NHD (New Hat Day)

Nice for the snap-brim set. I appreciate a nicely worn fedora.

I'll join in with you...

My birthday present was a new special edition Statson Stratoliner, in True Blue color. Lovely and distinctive.

 

Hi, my name is FrenchBassQC, I would like to buy a hat, what would you recommend me?

The salesmen said: for you sir, I recommend this one

No but nice hats guys, really.

 

I would wear a Panama or straw hat with shorts, but not a felt hat. To me that just isn't a good look.

My personal transition point out of felt hats is 80 degrees; I normally don't wear felt over that temp, only Panama hats or ball caps.

That would be something like this, although not quite a match to mine:


Just to complete the option set, I don't wear wool hats.

 

I like that look with the pencil roll on the edges. Kind of like a Homburg style. Classy!!

Panamas come in many sizes and styles, but the Toquilla fiber doesn't lend itself to snap-brims. Stingy brims, yes.

The thing about wearing a hat is that you have to be comfortable in it. I've worn fedoras to work for years, and have a collection of around 10 that I rotate.

 

I have a black Stetson Bozeman I wear, as well as a straw Bailey regular cowboy hat I often work in.

 

That’s a nice lid right there.

 

@kesslari, that's a nice looking Gambler.

I have a couple of original 50's Stratoliners. The felt on the new one compares very well with the originals. The "hand" is very nice, with a rich soft feel, and the felt seems about as thick as the felt on the tan Stratoliner I have.

The felt on my charcoal grey Stratoliner is thinner, but it's beautifully soft and malleable, and has "Vita-Felt" stamped into the hat band. It clearly was made with a different felt process. There is some speculation at the Fedora Lounge that the Vita-felt process was an attempt to make their hats as soft as Borsalinos of that period.

The main difference between the vintage Strats and this one is that the crown is slightly shorter, perhaps 3/4 of an inch. But the hat has classic fedora style in spades. I think it's worth the money.

Incidentally, I'm ALL FOR any new style that helps bring back the idea of men wearing hats. The linen snap-brim that started this thread looks great to me, and if it's back in style, more power to @48thStreetCustom. Well done.

 

This is my summer cover. It's a washed cotton. I go with the same style in brown leather for cooler weather.

 

There's kind of a pecking order in warm weather hats. I like the longevity and style of Panamas (actually made in Ecuador of toquilla fiber) but they are best purchased on sale. There are a number of quality gradations in Panamas based on the density of the woven fiber. I have stayed with lower grades which wear just fine but don't get silly expensive.

@mikeoso, I like the classic "driver's cap" which is how I think of your choice. It looks wonderful in a two-seat sports car cruising down the road.

 

Got my cap at a half price sale. I took the sticker off the brim.

 

There's some difference between the classic driver, which is flat and one piece on top, vs the eight-panel, which is looser on top. I agree the driver looks nice in a roadster...being 70 years old and strictly a pick-up truck operator, the "grandpa tradesman" look of the eight-panel suits me better.

Here's my cool-weather rig.