Appropriate times to wear a fedora

[Lokar]

A top hat??!! With a tuxedo???!!! The shame...the SHAME!

Buzz

Actually, unless I'm mistaken, the top hat was the only choice of hat with black tie until the 30s, when the homburg became the hat of choice. I don't think the top hat was ever written out of being acceptable black tie headgear, however.

Oh I dunno...

That's white tie, not a tuxedo - tuxedo can refer to a dinner jacket, worn with black tie, or the entire black tie ensemble, never white tie.

 

[Ephraim Tutt]

Hmmm

 

[Ephraim Tutt]

Fred's showing his age in this one...

 

[M6Classic]

Oh I dunno...

That would be a top hat with a tail suit and white tie...absolutely appropriate and perfect! But with a tuxedo??? Yuch!!!

Buzz

 

[Ephraim Tutt]

Just how versatile can a poor ol' tuxedo be?

 

[Lokar]

None of those are correct black tie (i.e. tuxedo) attire. The small photo of Fred Astaire still appears to be a morning coat (it's buttoned, so it's not a tailcoat, but it appears to have a tail - look to the left of his left knee). He's also got a cravat/ascot, which further reinforces the idea of a morning coat (and a top hat is perfect headgear for a morning coat).

The second human photo (I'm ignoring the dogs, obviously) has a bolo tie and a grey highly cut waistcoat, neither of which should be worn with black tie.

The painting has a white bow-tie, which, as you'd guess, means it cannot be proper black tie (again, that's all a tuxedo can be, _black tie_, tuxedo does not mean "formalwear" or "black coat").

I still think that the top hat _can_ be worn with black tie without being technically inappropriate, but the homburg is a much better choice.

 

[OddSteve]

This is from the Jeeves & Wooster TV series starring Hugh Laurie. I think the series is set in the late 1920s.

 

[Ordinary Guy]

The most appropriate time to wear a Fedora is when your head is without a hat

 

[John in Covina]

There are times when a specific style of hat goes with the clothes you are wearing and the tie in is more direct, such as tophats or homburgs, these are closely related to formal wear or a businessman person. Most of the time when in more casual clothes the style of fedora is more along the lines of your personality and personal likes and dislikes. The idea of color co-ordination is a good concept, it allows the hat and clothes to come together well. Some colors like grey maybe considered more neutral for a hat and allow a wider selection of clothing colors to combine with.

In the end it's the confidence you have that makes for the ease with which you wear your hat.

 

[MisterGrey]

The idea of color co-ordination is a good concept, it allows the hat and clothes to come together well. Some colors like grey maybe considered more neutral for a hat and allow a wider selection of clothing colors to combine with.

I'm going to second this. I don't know much about the technicalities of hat--clothing coordination, but insofar as colors go, I personally think that a lighter shade of gray goes with pretty much anything. (Then again, I'm colorblind, so take it with a grain of salt... then again, so are 10% of men, so, this may be helpful to you after all).

 

[dhermann1]

Check out the opening scenes of the original Topper movie, from 1937. You'll see Cary Grant himself wearing a tux and black fedora. He's playing a rather rakish character (who winds up drunkenly plowing his snazzy 36 Buick roadster into a tree, thus becoming a ghost). So if you want to go black fedora, black tie, think rakish.
But generally speaking, I agree with everything said above. A fedora can look VERY nice with slacks and a polo shirt.
About the only places I would not recommend wearing one are in the shower or in bed.

 

[MisterCairo]

This is from the Jeeves & Wooster TV series starring Hugh Laurie. I think the series is set in the late 1920s.

DIN! Din in the city! City.... without pity!

 

[OddSteve]

DIN! Din in the city! City.... without pity!

Precisely, Sir.

 

[Papa Smurf]

How to post pictures

I'm trying to post some pictures but I don't know how...

 

[gtdean48]

I'm trying to post some pictures but I don't know how...

Go look at Fedora Lounge FAQ's

 

[avedwards]

I'm trying to post some pictures but I don't know how...

Sign up with an image hosting website such as photobucket. Load pictures from your computer to photobucket. Then copy the image code of the pictures into your post on the thread. The image code has image tags

around it.

 

[Papa Smurf]

Excellent, thanks!!

 

[Papa Smurf]

Pictures

Here are the hats I chose. The first is my summer hat for Arizona, an Ultrafino Montecristi Panama. Next is a brown vintage Stetson that I will wear in the winter. Lastly is a Christy's Adventurer in light gray, I will probably reserve that one for suits.

 

[gtdean48]

Now click on Quote for this posting to see the string you need to use....
You don't want the album view

 

[Papa Smurf]

Trying again

Thanks, trying again.