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No Love For Black Hats

Messages
18,915
Location
Central California
Pecan seems to be a popular color with a lot of Loungers and I wouldn't steer anyone away from it if that's what they like. It's just not the color for me. It's all a matter of personal preference. The one I have looks more like an olive green. Then again, with the inconsistencies in the color it would be hard to nail down what it actually is....could be a Winchester thing. My Pecan is the only custom I have and it's Winchester felt, and I'm not impressed with it at all. The dyeing quality on mine is poor and it's too stiff for a fedora. I'm not a fan of Winchester's stuff. I convert Westerns into fedoras and some of them can be stiff too. But if I'm having one custom made I'd expect it to be better than than my conversions.



My pecan is a Winchester dress weight beaver. It has obvious green tones. Personally, I like it a lot. I put off getting a hat in pecan because I wasn’t sure that I would like it, but it’s really grown on me. I also have a factory western in pecan, and it is similar but different from the Winchester.

I think black western hats (including the less cowboy western dress hats) are easier for me to wear than a black fedora. Nothing wrong with a black fedora, and I wear them on occasion, but I’m just not drawn to them...;although, there isn’t much I wouldn’t do to get an vintage black seal velour in my size.

I also like black homburgs. I’m sure part of it was just my early exposure and what I came to expect. I wear my brown and grey homburgs more, but black just looks dressier and more refined. On the rare occasions that I wear a black dinner suit a black homburg is the only hat I consider. I have a cream dinner jacket and so far the haven’t found a hat that I like to pair with it.

Terry, at the start of this thread you are wearing a black Akubra Squatter. I’ve got to say: I think that hat looked really good on you (aside from the fact that you look like you’re about to kick someone’s ass). I liked the shape and proportions and you wore it well. Maybe I couldn’t see all the details in the photo, but what I could see I liked. I’m also waiting to see what you end up doing with the wide brim black Borsalino.



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T Jones

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,600
Location
Central Ohio
My pecan is a Winchester dress weight beaver. It has obvious green tones. Personally, I like it a lot. I put off getting a hat in pecan because I wasn’t sure that I would like it, but it’s really grown on me. I also have a factory western in pecan, and it is similar but different from the Winchester.

I think black western hats (including the less cowboy western dress hats) are easier for me to wear than a black fedora. Nothing wrong with a black fedora, and I wear them on occasion, but I’m just not drawn to them...;although, there isn’t much I wouldn’t do to get an vintage black seal velour in my size.

I also like black homburgs. I’m sure part of it was just my early exposure and what I came to expect. I wear my brown and grey homburgs more, but black just looks dressier and more refined. On the rare occasions that I wear a black dinner suit a black homburg is the only hat I consider. I have a cream dinner jacket and so far the haven’t found a hat that I like to pair with it.

Terry, at the start of this thread you are wearing a black Akubra Squatter. I’ve got to say: I think that hat looked really good on you (aside from the fact that you look like you’re about to kick someone’s ass). I liked the shape and proportions and you wore it well. Maybe I couldn’t see all the details in the photo, but what I could see I liked. I’m also waiting to see what you end up doing with the wide brim black Borsalino.



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I tried to go back and take another look at that black squatter but it's not coming up on my computer. The black Borsalino that I sized up and refurbished came out pretty good. I really like the proportions on it now. I was surprised at how well it went with casual attire as it does with dressier attire. Yeah, I need to get busy on that other Borsalino.
 

ruvort

One of the Regulars
Messages
114
Location
Portland area
My pecan is a Winchester dress weight beaver. It has obvious green tones. Personally, I like it a lot. I put off getting a hat in pecan because I wasn’t sure that I would like it, but it’s really grown on me. I also have a factory western in pecan, and it is similar but different from the Winchester.

I think black western hats (including the less cowboy western dress hats) are easier for me to wear than a black fedora. Nothing wrong with a black fedora, and I wear them on occasion, but I’m just not drawn to them...;although, there isn’t much I wouldn’t do to get an vintage black seal velour in my size.

I also like black homburgs. I’m sure part of it was just my early exposure and what I came to expect. I wear my brown and grey homburgs more, but black just looks dressier and more refined. On the rare occasions that I wear a black dinner suit a black homburg is the only hat I consider. I have a cream dinner jacket and so far the haven’t found a hat that I like to pair with it.

Terry, at the start of this thread you are wearing a black Akubra Squatter. I’ve got to say: I think that hat looked really good on you (aside from the fact that you look like you’re about to kick someone’s ass). I liked the shape and proportions and you wore it well. Maybe I couldn’t see all the details in the photo, but what I could see I liked. I’m also waiting to see what you end up doing with the wide brim black Borsalino.



