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AMAZING Vintage Photos of Fedoras

Hangman

New in Town
Messages
12
Location
Indiana
Marc Chevalier said:
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These store window photos are incredible, thank you for sharing them.
 

150719541

One Too Many
Messages
1,288
Location
San Luis Potosi, SLP. Mexico
Great Post ¡¡¡

Thanks for share, It reminds me the era when I was a little boy when some day my Dad was buying a Chamois porky pie in only 25 bucks, maybe 1961 and claimed that was so expensive. what a time ¡¡¡¡
:eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap
 

Mr Vim

One Too Many
Messages
1,306
Location
Juneau, Alaska
And I am almost certain that these are department store windows we are looking at... *sigh* we'll probably never see department store windows with such a sellection of hats ever again.

Unless one of us puts together a department store, that is.
 

hatflick1

Practically Family
Messages
623
Vintage Japanese Fedoras

I watched an old documentary series on the Military Channel. World At War. It focused on pre-war Japan.
Clearly, the Japanese men were wearing fedoras. Anybody know if these were Japanese made?
Has anyone seen one or maybe own one?
Wish I had pix.
 

daizawaguy

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,661
Location
Tokyo
The top end one`s were imported, but there were many companies making Fedoras locally - I think I have posted on this in the past, but forget the names - a search may reveal a few names of companies. The felt makers later branched out and made felt for things like car insulation and pen tips - a ver ingenious way to survive and diversify!
 

hatflick1

Practically Family
Messages
623
Thanks for the information. Would you have any pix of these Japanese made hats?
And on the topic, it is interesting to note how many films about China back in the
'30's and '40's show Chinese men wearing fedoras. Perhaps these were coming in
from England or France.
 

cookie

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,927
Location
Sydney Australia
I just discovered this thread and I have a size 55 superb vintage Japanese I bought on Aussie eBay. Does not fit me but I will put pics up up anyways. Beautifully made.
 

David Conwill

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,854
Location
Bennington, VT 05201
I used to have a neat Shantung labeled "Made in Occupied Japan". It was pretty beat up, and sadly I think it was thrown away.

I had never considered Japanese attitudes toward western dress in the pre-war era. Fairly neutral, it seems?
 

hatflick1

Practically Family
Messages
623
Made In Occupied Japan makes anything valuable. Too bad you can't find the fedora. A true collectible.
 

ManofKent

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,039
Location
United Kingdom
I don't know what the Japanese hat industry is like today - the only current Made in Japan Fedoras I've come across are John Lofgren & Co (yes an American by birth) which are decent but pricey wool felt numbers.

I'd love to see some photos of vintage Japanese hats.
 

KingAndrew

A-List Customer
Messages
312
Location
Shanghai
I think Japanese between the Meiji Restoration in the 1870s and the Pacific War saw Western-style dress as a sign of modernity. When US warships entered Tokyo Bay and forced the island nation to open up to foreign trade, the Japanese elite decided that the only way to avoid becoming a colony was to join the industrialized Western powers as an equal. This was why they adopted a hybrid British/German style of Imperial government, industrialized so quickly, and why they pursued their own Imperial policies in Korea, China, Southeast Asia, and finally the Pacific. They believed that Japan needed its own colonies to avoid becoming one itself. Of course, Imperialism ended up having rather tragic results for all the countries involved, Western, Asian, or otherwise.
But Western clothing was a sign of education and being up-to-date, although from what I have read, Japanese clothing was also respected as a sign of patriotism. So I would say Western clothing was seen as a positive overall, probably moreso for men than women (since it was a very male-dominated society).
 

barrowjh

One Too Many
Messages
1,398
Location
Maryville Tennessee
Colorized Black & Whites

I was sent some colorized old photos recently, and a few of them are of interest to us.

A country store in Gordonton, NC, from July 1939:


Oklahoma family in the 1939 dust bowl:


Oswald, 1963 of course, and we have been told that all of the fur felt hats worn by the Dallas detectives at that time were standard-issue Resistol San Antonios (or that was my impression, anyway):
 

bowlerman

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,294
Location
South Dakota
JB, those are fantastic. I had seen the first one before, but not the others. I'm totally into that hat the man of the Oklahoma family is wearing!
 

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