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Casual wear fedoras?

thunderw21

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,044
Location
Iowa
I like a good thin ribbon for casual occasions. Especially hiking/exploring.

They just don't seem as formal as fedoras with wide ribbons. [huh]
 

frijoli

One of the Regulars
Messages
269
Location
Northwest, NC
thunderw21 said:
I like a good thin ribbon for casual occasions. Especially hiking/exploring.

They just don't seem as formal as fedoras with wide ribbons. [huh]

Interesting.
Makes sense too. Especially if it's a silk or shiny wide ribbon.
The reason I ask is, I wear my Straw hat and a cheap cloth stingy brim hat to work but I don't actually like the stingy, and I really can't wear the straw in the winter.

Clay
 

KeyGrip

A-List Customer
Messages
465
Location
Santa Cruz, CA
My one and only fedora is my everyday hat. Depending on the rest of my clothing it can help me go from very stylish to very hobo in a short amount of time.
 

MD11

Familiar Face
Messages
89
Location
Phoenix, AZ
GWD, this was my attempt at a Jeans and t-shirt Fedora... I'm still tweaking it however, and thinking of reducing the brim size. It started its life as a Stetson 100X cowboy hat, would you believe?

315854045.jpg


315854043.jpg
 
Messages
10,603
Location
My mother's basement
Atop a bookcase here is a photo of my maternal grandfather. He's shown leaning against his then late-model '59 Mercury, cigarette in hand, wearing a pair of gray work trousers, a light blue (cotton chambray, I think) shirt, a waist-length brown leather jacket and a fedora tilted back on his head.

I know you weren't asking what was appropriate half a century ago, frijoli (welcome aboard, by the way), but rather what might be a standard these days. Truth is, these days a fedora is going to distinguish you, if only because most people don't wear them. And for that reason most people wouldn't know what is appropriate or not. The only advice I can offer is to develop your own sense of what sort of hats go well with other attire. Remember also that you're wearing an item of attire that does harken back to another time, so you could do well to take cues from the style conventions of that era. Period photos and films show men in fedoras and all other order of attire, from bib overalls to bespoke suits.

Me, I'd find it perfectly appropriate to make my Saturday rounds in gray work trousers, a light blue cotton chambray shirt, a waist-length brown leather jacket and fedora tilted back on my head.
 

frijoli

One of the Regulars
Messages
269
Location
Northwest, NC
Thanks for the warm welcomes and all the advice! I'll just get my wife to tell me what colors i'm wearing and which hats looks best.:)

Clay
 

Bingles

A-List Customer
Messages
330
Location
Buffalo, New York
I personally do separate my hats into formal and casual.. just as a matter of preference. For everyday, whether I'm wearing jeans and a tshirt or shorts.. I wear one of my Goorin Brothers fedora (one of which I am wearing in my avatar). These are nice fedoras that fit in well with modern casual styles, but still have a retro charm to them. Plus, they aren't that expensive so if they get ruined in the elements, it's no big deal. For me, the traditional ribbon is a more classy and reserved for shirt and ties.

In the summer, I do wear my Goorin Brothers "Cyber" fedora to Church as it is a more light weight than my felt fedoras. Again though.. this is my personal preference.. you could easily wear a standard fedora with anything.
 

barrowjh

One Too Many
Messages
1,398
Location
Maryville Tennessee
With vintage hats, the condition of the hat itself can affect whether or not I consider it 'dressy' or not. My best hats - I wear with my best clothes, and I do not wear those hats with my work-around-the-house go-do-errands clothes. Likewise, I have a beater or two that I am really not very proud of, and generally do not wear in public at all, except for maybe a run to the recycling bins. And, a host of hats that are not so limited and can go either way.
 

Roadrunner

One of the Regulars
Messages
140
Location
NW PA
I like my Akubra Sydney for casual wear. Actually, I like it for every kind of wear because right now it's the only one I own. :eusa_doh: But, it does work very nicely with casual clothes and people often compliment me on it. I replaced the 1" ribbon with a 1.5" ribbon and really think it improved the looks of the hat. Bottom line, I think just about any standard fedora can be made to work with a casual outfit, it just depends on your looks and sense of style.
 

MAB1

Suspended
Messages
390
Location
Cool Town
For some reason the thinner ribbons are deemed more casual. Or, slap my face, more of a work hat, when it comes to the really thin ribbon.
 

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