Attack of the Giant Boater

[hatted]

I just saw this and had to post it.lol

 

[zetwal]

Lighter than a Flying Saucer -

 

[dhermann1]

Looks like someone's been having a roll in the hay!
Cool pic. Thanks for posting. Where did you find it?

 

[hatted]

I was just trawling Google:

http://www.seraphicpress.com/images/Silent card, remove hats.jpg

 

[Brad Bowers]

Good thing these two giant boaters didn't get together and start reproducing. We'd all be crushed!

Brad

 

[hatted]

They could be the same hat!

 

[Lefty]

listed as 1880s

 

[hatted]

Clearly, there was once a giant boater problem.

 

[dhermann1]

"Straw hat!

Good thing these two giant boaters didn't get together and start reproducing. We'd all be crushed!

Brad

This shot underscores something I've been thinking for a long time. All through my growing up years these hats were simply referred to as "straw hats". They even had the "Straw Hat Circuit" in Vaudeville. I've been sort of surprised to see them referred to as boaters here on the Lounge. I understand that there are many categories of straw hats, but this has still been somewhat of a surprise to me. To me, they're just "straw hats".

 

[hatted]

From Wikipedia: It is normally made of sennit straw and has a stiff or soft flat crown and brim, typically with a ribbon around the crown, which is often in colours representing a school, rowing crew or similar institution.

 

[Matt Deckard]

Not just that... they were commonly used by the British military as summer service hats.

Naming of hats has been pretty regional. We call them boaters. Some call derbys bowlers while others call them melon hats.

 

[Brad Bowers]

I think in general the industry referred to them as straw hats, or more specifically, sennit straw hats, to differentiate the style by the type of straw. Boater is probably more of a consumer-derived term, and perhaps used more today than in the past, but it certainly wasn't unknown back then:

Brad

 

[ScottF]

I think in general the industry referred to them as straw hats, or more specifically, sennit straw hats, to differentiate the style by the type of straw. Boater is probably more of a consumer-derived term, and perhaps used more today than in the past, but it certainly wasn't unknown back then:

Brad

Great ad!

Hate to get fftopic: but Brad reminded me with that ad, of the Ring Lardner character in 'Eight Men Out' (played by John Sayles, director of another great hat movie - "Honeydripper") - couldn't find an image of Sayles in his boater, but here's the real Ring Lardner - quite a wearer of the aqua-traveler-related lid:

...and while I'm off-topic, here's the classic photo of him in a fedora:

 

[Tiller]

Good thing these two giant boaters didn't get together and start reproducing. We'd all be crushed!

Brad

Hmmm I wonder 77 1/2 you think? lol

 

[Fletch]

Ode to the World's Biggest Sennit Straw Boater Hat

It's so big the man that would fit it would have to be 12 stories tall.

It's so big that on Labor Day they'll punch out the crown with a wrecking ball.

It's so big it took sixteen women all day to stitch down the band.

It's so big the city wants to put it on the playground and fill it with sand.

It's so big that if you tap the top you'll hear the third C below middle C.

It's so big that the noontime sun can't get under it till quarter to three.

It's so big it could hold enough beer for the annual Policemen's Ball.

It's so big that it never got worn and now there isn't left a scrap at all.

 

[Lefty]

one more big boater (I can't see the first image for some reason, so I hope this isn't a re-run.)

I've got a lot of boater ads, most of which do refer to boaters as "straw hats". A few use other terms:

Stetson Sennit (date unknown)

Portis Sailors 1932

 

[Brad Bowers]

one more big boater (I can't see the first image for some reason, so I hope this isn't a re-run.)

Looks like a young version of Marjorie Main. Also, looks similar to the C&K giant hat.

Brad

 

[hatted]

You know, when I started this thread, I never expected to see so many gargantuan boaters (or straws, etc). Are there gigantic fedoras out there too? Homburgs?

 

[Brad Bowers]

Ode to the World's Biggest Sennit Straw Boater Hat

It's so big the man that would fit it would have to be 12 stories tall.

It's so big that on Labor Day they'll punch out the crown with a wrecking ball.

It's so big it took sixteen women all day to stitch down the band.

It's so big the city wants to put it on the playground and fill it with sand.

It's so big that if you tap the top you'll hear the third C below middle C.

It's so big that the noontime sun can't get under it till quarter to three.

It's so big it could hold enough beer for the annual Policemen's Ball.

It's so big that it never got worn and now there isn't left a scrap at all.

Love it, Fletch!:eusa_clap Bravo!

My favorite is the wrecking ball.

Brad

 

[Brad Bowers]

You know, when I started this thread, I never expected to see so many gargantuan boaters (or straws, etc). Are there gigantic fedoras out there too? Homburgs?

I wouldn't have expected so many, that's for sure.

It's far easier to sew all that sennit straw braid by hand than to felt, stiffen, dye, block, pounce, and trim a felt hat that size. Certainly wouldn't have been any machines that big!

Brad