Hi-de-hi-de-hi, new guy, looking for a well-proportioned hat.

[Frederick Chook]

Toodle pip, fedoristas. I love a good hat, but whichever nature deity was on shift when I was created saw fit to let me be somewhat awkwardly-shaped. I'm a 7 5/8, too large for most vintage, and have a fairly oblong face, strong chin but not the longest forehead... which means that most hats simply look too tall on me.

Most days I wear my old faithful, a cheap wool-felt porkpie with a compact 3.25 inch crown which suits me a charm. I do think it's time to invest in a new one, though... so, which hatters make a fedora with a crown no higher than around 3.5-3.75? Has anyone been in a similar predicament? I've been looking at teardrop crowns and generous brims, but those are details to come later. Ditto for a shorter homburg.

(Summer is coming for us Southern Hemisphereans, so felt hats are of no urgency anyway, it's straw weather! I've been eyeing up the straw boaters at Miller Hats - has anyone sampled their work?)

Cheers muchly,
Yours sincerely,
Frederick Chook

 

[deanglen]

Welcome to the Fedora Lounge! As a suggestion on a hat, here's an idea. Head for the Open Road! Stetson Open Road that is, vintage are best, but new will do. Those of us so inclined feel perticularly affectionate about the thin 3/8" grosgrain ribbon, 2 3/4" brim and personally I believe it's a descendent of my favorite historical hat seen in photos like this from 1898:

dean

 

[RBH]

I 2nd Dean..

... and the folks at Miller are great to deal with. But dont discount a tall crown.
With the right brim size, I think it would look great on you.

 

[Frederick Chook]

Open Road, eh? Cheers! A quick google presents it as a very outdoors-y, cowboy-y hat, but I love what you chaps have done with yours (suits you eminently, RBH!) and I do like the squareness of the crown. I shall certainly shortlist it!

 

[MK]

.

Welcome Frederick. You have a great hat maker in OZ that you should look into. Akubra's felt is very good. It really stands up to the elements well. Nobody is making it like back in the day, but Akubra's felt is better than many of the big names charging a lot more.

Ron at Hats Direct has some hats made exculsive for him by Akubra. Michaelson, Patterson and I were involved in developing their Federation model....which I think is their best hat. (knowing grin)

You should check them out:

http://www.hatsdirect.com/

Tell Ron MK says hello. They are good people to deal with.

 

[Fedora]

so, which hatters make a fedora with a crown no higher than around 3.5-3.75? H

That sort of fedora would have to be worn high on the head, which usually means a smaller sized hat than you would normally wear. Unless the top of your head is perfectly flat, with no dome. Short crowned hats generally were worn high on the head for obvious reasons. Fedora

 

[RBH]

Open Road, eh? Cheers! A quick google presents it as a very outdoors-y, cowboy-y hat, but I love what you chaps have done with yours (suits you eminently, RBH!) and I do like the squareness of the crown. I shall certainly shortlist it!

Thanks my friend!!
Our very on FEDORA [Steve Delk] reblocked and cleaned the O R that I have on in the avatar. By the way he makes a GREAT high crowned wide brimed hat. Check him out at
http://www.adventurebilthats.com/

 

[Frederick Chook]

Thanks for the input, everybody! The Federation looks VERY smart in the carbon grey, MK, it's quite tempting. The Fortune and Glory fedora might be a trifle too adventurous for me, I'm from the country originally but these days I like my wilderness to be the domestic variety - perhaps a paticularly gripping allegorical novel au robe de dressage. lol

If I ever get into hatting myself, and I admit it's unlikely so feel free to borrow this idea and pass it around, I would have an internet tool with diagrams of my hats and of a range of common heads! Or perhaps that would be very very silly - as it is, I shall keep an eye out for your suggestions!

 

[Mr. Lucky]

Thanks for the input, everybody! The Federation looks VERY smart in the carbon grey, MK, it's quite tempting. The Fortune and Glory fedora might be a trifle too adventurous for me, I'm from the country originally but these days I like my wilderness to be the domestic variety - perhaps a paticularly gripping allegorical novel au robe de dressage. lol

If I ever get into hatting myself, and I admit it's unlikely so feel free to borrow this idea and pass it around, I would have an internet tool with diagrams of my hats and of a range of common heads! Or perhaps that would be very very silly - as it is, I shall keep an eye out for your suggestions!

You might want to check this out -

http://www.felthats.com/hats_info/style.html

Regards and salutations!