1970's fedora?

[Quetzal]

Plenty of decent hats were made from the later 1960s to the mid-1980s, just as plenty of decent suits were made (thick wool, linen, proper stance, belted backs, patch pockets, there were and are plenty of well-made suits from the 70s, some of you probably own without even realizing their age), many of which are in thrift stores. Proper felt hats, though, are a bit rarer among the then-new/common velour, tweed, houndstooth, and emerging wool felt hats, but they indeed existed. Many movies set in larger cities, especially New York, from the 1970s will have several hat-clad men in the background, obviously not as great in numbers as the Golden Era.

There was even an identifiable shape to hats from then; either small and narrow-brimmed with a triangular crown like some of those from the 1950s and 60s before the stingy-brims (think of the shape of Kojak's or 1978's Clark Kent), or a tall, straight crown like a 1950s Homburgs but with the wide brim worn completely turned down like in the 1920s (think Gene Wilder in Young Frankenstein). Many of these, however, are accidentally labeled as "1950s" or "1960s" hats online, but some can be found in thrift stores or flea markets. Once I was in a Goodwill where 5 1970s hats (two rabbit or beaver in heather brown and medium gray, one of which had a feather, one a black wool, one tweed, one a blue/green velour like Oliver Douglas's from Green Acres, from the look of it, but all in a beautiful condition) were sitting in the Men's Bin, but about 10 people fought and took them in seconds before I made it to the bin.

To conclude, there are indeed good hats from this period, just as there were good ties, suits, shoes, cufflinks, tie clasps, everything else; you've just got to keep your eyes peeled.

-Quetzal

 

[Pa Fig]

The secret thrill is in the tweed rag silks. Each one I have ever seen has had a silk unique unto another. Paisleys, flowers, pinwheels - dynamic colors. So in addition to the outrageous exterior, the collector has - like an easter egg.

don't get me wrong though, go felt or go home.

 

[GregNYC]

I was a big movie fan in the 70's. Of course there were the pimp hats. Also what we used to call Godfatber hats. I used to be a big Flagg Brothers customer and wore some of those hats and suits and platform shoes.

But even the fedoras in 70s movies, as much as I loved the movies, there was something off about the hats. I was comparing 70s movie hats (even in many 70's "period" films) with my memories of Golden Era hats. I thought the cruder materials, rain hats used as dress fedoras, outlandish colors, fabrics and patterns, and brims turned down in back - something was lost, like the soul of a fedora.

Looking back now, my favorite 1970s movie hats are from "Chinatown" and of course Gene Hackman's "Papa" Doyle porkpie.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[alanfgag]

Plenty of decent hats were made from the later 1960s to the mid-1980s, just as plenty of decent suits were made...

Suits and ties continue to be manufactured. Hat production in Philadelphia and Danbury, diminishing from the depression on, was finished in the 1970s.

 

[hatsRme]

Yet, Danbury went on to fame as the birthplace of the Hubble Space Telescope!

 

[fedoracentric]

And Danbury has the Danbury Mint makers of very exclusive, highly collectible and sought after tchotchke.

I kid, I kid. Not a single word of that is true.

 

[Quetzal]

But there were indeed some felt hats still made and worn, just somewhat boring narrow-brimmed hats in gray. My aunt's father-in-law, a D-Day vet who passed away some time ago, bought a brown stingy-brim Beaver blend hat with the bow on the right side in about 1971 or so, according to my aunt's husband, and he gave it to me as he apparently found it as he was clearing out his father's house, though it looks somewhat early to mid-60s to me (I can't wear it, it's a 6 7/8 and I'm a 7, but I keep it as he told me a valuable story about his time during WWII). He also said that his favorite hat brand was Dobbs, which he continued to buy until the 1980s. My father also remembers seeing men, middle-aged or so along with the then-older crowd, wearing feathered (typical 1970s touch) felt hats with their suits only until about 1973, after that, he said, most men who still wore hats were generally men who last bought new clothing in the mid-1950s, but then both sources are from Chicago.

-Quetzal