What to wear with a fedora....

moontheloon said:

I would add JJ to that list

http://www.jjhatcenter.com/

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A little steep for a younger fellow and hat newbie, I'd think.

I have a selection of brim widths in my stable, from 2" to 2 3/4". I don't look good in a stingy with less than a 2" brim or a Porkpie on my (to me) large head. The 2" brims I wear snapped up and worn with jeans and a leather jacket, It is a very casual and flip look. When I want a dressier look I wear a 2 1/2" + brim snapped down, (still with jeans and a blazer as I don't wear suits any longer). My only 2 1/4" brim is a tweener and can go either way to suit my mood. It is hard to know what will look good on you. For me it has been an exercise in trial and error. Frequent hat shops and gently try different hats on to discover what works for you. If you are on a budget that is the best and cheapest next step. It is much cheaper than buying hats on a flyer on Ebay or Etsy etc only to discover it is not a good look for you. I have made my share of "mistake" purchases but on the upside learned something from each one. Enjoy the journey as if you are like me have reached max capacity and now have no room for any more hats so I just look from afar and pine.

One final thought. I own two black hats and while I love their style the colour just does not fit that often. They are the least worn of my hats. The neutral shaded browns and greys are my "go to" hats. Suggest if you are looking at just one or two to start look in that colour range as Moon suggests above.

Hi, Bogart, and welcome to the Lounge. First, there's nothing wrong with a pork-pie, and I like the color of the one you're sporting in the pics, buy the pork-pie's definitely a street style. I liked Moon's comment above about Ska musicians,but I also associate them with working-class guys: the guys working on loading docks in Hoboken or Jersey City, or the dudes out in the bleachers at Yankee Stadium (I'm thinking of a while back). They're also popular down here with the Cubanos. With a suit, though, you want something a bit more upscale.
The coolest thing about hats is finding out about your own style, which means finding out about who you are. Moon's not kidding about the hat shop idea and checking yourself out in front of a mirror with various styles. It's a real revelation to see how some styles you liked just don't make it for you, yet others look fantastic. And it's an instantaneous thing - you know it right away. If you're in the NY area, stop by JJ's because the salesmen there will take the time to answer any questions you might have, and they have a very broad selections of styles. I wouldn't blow a lot of money until you get into it for a while, but they sometimes have some cool hats on sale.

If you look through these threads, you'll see the name Akubra pretty often (the Australian shops listed above have them). For a really nice fur-felt fedora at a reasonable price (less than $100.00 for some models at the current exchange rate), and for a hat that's going to last you awhile, you can't go wrong with one. Definitely the best factory-produced hat for the money you can buy.
Finally, wearing a fedora is about being who you are. At first you feel a little self-conscious, but that passes and soon everybody will simply think of you as a guy who wears a hat, and you'll feel weird if you leave the house without one. As you get into it, too, you'll find that your tastes will change. The pattern here, generally, is that everybody starts off not wanting to look too conspicuous, so they go for lower crowns and shorter brims. Then, gradually, the crowns get higher and the brims get wider, and those first hats seldom get worn. Hey, stingy is a negative word. You don't want to be stingy, do you?
Anyway, best of luck and, again, welcome.

BogartxNoire;
Welcome to the lounge.
glad to see you take the criticism so well..
no one except a lucky few start off with a great hat, and no hat is perfect for everything.
look around the
What Hat Are You Wearing Today? thread
surprised you did not buy this
http://www.hatsbythe100.com.au/akub...c_HpUV9Zg05gdjS0voU-O7q4OePsTfuBjEhoCjKLw_wcB
Moon , remember Uncle Floyd?

Thanks, everybody. I sincerely appreciate the honest feedback and suggestions!

ingineer said:

BogartxNoire;
Welcome to the lounge.
glad to see you take the criticism so well..
no one except a lucky few start off with a great hat, and no hat is perfect for everything.
look around the
What Hat Are You Wearing Today? thread
surprised you did not buy this
http://www.hatsbythe100.com.au/akub...c_HpUV9Zg05gdjS0voU-O7q4OePsTfuBjEhoCjKLw_wcB
Moon , remember Uncle Floyd?

