Soft Felt ???

[MAB1]

I read somewhere (probably here) that soft felt hats were an economic idea from the Great Depression, to keep the hat prices down.

As I have no hands on knowlege of hats that old... Is there any truth to it?

It seems that somewhere along the way soft felts took on the impression of being a finer quality.

 

[David Conwill]

And here I thought soft felt hats were just worn out! In all actuality, however, I could see that being the case. As Boss Kettering famously (might have) said: "Parts left out cost nothing and cause no warranty problems." That would go for stiffner in hat production.

I suspect that if soft felts have become popular for more expensive hats since then, that it's because of the increasing casualization (to coin a phrase) of society. Stiffness is to be disfavored in all things because it's too "formal."

I will say, however, that my first impression upon unwrapping my (stiff) Dobbs was "Oh God, I've gone and bought a costume hat." The stiffness has really grown on me, though, and I don't think I would buy a soft hat in the future.

-Dave

 

[Brad Bowers]

I read somewhere (probably here) that soft felt hats were an economic idea from the Great Depression, to keep the hat prices down.

As I have no hands on knowlege of hats that old... Is there any truth to it?

It seems that somewhere along the way soft felts took on the impression of being a finer quality.

While hat companies did do a lot of things to get through the Depression, soft felt hats was not one of them. They came back into fashion and grew quite popular from about 1907 on. Soft felt hats, more than anything else, kept hat companies in business after that, as they became the preferred style of hat during the 'Teens and Twenties.

Brad