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Young`s Hats NYC

Messages
925
Location
The Empire State
Many years ago I bought a old beaver fur top hat at an antique shop in Downsville NY,inside it ws marked "Youngs Hats",about 30yrs ago they were still down on Nassau St,I bought a Borsalino there.It was a great old fashion hat store,I believe they have gone the way of the common garden toad.
 

besdor

Vendor/Sponsor
Messages
1,726
Location
up north
Youngs Hats is long gone. The Young Hats that exists today has nothing to do with the Youngs Hats that the top hat is from . Actualy , Youngs Hats became the Stetson Hats store in NYC at Herald Square. It then became JJ Hat Center which is still around today!







Steven
www.bencrafthats.com
 

moehawk

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,651
Location
Northern California
Does anybody know about Young's hats?

I was out treasure hunting again, no surprise there...and wasn't having much luck. So, I asked the manager of one of the local thrift stores if any cool hats hat come in recently. She rummaged around in the back for a few minutes and came out with this battered, dirty, slightly moth-eaten stinky old thing:

youngs1-vi.jpg

The only information on it was the sweatband, which was hanging halfway off of it, and this sticker which was, somehow, still attached to the unlined inside.

youngs2-vi.jpg

The sweatband stamp reads Created by Young's Registered New York. The edge of the brim was bound in grosgrain ribbon, but it was rotted and falling apart so I had to remove it. The felt is thin and light, and still strong. It has a nice, fine, soft feel, as nice or nicer than my bunny/wild hare blend Borso.

So my questions are how old might it be, and does the bound edge in that style make it a homburg or a porkpie? It would be nice to know when re-shaping it after I clean it. Also, if anyone has any links to articles about the history of the hat company, that would be great.

Thanks in advance everyone, and I am waiting with bated breath for any replied! :)
 

KingAndrew

A-List Customer
Messages
312
Location
Shanghai
What are the brim, crown, & ribbon dimensions? How big was the binding you removed? Was there any "memory" of a crease in the crown?

A homburg would generally have some curl to the brim and would have had a center dent crease.

I don't personally know anything about Young's. But the above questions can help you determine if it was a homburg, porkpie, or some other crease.

I hope this is helpful.
 
Messages
14,993
Location
Buffalo, NY
Not a porkpie and not a homburg... hard to say more without better pictures. Youngs Hats is an established New York brand dating back to the 19th century with numerous examples on the Lounge, including one or two very old ones. This billboard advertisement from the Polo Grounds in the 1920s.

youngs.jpg
 

buler

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,375
Location
Wisconsin
Can't remember if we had a thread going for Young....

Here is one of the older hats I've owned.

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moehawk

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,651
Location
Northern California
Those are some sweet hats there...I wish I could find one in that nice of shape. The one I have has a 5 1/2 inch crown (open) and a 2 3/4 brim with a distinct upward curl all around. The ribbon was 9/16 inch and the binding was 5/16 before folding over. There wasn't much of a discernible memory of a crease, I doubt the poor thing even remembers being a hat...The ribbon is pretty messed up so I'm replacing it with a wider one to cover up a few moth chew marks under where the bow was.

I did notice that the sweatband was not sewn at the back, but connected with a piece of paper tape if that helps date it.

I think it will be a beautiful hat once more when I get it shaped up again.

Thanks for all the info folks!
 

besdor

Vendor/Sponsor
Messages
1,726
Location
up north
Buler, that top hat is awesome!!!!. That was the location of JJ Hats before they moved. There was a hat store there since 1911. Now its a clothing store. Here is the progression of ownership at that location:

Youngs
Stetson
Forstadt
JJ Hats
 

moehawk

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,651
Location
Northern California
So now I'm wondering if the company was Young's before it was Young Bros, or the other way around....The band on my hat just says Young's.

BTW...Merry Christmas to all! :)
 

moehawk

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,651
Location
Northern California
Well, the hat has survived not only the many long decades of it's existance, but also my ham-handed attempts at a refurbishing. Despite my very amateurish stitching and mediocre bow and ribbon job (ribbon is off of the 3XBQ Stetson I posted about a few weeks ago) I'm ready to wear it around town.

Youngs3-vi.jpg
Youngs4-vi.jpg
Youngs5-vi.jpg

Yes, I know that I'm my own worst critic when it comes to my handiwork. All in all though, not too shabby for a blind guy.
 

moehawk

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,651
Location
Northern California
Thank you! I wore it around today and got a lot of compliments. I'm thinking about eventually adding a wind cord, as it is so thin and light a gentle breeze could blow it for miles...it's almost feels like not wearing a hat at all.
 

GoldenEraFan

One Too Many
Messages
1,164
Location
Brooklyn, New York
Youngs Hats is long gone. The Young Hats that exists today has nothing to do with the Youngs Hats that the top hat is from . Actualy , Youngs Hats became the Stetson Hats store in NYC at Herald Square. It then became JJ Hat Center which is still around today!





Steven
www.bencrafthats.com

The Broadway and 33rd shop was Young's Stetson from it's opening in 1911 to sometime in the '60s or '70s when the owners at that time by the name of John and Jack (or something like that) changed the name to JJ Hat Center, though I have a belief the "center" part came later. The store was moved to it's current location in 1991 and has been run by the same owner since. In 2015 they put Stetson neon back on the front.
Young's Hats 1940's.jpg
 
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ptjoe

Familiar Face
Messages
70
Hi,
I just purchased a Stetson derby on ebay and the hat is stamped with the Young's logo .
It also came with the original Young's hat box.
Also curious I found some info. on Young's in New York and they were the largest hat retailers in the world in the 1930's.
The derby is mint!!see pictures.
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derby 8.jpg
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derby 8.jpg

I hoped I helped a little.
 

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