Am I crazy for buying this huge red hat....

[vivaciousvivo]

FONT="Comic Sans MS"]to sell? Yes, when I saw it I thought....oh! a ladies red hat for the Red Hat Society....but then I got closer and realized it is HUGE! It has a trolley button, and is a flat top with a brim as big as Texas! Here are links to see it....please give me your input..it is a little flea bitten.[/FONT

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u143/govivo/ebaypic2052-1.jpg

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u143/govivo/ebaypic2031.jpg

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u143/govivo/ebaypic2037.jpg

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u143/govivo/ebaypic2035.jpg

Give me your opinion...and tell me what style of hat this is , please!!

Thanks guys!

Vivaciousvivo

 

[Warbaby]

Nope, not crazy - at least, not for buying the hat. It's a riding hat, styled like the gaucho hats from Argentina. Can't say how old it might be, but I've seen hats like this on photos from the 20s-30s of ladies in riding costumes.

Very cool hat!

 

[vivaciousvivo]

So, it could be that old? Awesome! It is 1/8" thick felt....and I paid $2 for it at an auction. It has to be a man's right? I says 7 1/4 on the size label and then it looks like someone wrote over the 1/4 to put it as 3/4. I measured it twice and it measures 22 3/4"the second time and 22 1/2" the first time. b It's hard to measure a hat! The tape measure keeps slipping and needs scooted down!
LOL!
Vivacious

 

[bolthead]

It's hard to measure a hat! The tape measure keeps slipping and needs scooted down!

Use a piece of masking/painters tape on the sweatband, then you can just measure the piece of tape.

btw: where abouts in PA are you from?

 

[vivaciousvivo]

Southwest....in the Laurel Mountains! And it is auction heaven here! I love vintage clothing and hats.....and get lots at great auctions here!
VVV

 

[dhermann1]

Near Greensburg or Scotdale? It's still the 1890's in some of those little towns. Must be lots of great stuff available. Had a friend in Scotdale whose home was like a time capsule to the 1920's.
Anyhoo, you need to get one of those wide flaring cowgirl skirts, and a little vest, and maybe a Palomino, to go with the hat, and next New Year's Day ride down Colorado Boulevard. Very classy! Very Katy Jurado.

 

[vivaciousvivo]

Oh, I'm up in the mountains a little higher than those places....and yes, I'll take all the 1890s I can get! LOL! Especially when hats are $2 at auctions! That's not the first time I did that....and ended up selling them to Fedora Lounge lurkers who also lurk around the Bay! I'll look some up and post photos!
VVV

 

[jake_fink]

The plastic on the crown makes me think it is not going to be anywhere near as old as 20s 30s, probably more like 70s 80s. It's got a definite 40s glam thing going though, equal parts Carmen Santiago and Lauren Bacall.

 

[tonyb]

To date it ...

Assuming that liner is original to the hat, we can say it's at least as old as when the last Stephen L. Stetson (in no way associated with John B., as the liner says) hats were made. Somebody here has that information either at his fingertips or committed to memory, eh? Mr. Bowers, maybe?

 

[Matt Deckard]

I don't know how crazy you could be... I'd need to see it on your head.

 

[Pilgrim]

An article I found online about development in Chicago mentioned that Stephen L. Stetson was sued in 1934 for using the Stetson name on hats; that case was evidently appealed and upheld in 1936. That means it post-dates 1936.

I have owned a hat by the same maker and the liner marking was identical to that shown in the auction - another Fedora Lounger now has that hat.

 

[reetpleat]

The style seems to be a late forties early fifties sporting hat, as would be worn in the country for a weekend etc. But the red is unusual and the horse shoe reference is a little odd. It may be a bit of a red herring. It does not seem to be a cowboy or western or riding gear hat. This pork pie crown treatment would not be unusual for a casual weekend hat in that period.

The black band, rather than a brown seems more sixties, but It does not look that new. The plastic is uncommon, but I have seen it. It is a wonder more hats did not have them considering the hair greas of the era. i think I have seen them more in cowboy hats.

The narrow ribbon and wind trolly seem to date it as late forties or so.

Just my guess. I have also seen This type of Stetson, but can not say anything about it.

Upon more consideration, it might be later, because the style coudl be kind of a western riverboat gambler style, which would maybe be sold in a western shop. That might explain the horse shoe reference. her is the thing. In the forties or fifties you would not likely have seen cowboy type hats being sold with any kind of reference to wester imagery. They wer just hats till maybe the sixties or seventies.

Overall, the felt and finish do not look later than the sixties, and the style seems older. But hard to say.

I certainly do not think you are crazy for buying it to resell. if it is older, the the right person it should be worth a good price.

My final guess is late fifties western wear done in a riverboat gambler style that is pretty much the same as an earlier sporting weekend style.

 

[Ms. McGraw]

I don't think you are crazy at all, especially if you like the hat. I have a HUGE black hat (my friends call it the Kentucky Derby hat) that I just love! I bought it and wear it because I like it, to heck with what Joe Random on the street thinks! As for selling it, I can't help you with that, I end up too attached to everything I buy to sell it, but if you like it chances are someone else will too!

 

[Bud-n-Texas]

Just the facts mam, nothing but the facts

FONT="Comic Sans MS"]to sell? Yes, when I saw it I thought....oh! a ladies red hat for the Red Hat Society....but then I got closer and realized it is HUGE! It has a trolley button, and is a flat top with a brim as big as Texas! Here are links to see it....please give me your input..it is a little flea bitten.[/FONT

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u143/govivo/ebaypic2052-1.jpg

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u143/govivo/ebaypic2031.jpg

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u143/govivo/ebaypic2037.jpg

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u143/govivo/ebaypic2035.jpg

Give me your opinion...and tell me what style of hat this is , please!!

Thanks guys!

Vivaciousvivo

Here is some information that may apply to your hat. Since you are the only one with hat in hand so to speak, you will have to be the Judge.

"Stephen L. Stetson was a grandnephew of John B. Stetson, and an independent hatter in New York City, during the first half of the 20th century. The John B. Stetson company eventually sued in January of 1934 and made a case for copyright infringement, from which point you see the notice “In no way related to the Stetson Hat Company of Philadelphia" on the company’s label."

Bow placement on the ribbon typically is on the left for gents, right for ladies with placement on the back reserved for either or.

Sweat color normally is black from 60's forward, Brown prior and a mix in between.

Plastic was used in the liners later as celluloid or nothing was used prior.

Hope some of this helps.

 

[rgraham]

The "Joker" (AKA Jack Nicholson) just called........... He wants his hat back.

 

[J.T.Marcus]

I think you're crazy. But, then, what do I know?

 

[Colby Jack]

Perhaps this may help in what to wear with it....
I think it's great!:eusa_clap