Hat + Brylcreem

FedoraFan112390 · Mar 7, 2012

Is wearing a hat such as a fedora, and wearing brylcreem incompatible? I wouldn't want to ruin a hat with brylcreem but at the same time my hair looks better slicked back and it's wild to take care of otherwise.

randooch · Mar 7, 2012

You'll certainly stain whatever liner your hat has, but whether or not that constitutes ruination, well, that's subjective.

VetPsychWars · Mar 7, 2012

It also depends on how much you use. When I use a dressing like that, I put nearly the minimum that comes out into my palm before spreading and applying. Quite honestly, that same amount is about what you'd get if you didn't wash you hair for a day.

Now, when you say "slicked back", it sounds like more than that. What I would say is that you need to clean your hats once a year to wash all that out. Sure, it costs money, but in the end I think you might be happier.

Tom

tealseal · Mar 7, 2012

Considering that Brylcreem and it's kin hail from the heyday of daily, regular hat wearing, I think it would be highly unlikely that the product would have lasted 'til 2012 if using it and wearing a hat were mutually exclusive. [huh]

On a daily basis I use Brylcreem, Alberto VO5 Conditioning Hairdressing, or a combination, if I have really stubborn fly-outs for some reason. Over the two years I've done this, I have not experienced any ill effects on my felts. I use just enough Brylcreem to keep my hair in place and a wee bit shiny - not hair tonic slick (that's what hair tonic is for). In summer, I tend to avoid the Brylcreem since I don't like how it makes me feel when I sweat so I switch to Groom & Clean (or tonic) for the hot weather. I do have some minor liner stain, but as far as I'm concerned the liner's purpose is to be a protective barrier between my hair and my hat, and in that respect it works perfectly.

Stanley Doble · Mar 7, 2012

I use VO5 for gray hair. I apply it only after washing my hair which is 2 or 3 times a week, and I use a tiny amount. A dab no bigger than a match head.

In the past I have used Brylcreem and Vitalis (not at the same time). All these products contain Lanolin and/or grease. They should be used very sparingly. They will stain pillowcases, hats and upholstered chairs if used to excess. You will need to experiment a bit. Try cutting the amount you use in half, and in half again until it doesn't work then go back up a notch. Your hair should not be dry or greasy. You can also wet your hair brush with water when you brush your hair, this will aid in grooming and soon evaporates.

Your great grandmother protected her furniture with doilies or antimacassars. Antimacassars were named after macassar oil, a hair dressing popular in the 19th century.

Remember the ad slogan "a little dab'l do ya?". If a small amount will not give enough control consider a gell product. Sha Na Na used to slick back their hair with KY jelly no kidding.

AtomicEraTom · Mar 7, 2012

I use hairdressing and wear hats all the time. I try to be more careful with vintage hats, for obvious reasons, but with new hats, I'm a bit more reckless. I've never noticed any staining to them, to be honest.

Grizzly Adams · Mar 7, 2012

Groom and Clean. I have had no problems with it staining anything. That said, I use just enough to get the job done. YMMV.

HodgePodge · Mar 7, 2012

FedoraFan112390 said:
Is wearing a hat such as a fedora, and wearing brylcreem incompatible? I wouldn't want to ruin a hat with brylcreem but at the same time my hair looks better slicked back and it's wild to take care of otherwise.

"And his brown hat, fixed square-shaped the way all the cakes were wearing them, was old and greasy from the stacomb that he smeared on his hair every day."
- James T. Farrell, "A Jazz-Age Clerk" (1932)

From what I've seen over in the Hats section, sweatbands and liners can be replaced if they are beyond cleaning.

Mystic · Mar 7, 2012

FedoraFan112390 said:
Is wearing a hat such as a fedora, and wearing brylcreem incompatible? I wouldn't want to ruin a hat with brylcreem but at the same time my hair looks better slicked back and it's wild to take care of otherwise.

Enjoy it while you got it....wild or not.

you may not always have enough to fret about

Nick D · Mar 7, 2012

I wear Brylcreem and a hat every day, and there is very little if any difference in my hat liners. It isn't really Brylcreem but the oils and pomades that cause dark staining to hats. Brylcreem is water-based, so I suppose it's gentler on the headgear.

mr.slick · Mar 7, 2012

I use pomade.. No problems so far and hopefully none in the future.

The Wiser Hatter · Mar 7, 2012

That's what hat liners are for. In the hey of hats guys would just go into the shop and have the liner replaced.

Mystic · Mar 7, 2012

The Wiser Hatter said:
That's what hat liners are for. In the hey of hats guys would just go into the shop and have the liner replaced.

I suppose the whole hat wearing "experience" was different back then, with so many hat shops and stores selling hats. Especially in the bigger cities.

I would think you could have gotten a hat liner or sweatband replaced while you wait or same day service at some hat shops.
It wasn't all that long ago that Penny's, Sears, Cohens, and other Department stores had tailors on duty to alter pants and suits after the purchase.

Undertow · Mar 7, 2012

Remeber - your hair is like a sponge. If you apply Brylcreem or pomade to dry hair, it's sucked right in. Point being, unless you saturate your head, you shouldn't have alot of excess.

I use pomade or Brylcreem most days, and on my off days, like when I want to get a hair cut somewhere, I'll use a water-based gel. In any case, I've not had any noticable staining from the products. Sweat, on the other hand, is a different story all together!

new2hats · Mar 8, 2012

My solution is simple if you are afraid of ruining your hat...Buy two hats, an every day hat that can be messed up with brylcream, and also a nice one that you use occasionally so it will keep nicely!

scottyrocks · Mar 8, 2012

I used Brylcreem when I was a kid (and had some hair). I seem to remember it drying shortly after being applied. I used to touch it and it all moved as one. Am I right or could I have been using something else? It was many years ago.

Stanley Doble · Mar 8, 2012

scottyrocks said:
I used Brylcreem when I was a kid (and had some hair). I seem to remember it drying shortly after being applied. I used to touch it and it all moved as one. Am I right or could I have been using something else? It was many years ago.

You may be thinking of something else. There were water based products that dried to a hard shell if you used a lot. I vaguely remember a brand called Cavalier or Brigadier, some military name.

Brylcreem gives more of a shiny greasy feel if you use too much. This shiny look was favored by some of the younger actors in old movies. You can really see it in some pictures from the late twenties and early thirties. They look like they comb their hair with axle grease.

Hat + Brylcreem

FedoraFan112390

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randooch

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Stanley Doble

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HodgePodge

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