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of course I do

I actually know Mr. Vivino ... he is good friends with a guy I work for quite often

he is actually a kick ass piano player

Hi,

Let's get straight to the point: navy suite (no vest), light brown shoes - what fedora colour?

I was thinking brown to match the shoes (and belt), but then again, isn't dark grey more versatile? I'm looking for a relaxed semi-formal style (though the occasion is rather formal - my daughter's first holly communion - I'm not a strict formal kind of guy). Was also thinking of wearing a cravat instead of a tie, but am not sure if that wouldn't be too relaxed...

What's your opinion?

I am thinking a Granite homburg would fit the occasion and the outfit nicely. The Granite is grey but with strong brown undertones. Second choice would be a darker grey/steel grey.

Welcome to the forum Nash, good to have you on board. Rule one: Wear whatever you like, and I emphasise you. It's just a suggestion, and only my take, but if you want to be a little less formal, like wearing a cravat, match it with a jacket and contrasting trousers. A suit is ok with a cravat, but a suit looks that bit more formal and is so much better with a neck tie. But that's just me. As for your hat, blue of course, but grey would also go well, the blue matching, whilst the grey would contrast. perhaps a nice Stetson in Caribou:

When selecting your shoes, or anything else for that matter, look at your choice in a full length mirror, If you are happy, then go for it, if not, try an alternative. I'm sure that you will make your daughter very proud of her Daddy. Have a wonderful day.

I kinda had a related question to the topic . Say in the late 40s or 50s going on a picnic wearing casual wear like a sportshirt and khakis would men usually wear a fedora then ?

Blue fedora, you say. And leave only the shoes and the belt brown? It might work... Now I have to find a good hat shop nearby to try different ones on...

This is the suit I bought, so I guess it's more blue than navy (or I don't know):



And those are the shoes:

jamesmac1801 said:

I kinda had a related question to the topic . Say in the late 40s or 50s going on a picnic wearing casual wear like a sportshirt and khakis would men usually wear a fedora then ?

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Of course, nothing like a fedora panama straw on a lovely sunny day.

nash said:

This is the suit I bought, so I guess it's more blue than navy (or I don't know):

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Fab-u-lous. Whatever happened to my waist that I can't wear such a style? DIET! It means: Did I Eat That?

Since the party is at the end of April I have to watch my diet...

nash said:

Blue fedora, you say. And leave only the shoes and the belt brown? It might work... Now I have to find a good hat shop nearby to try different ones on...

This is the suit I bought, so I guess it's more blue than navy (or I don't know):

And those are the shoes:

Click to expand...

Looks very sharp. I'd go for a tan or dark brown hat -- a dark brown lid to me suggests "I mean business," while tan is a bit more "comfortable without being casual." (A light-colored tie would look sharp too.)

Where are you located? Maybe folks here will know where a hat shop is near you.

Poland, Silesia, Ratibor. I've found this nearby:
http://www.witleather.pl/kapelusze-meskie-klasyczne,54.html

It's only 60km away from my place. Brown fedora was my first idea...

nash said:

Poland, Silesia, Ratibor. I've found this nearby:
http://www.witleather.pl/kapelusze-meskie-klasyczne,54.html

It's only 60km away from my place. Brown fedora was my first idea...

Click to expand...

The "Kapelusz Fedora Modern II" looks good; it has a 65mm brim, about 2.5 inches. Can you visit the store and try it on? Does it come in brown? And is it fur felt, not wool?

I'm afraid it's 100% sheep wool. Those are the available colours:

nash said:

Blue fedora, you say. And leave only the shoes and the belt brown? It might work... Now I have to find a good hat shop nearby to try different ones on...

This is the suit I bought, so I guess it's more blue than navy (or I don't know):

And those are the shoes:

Click to expand...

I actually have a very similar coloured suit. I tend to match my hat to my shoes and so with those shoes I'd go for a brown hat, possibly a fawn/tan colour. A blue/navy hat might be a bit too much blue, in my opinion. If you were wearing black shoes I'd definitely go for a grey hat.
Whatever colour you go for you'll look great I'm sure.