Hat convert

[ValEag]

I had an interesting experience at work yesterday and I wondered if others here may have similar stories to share.

I have been talking with a coworker for some time about my newly acquired interest in hats. Actually first sought him out because he struck me as the type that might be a ‘hat guy’ but he was not. He and I are about the same age, and neither of us grew up wearing hats very much.

Even though I’m still a relative hat newbie I’ve been educated considerably by the reading I’ve done here, so I can explain the fundamentals of hat buying such as style, material, and etiquette and so on. He was quite interested and asked me to bring in some of my hats sometime for him to look at.

Yesterday was that day. He just happens to be my size (7.5) and I let him try on my Akubra Casual and Fedora. He looked good – especially in the Fedora. I encouraged him to check out his look in the bathroom mirror and this is the part that really got me. When he came back to my office, still wearing the Fedora, the grin on his face was overwhelming. Picture a little boy that just saw what he looked like in a baseball uniform (or something similar) – he had a smile on his face that he was not ashamed of and would not go away.

And the rest of the story – I took a pic of him in the Fedora with my cell phone and emailed it to him, then later emailed him the link to HD and told him I thought he’d need it soon. He was going to see if his wife liked the look (I mentioned to him that my wife really likes the way I look in a Fedora – and I need all the help I can get!). If she does he’s ready to order.

I’ve had a similar experience with one friend at church as well that is already shopping. Both of these guys sincerely thanked me for sharing with them my interest in hats. Any other convert success stories out there?

 

[bolthead]

Great Story......

Thanks for sharing. You should've mentioned the fedora lounge also, to both of them. [huh]

 

[Davidson]

Around here, it seems to be equally tough to get people to wear a fedora or bowler, and Homburgs are an even tougher sell. Telescope crowns and stingy brims a bit easier than other crowns and longer brims.

Kangol 504s, I have more success getting people to actually wear regularly.

I figure anything is better than nothing (or worst of all to me, a gimme ball cap).

 

[Carlisle Blues]

Yep, my buddy Malcolm finally told me last night that he has a "thing" for my Fed Deluxe IV, both of them. And my Borsos and my Stetsons. Not to mention my Panamas.

I, of course, told him they were already spoken for. :whip:

Not surprised though, the way people speak of how they dress on the Lounge will make anybody have wardrobe envy. lol lol

 

[Jabos]

I am giving up in Oklahoma. I can't tempt anyone I know. Even a trendy guy with an expensive wardrobe I know that told me he owns two fedoras says he is too shy to wear them to court, where I see him often. He went to the F.L. and said, "yeah, that was interesting . . . " in a ho hum tone. So, to heck with them all!!!! They just don't know what they are missing, do they?

 

[MattJH]

A neighbor of mine purchased a Borsalino Traveler based on his (unknown, to me) admiration of my hats.

A co-worker of mine purchased and regularly wears an Australian-esque Scala, presumably after seeing me in mine, but I'm not entirely sure. We had had a conversation about wide brim hats shortly before I started seeing him in his.

It's nice to see.

 

[HarpPlayerGene]

I routinely go to a local pizza place for a slice before I set up my caricature concession in the afternoons. It's a real New York style place run by transplants here to Florida.

So there's this kid in his early twenties with a lot of moxy. He's always having fun behind the counter and has a gift for being able to tease with customers without being offensive. One of the first times he saw me come in in one of my fedoras he just had to say something about "Indiana Jones". I think it's good fun when people do that. Another time he had some other comment, and I shared with him that the hat I was wearing was at least sixty years old. You could tell he was intrigued. He said, "You know I really do like those hats. Really." I told him he was a young man of discerning good taste. I let him try on my Stetsonian. He saw his reflection and you could tell he was hooked.

So the third time I came in he says, "I want to buy one of your hats, man. I'm serious." I told him about Ebay. He said he doesn't like to buy online. I told him I had one I'd sell him for $30 that I thought he'd like. He said, "Deal", sight unseen.

The next week he had the money ready when I brought him a late '50s Stetson with smaller proportions than I have grown to like best, but which was perfect for him. Oh, and it was originally sold in New York. He was absolutely thrilled to have a quality hat from a bygone era.

 

[CRH]

I am giving up in Oklahoma. I can't tempt anyone I know. Even a trendy guy with an expensive wardrobe I know that told me he owns two fedoras says he is too shy to wear them to court, where I see him often. He went to the F.L. and said, "yeah, that was interesting . . . " in a ho hum tone. So, to heck with them all!!!! They just don't know what they are missing, do they?

Wow..... Oklahoma..... watch out for those Kansas Creasers. Their "feet will steer you wrong sometimes".......

 

[Tampahound]

I drove to the Orlando area yesterday to see my best friend. He and his family were down doing the Disney thing...sorry not the Mr. Disney thing!lol

My friend liked my fedora (I was wearing my Akubra Stylemaster) but he really took a shine to my panama hat. I left on Friday with two hats, came home Saturday with one! He will wear it well.

