Pre-1900 Fedoras?

• Feb 8, 2015

• #1

JTSwifty

New in Town

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9

Location

Detroit

New in town - new question. I've come across a hat in photos from the 1870's to the 1890's. It looks a bit like a sort of Homburg but with a wider brim (see photos: one is signed and dated 1883; the other is a photo of C.H.Spurgeon in London who died in 1892). Does anyone recognize this hat? Does it have a name? Is there anything like it being made anymore?

 

• Feb 8, 2015

• #2

alanfgag

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15,011

Location

Buffalo, NY

In a nutshell, no. Early 20th century (and rarely, late 19th century) soft hats do come up for sale on auction sites and there are a few Lounge members who are thrilled when they do. Some of our custom hatters do period recreations for television and films and might be a source for a new hat in an old style. The soft hat in the second photo moved forward in time as a homburg with a curled and bound brim edge. Homburgs from the 1930s -1950s are relatively easy to obtain in the vintage market, more or less so depending on the size of your head. A mid century fedora with the brim worn up rather than snapped can assume this shape as well.

 

• Feb 9, 2015

• #3

jlee562

I'll Lock Up

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5,052

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San Francisco, CA

I bet Bob at Black Sheep could tackle this style. Art Fawcett as well. Some of the western hatters like Buckaroo and Knudsen do broad brim hats with rolled brims that look quite similar too.

 

• Feb 9, 2015

• #4

K

KingAndrew

A-List Customer

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312

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Shanghai

There was a great thread about fedoras in the 19th century: http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?48956-Fedoras-in-the-19th-Century

In those days, soft hats seemed to range widely in style. But the Homburg look with curled-up brim and tapered center-dent crown was very popular, especially after Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) took it up.

Pictures seem to show wide brims, stingies, many crown styles and sizes were common. Old photos also show a real mix of what look like "city" dress hats to us, worn in crowds with plenty of hats that would be considered Westerns today. But no soft hat seems as popular during the late Victorian era as the stiff Bowler or Derby hat, which was extremely common. The top hat also remained popular among society's "upper crust."

I love to see the old hats and styles, myself. Of course, I've been known to wear a top hat and bowler now and then, too.

 

• Feb 9, 2015

• #5

JTSwifty

New in Town

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9

Location

Detroit

Thanks - all very helpful. c|

 

• Feb 11, 2015

• #6

JTSwifty

New in Town

Messages

9

Location

Detroit

Found this at Watson's Hat Shop, the "Watson Signature" - it's pretty close:

I imagine that if you took the Stetson Bat Masterson and applied the appropriate bash, it too would come close:

 

Last edited: Feb 11, 2015

• Jan 21, 2016

• #7

JTSwifty

New in Town

Messages

9

Location

Detroit

Found that 19th Cen Western Fedora I was looking for on Ebay. Beaver fur felt from the Colorado Mountain Hat Co. and added a front pinch bash.

 

• Jan 21, 2016

• #8

RJR

Messages

10,620

Location

Iowa

JTSwifty said:

Found that 19th Cen Western Fedora I was looking for on Ebay. Beaver fur felt from the Colorado Mountain Hat Co. and added a front pinch bash.
View attachment 42592

Click to expand...

Very nice,glad you found what you wanted.

 

• Jan 21, 2016

• #9

hatophile

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15,237

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Somewhere south of crazy

Very cool, love the look JT.