy with a suit, although, I tend to think with the dimensional brim they look a bit off in sharper situations.

Jedwbpm · Feb 9, 2011

Mobile Vulgus said:
Mostly agree except for the part about wearing fedoras with business suits since "since 40's on ward." It goes back a lot further than that.

I did not want to over reach by going back to far.

Jeff

Tango Yankee · Feb 9, 2011

Jedwbpm said:
If you look at all the old Hat ads that are posted most of the time it is a man in a business suit and a fedora I did not see to many shots of overalls.

Not in advertisements, no... but men in work clothing, including overalls, wearing fedoras can be seen in many photographs and films of the era. From what I've read for many working men the practice was to have one good hat for dressing up, and when it started to look worn it became the work hat. Advertisers are promoting hats to men on the basis that they'll look their best in the advertiser's hat and not that it'll be a good hat to wear on the construction site. It's like how today the advertisers of alcoholic beverages (or anything, really) tend to portray the drinkers of their beverage as being exclusively young and good looking and trendy.

Cheers,
Tom

1961MJS · Feb 9, 2011

Tango Yankee said:
... It's like how today the advertisers of alcoholic beverages (or anything, really) tend to portray the drinkers of their beverage as being exclusively young and good looking and trendy.

Cheers,

Tom

Wait, how come we haven't been in a beer commercial? I'm young (oops), Good looking (oh, darn), and trendy (Who's trendy? we're wearing Fedoras and the 1950's are over.).

I think that all brown Indiana Jones style hats are casual, but the other colors can be suit formal, as opposed to Tux formal. I want to get a Fed IV, but they're getting higher and higher. I do own a Stetson Temple, but it's not as IJ as the others.

Later

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