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Since cream dinner jackets are for warmer weather, maybe you could try a straw homburg? I bet it could look good in cream or black.

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Messages
18,915
Location
Central California
Since cream dinner jackets are for warmer weather, maybe you could try a straw homburg? I bet it could look good in cream or black.

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I looked for a nice homburg(ish) fine “straw” hat, but I found very little that I liked and the few I did like were more than I wanted to pay. My cream dinner jacket has shawl lapels and is all around more of a casual piece so maybe I can have a Cuenca blocked as a homburg. It’s hard to justify spending a lot on something that I will wear so infrequently.


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ruvort

One of the Regulars
Messages
114
Location
Portland area
I looked for a nice homburg(ish) fine “straw” hat, but I found very little that I liked and the few I did like were more than I wanted to pay. My cream dinner jacket has shawl lapels and is all around more of a casual piece so maybe I can have a Cuenca blocked as a homburg. It’s hard to justify spending a lot on something that I will wear so infrequently.


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I can certainly understand that. Thinking about it a bit more, I'll bet you could have Art make up a duelist in black (similar to @jlee562 hat) but as a homburg. I bet that would look pretty cool.



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Messages
18,915
Location
Central California
I can certainly understand that. Thinking about it a bit more, I'll bet you could have Art make up a duelist in black (similar to @jlee562 hat) but as a homburg. I bet that would look pretty cool.



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I’ll never have Jared’s panache.

If I had my druthers, I’d find a natural colored toquilla straw homburg complete with a bound brim. I want it light and airy but with enough structure to keep its shape as befits a semi-formal hat. I just can’t see spending more than $200 for a hat I might wear twice a year.


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A litte off topic but, I too have a fine lightweight Italian wool shawl collar cream (which is the proper color rather than the polyester bright white) dinner jacket....they are actually worn year around depending on the occasion.....BUT for summer wear, here are some examples of hat wear as well as my custom cream bound edge Optimo straw (from Levine Hats in St Louis) that can be worn with a dinner jacket. AND do I get the compliments on that Optimo......;):)
M;)
PS To keep on topic, for fall and winter affairs where my dinner jacket is required, I wear one of my black hats (as I do with a Tux), often a Homburg or dare I say it a Derby:eek::rolleyes:....only very rarely will I wear a black fedora with my formal wear....when I do...it will often be a brim up stingy brim that rather looks like a Hommie..............
1930s-Hats-for-warm-weather-black-tie.jpg
Warm-Weather-Black-Tie-outfit-with-boater-hat-popular-in-the-1930s-523x1030.jpg
20190422_194126.jpg
20190422_193058.jpg
20190422_193033.jpg
 
Last edited:
Messages
18,915
Location
Central California
A litte off topic but, I too have a fine lightweight Italian wool shawl collar cream (which is the proper color rather than the polyester bright white) dinner jacket....they are actually worn year around depending on the occasion.....BUT for summer wear, here are some examples of hat wear as well as my custom cream bound edge Optimo straw (from Levine Hats in St Louis) that can be worn with a dinner jacket. AND do I get the compliments on that Optimo......;):)
M;)
PS To keep on topic, for fall and winter affairs where my dinner jacket is required, I wear one of my black hats (as I do with a Tux), often a Homburg or dare I say it a Derby:eek::rolleyes:....only very rarely will I wear a black fedora.....when I do...it will often be a brim up stingy brim that rather looks like a Hommie..............
View attachment 165776 View attachment 165777 View attachment 165778 View attachment 165779 View attachment 165780

I have an off-white Dobbs Florentine Milan shaped like a homburg that is pretty close to the look I was after. My issue is with the material; apparently “Florentine Milan” is Hat-Co speak for plastic. It looks decent, but it doesn’t breath. It will do until I can find something better.

Ideally, I’d find something along the lines as the hat David Suchet wears when portraying Poirot:

a82b5fa5f470497e9dce8b2434ca8e84.jpg


032af7c52e3337ed77b5c549732d2e56.jpg





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LuvMyMan

I’ll Lock Up.
Messages
4,558
Location
Michigan
For some a all black hat can sort of just be a black blob...not all black hats but most. Putting any contrast edge binding or ribbon work can help bring out the shape of an all black hat so when looking at it, you can see everything about it...the brim and crown a bit more...that is my 2 cents....
 
Messages
18,915
Location
Central California
For some a all black hat can sort of just be a black blob...not all black hats but most. Putting any contrast edge binding or ribbon work can help bring out the shape of an all black hat so when looking at it, you can see everything about it...the brim and crown a bit more...that is my 2 cents....

Good to see you posting in the hat forum again. You’ve been missed.


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