Hat preference?

wcbrown · Aug 3, 2015

Preferences

This has probably been gone over a million times, so please forgive me. I just thought it would be cool to see what you guys lean towards when acquiring a "new" hat. You know.... Beaver or Rabbit, color, brim, crease, crown.....
I am fairly new to this hat world and so far I have pretty much, well exclusively actually, leaned towards, higher crowns, center creases, narrow 2 1/8 brims and wider ribbons. I love that 30 "gangster" look, maybe from the Bugs Bunny cartoon influences of my youth. I know sooner or later I am going to have to dip my toes into other pools, but for right now I just love the way those configurations work with my head shape, face, and height. ( 6'4" )

Frunobulax · Aug 3, 2015

Depends on my mood and situation. I have several hats that I favor for different reasons. I've gravitated toward wider brims since I began wearing hats, but I still like something 2.5" or under sometimes for a more "dressy" look. I like the high, straight crowns, but a couple of my favs are tapered a bit. Some are vintage, and some of my favs are recent production (even Stetson!). Same with ribbons - I like the versatility of switching it up.

And I recently started purchasing and looking at Homburgs. Go figure.

It's like women, there is beauty in all of them, and I enjoy all varieties.

...and +1 on Moon's opinion on the Akubras. I only own two, but they are superbly constructed, especially for the price.

JoeyC · Aug 3, 2015

Dress fedoras: Tall straight crowns 5 3/4"- 6" , brims 2 3/8" some 2 1/2" ribbons of various widths, simple center crease, some with soft pinch. Some all beaver, some blends.Those are my prefs. I do have some that flank those dimensions and creases, depends on the style. Colors vary, but a lot of silverbelly. Many vintage, quite a few custom, some off the rack. Panamas: 2 Montechristi (1 is a western) 2 Borsas, a few mediocre, some crap. Hoping my Peters Bros. Milan is the grail. Hard to find tall crown Panamas, though PB's is hemp.

Dress westerns: Tall straight up crowns, 4 3/4"-5" at the center crease, rancher or cattleman crease, narrow ribbons or self bands, brim widths 3 3/4"- 4" colors mostly silverbelly, tusk, ivory, 1 white, 1 black. Many stock Stetsons, 1 Resistol diamond horseshoe, 1 Seratelli, a few custom.

Old west: They run the gamut in crown height, some 7" but none less than 5" creased, brim widths vary, none less than 3" , ribbon or band material vary, braided horse hair. leather etc.
color vary as well, granite, silverbelly, black, whiskey, browns, rust etc. Mostly all custom from various makers, some of whom probably aren't around any longer.

I won't include all the mistakes, there are a few, needless to say many others probably have a few as well.

Dipping your toe, just wait. Can't post smileys for some reason but I would have included it at of that statement. Happy hatting.

belfastboy · Aug 3, 2015

For me the real fun aspect of becoming a hat wearer (hatting!) is finding out what works for my head. I have picked up multiple hats, Ebay, Etsy etc and have purchased some real gems and some real duds, from 1 1/2" stingy to 3" wide, low crowns to high crowns, even 2 Westerns. 16 hats later I have discovered what really works, what I like and I now have different hats for different moods and situations. The duds will eventually find their way to Ebay or Craigs. I know I will likely loose money on the dealings but to me it is just the small cost of determining in real time, not theory, what hats work for me. The next step is, now that I have clarity, is to spring for a custom. In a way my "ultimate" hat.

Joao Encarnado · Aug 3, 2015

My preference goes to big brims (4" to 5") and big crowns (+6").
Beaver or bunny/hare is now kind of a myth. Both works, mostly depends on finish.

totallyfrozen · Aug 4, 2015

#1 Trilby
#2 Duckbill ivy/flat
#3 Safari (wide brim)
#4 Boonie
#5 Cowboy
#6 Ball cap

The trilby is my fedora. I have to have a stingy brim. I don't wear fedoras that have full size brim (at least not at this time). It just doesn't seem to look right on my head.

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Fed in a Fedora · Aug 4, 2015

The favorite here is sort of an Aussie Slouch or Safari hat.