 

[jpbales]

I routinely go to a local pizza place for a slice before I set up my caricature concession in the afternoons. It's a real New York style place run by transplants here to Florida.

So there's this kid in his early twenties with a lot of moxy. He's always having fun behind the counter and has a gift for being able to tease with customers without being offensive. One of the first times he saw me come in in one of my fedoras he just had to say something about "Indiana Jones". I think it's good fun when people do that. Another time he had some other comment, and I shared with him that the hat I was wearing was at least sixty years old. You could tell he was intrigued. He said, "You know I really do like those hats. Really." I told him he was a young man of discerning good taste. I let him try on my Stetsonian. He saw his reflection and you could tell he was hooked.

So the third time I came in he says, "I want to buy one of your hats, man. I'm serious." I told him about Ebay. He said he doesn't like to buy online. I told him I had one I'd sell him for $30 that I thought he'd like. He said, "Deal", sight unseen.

The next week he had the money ready when I brought him a late '50s Stetson with smaller proportions than I have grown to like best, but which was perfect for him. Oh, and it was originally sold in New York. He was absolutely thrilled to have a quality hat from a bygone era.

Great story! I have a lot of people say "nice hat" and stuff, but none have really taken up hats because of me- except one guy who I drill with who said he likes my hats and would like one like it. He ended up buying a leather hat of some kind, but I haven't seen him wear it- partly because I only see him once a month anyway. I wish there were more hat places around; if only people could go in a store and try on a hat, it would just be so much better than all of this online ordering and hit and miss with sizes. Maybe someday

 

[CRH]

...I wish there were more hat places around; if only people could go in a store and try on a hat, it would just be so much better than all of this online ordering and hit and miss with sizes. Maybe someday

My reasonably educated intuition tells me that as energy costs rise we will be spending more time outdoors - since it will become too expensive to stay indoors both in warm and cold weather.

This is good news for the hat industry and I think for hat aficionados.

 

[Wil Tam]

Thanks for sharing. You should've mentioned the fedora lounge also, to both of them. [huh]

I gave a NOS Royal Stetson Executive to my pal Joey as a belated birthday present, it looks great on him ... he loves the hat and wears it when he feels the need for it. I don't think that I want to convert him, he already has his own style.

It started as a conversation because I was wearing my Stetson 20 lite that night, and he said that it looked great on me. He had just invested a lot of money on a Dodge Durango SUV that came with the free Resistol Western hat offer, $500 hat [huh] and he asked my opinion on it. I told just get it, so we measured his noggin then I confirmed with my iPhone on the Millers Hats chart. He was a 7 3/8, just like I knew it would be since the hat I gifted him was just that, & fit him perfect.

 

[KY Gentleman]

I routinely go to a local pizza place for a slice before I set up my caricature concession in the afternoons. It's a real New York style place run by transplants here to Florida.

So there's this kid in his early twenties with a lot of moxy. He's always having fun behind the counter and has a gift for being able to tease with customers without being offensive. One of the first times he saw me come in in one of my fedoras he just had to say something about "Indiana Jones". I think it's good fun when people do that. Another time he had some other comment, and I shared with him that the hat I was wearing was at least sixty years old. You could tell he was intrigued. He said, "You know I really do like those hats. Really." I told him he was a young man of discerning good taste. I let him try on my Stetsonian. He saw his reflection and you could tell he was hooked.

So the third time I came in he says, "I want to buy one of your hats, man. I'm serious." I told him about Ebay. He said he doesn't like to buy online. I told him I had one I'd sell him for $30 that I thought he'd like. He said, "Deal", sight unseen.

The next week he had the money ready when I brought him a late '50s Stetson with smaller proportions than I have grown to like best, but which was perfect for him. Oh, and it was originally sold in New York. He was absolutely thrilled to have a quality hat from a bygone era.

Gene- that is an awesome story. I will keep this kind of thing in mind if the situation ever presents itself. I'll bet you have made a friend for life and that young man will tell that tale for years to come. Bravo!!:eusa_clap

 

[ValEag]

Thanks for sharing. You should've mentioned the fedora lounge also, to both of them. [huh]

The FL usually comes up in the conversation right after I'm asked the question "Where did you learn about hats?". Most men today, even in clothing stores, don't really know much about hats so that question comes up fairly soon in the conversation. Another friend at church asked how I knew about Batsakes in Cincinnati, since he'd been wearing hats for years and had never heard of them. Pointed him to the FL as well.

Shoulda mentioned that I guess!

 

[Goose.]

...
Any other convert success stories out there?

Yep. A Sydney for a buddy and another gent I know picked up a stingy. Then a bartender ordered a Casual that she received last week.

 

[anglophile]

After I started wearing a panama last summer a friend of mine went out and bought a Stetson Senator.

 

[buler]

When I started wearing my hats into work, my co-worker who sits next to me said he had some hats. It took a little while, but he dug them out and has started wearing them again. He had a nice Borsalino fedora that he regularly wears now.

B

 

[Goose.]

... Any other convert success stories out there?

Well, don't know if it is a "success" story, but this occurred today: http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showpost.php?p=772873&postcount=131