OPEN ROAD QUESTION

[hatflick1]

Just wondering...
Is there any real difference in styling between the traditional Stetson Open Road and the Douglas, Floyd offerings from Miller Hats?
http://www.millerhats.com/mdressfelt_index/index.html
Many thanks!

 

[Stan]

Hi,

Most Stetson OR's and other maker's versions were either offered with the cattleman's crease or sold open crowned (in the old days, anyway) so one could style it themselves.

http://www.millerhats.com/openroad_index/index.html

That said, there's a lot of them that have been restyled into fedoras, just look into the thread titled The Open Road Guild. I have several styled both ways myself. It's my favorite hat variant.

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=7350

Later!

Stan

 

[Stan]

Hi again,

It dawned on me that there are a couple other threads on The Lounge that you might want to read through:

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=8698&highlight=stratoliner

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=13056&highlight=brotherhood+of+the+thin+ribbon

The Stratoliner is very similar to the OR. As far as I can tell it's almost the same thing, except I read where it is made from thinner felt and, of course, it was styled as a fedora from Stetson. It was marketed to the then-new air travelling crowd, named after an early Boeing airliner.

The Thin Ribbon refers to the general styling of these hats. They sport a very thin crown ribbon along with a very thin edge binding ribbon.

If you wade thru the three threads, you'll know all you ever wanted to know about these style hats!

Later!

Stan

 

[hatflick1]

Many thanks! Very informative.
It also appears that the Stetson Open Road crown is higher than the Miller Douglas, leading me to believe these Miller hat models are more akin to the *** Club by Stetson. Indeed, I like the higher crown better, feels more...vintage.

 

[RBH]

If a thin ribbon is what you are looking for ...two options come to mind.
A custom hat from one of our many fine hatters here on the Lounge or an Akubra Campdraft.
The Campdraft is about as close to a open crowned Open Road that you will find on the market today.