My first felt hat was an old cowboy hat that someone gave me on a hunting trip partly because it was cold and partly to see what I would do with it. This poor hat had seen better days as it was dirty, badly shaped and had a cut at the top of the Cattleman Crease. I wet it and worked it to get the old cattleman crease out. Then reshaped it with a center dent which hid the cut behind its forward crease. Mostly to hold it all in place, I pressed a close pinch in the front which works well for me anyway. Pressed the upturned cowboy sides down to flat and then tipped the brim front and back down into sort of an Aussie slouch which protects the face and neck from the sun. Gives it a Clint Eastwood effect.

The final product was sort of a Safari hat.

That was in the late 70s and I still wear this hat for rough outdoor activities. Did a couple more similar to it and then bought a Churchill that was already made in a similar manner. I have even done Campdrafts this way. The BlueGrass CD came out looking like something from The Shadow.

Fed

fabiovenhorst · Aug 4, 2015

I love fedoras and toppers... but I like homburgs too

Mustang · Aug 4, 2015

A fedora with a 6" (when open) crown and a 2 1/2" brim.

KingAndrew · Aug 5, 2015

Most of my hats are fedoras. I don't own any homburgs (yet).

My wife's favorite among my many hats is my oxblood felt fedora from Optimo. It's a 5+ inch crown with a center-dent and front pinch. Brim is 2.5 inches.

The straw hat I wear most often is my milan "teardrop" fedora from Optimo. It has a wider 3" brim, which provides good shade in the summer. I have and wear a panama optimo and a boater, but these are both dressier than the milan, so they don't get worn every day.

My Tilley Airflow is not very stylish, but it gets lots of use when I'm traveling. It is lightweight and I'm not concerned if it gets banged around, plus the "stampede cord" enables me to take the hat off without carrying it in my hand.

The hat that gets the most compliments is my Boss Raw Edge reissue. It is silverbelly, with a 6" centerdent crown and 4" brim with kettle curl edge. It has a brown ribbon with a frayed bow and a JBS branding iron pin. Everywhere I go, this hat gets positive comments from strangers of all ages and backgrounds. I really like the hat, but the frequency and intensity of the comments surprised me at first. I am beginning to wonder whether I should look into picking up a few more old-style Westerns, since this one is so well-received.

I have a number of unusual hats and ones that go with a specific outfit or costume (I teach history and often use clothing to help students understand other periods and cultures). Probably my favorite of these is my Tyrolean hat. I bought it on a high school trip to Europe. It's loden green wool, with lots of pins, feathers, and other "hutschmuck."

The hat I most admire is the top hat. I don't have a really proper beaver or silk topper, but I do have a wool version I bought as a 21st birthday present to myself. It's actually a pretty good-looking hat and is the one I wore in my wedding. So it has a special meaning for me.

Moviehats · Aug 5, 2015

I'm with Joao, I love big Western hats. I hope to make Sombreros with 6 inch plus brims if I can find felt (at least a 50% beaver blend) that size.

Joao Encarnado · Aug 5, 2015

Moviehats said:
I'm with Joao, I love big Western hats. I hope to make Sombreros with 6 inch plus brims if I can find felt (at least a 50% beaver blend) that size.

Cool! The max size I was able to get from FEPSA was a 7" crown with +4" untrimmed brim. Even being 100% bunny/hare fur, I love it!

WesternHatWearer · Aug 6, 2015

Western Hats all the way, as my favorite. They are the only type I own.

Bushman · Aug 6, 2015

I'm a mid brimmed fedora myself.

Bob Roberts · Aug 6, 2015

I'm open to suggestions... Lol.

gtdean48 · Aug 6, 2015

Fedoras, outbacks & westerns...mid & thin ribbons...no brims under 2 1/2"

RJR · Aug 6, 2015

My preferences pretty well match gtd's.

foamy · Aug 6, 2015

Pretty early for me to have a preference (still trying to find out what works for me). I seem to favor gamblers and straw.

dh66 · Aug 15, 2015

Aside from my fedoras, I get a lot of use out of my 8-panel newsboy and cowboy hats.

totallyfrozen · Jul 18, 2017

Let's wake this thread from the dead for a moment.

2 years later, has your hat preferences changed?

I've since learned my head shape and have tried more hat styles. So now, I'm off the stingy brims. I still like fedoras and trilbies but I need the full 2+ inch brim. I also prefer various types of natural straw for the material (mostly because I live in the hot South, USA).

How 'boutchu?

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