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1on1

One of the Regulars
Messages
144
Location
USA
Hi guys- Can someone please school me on a couple Q.'s I had.

1) I was looking to buy a straw fedora hat- seller states its 50's but has the banded edge (wrapped in fabric along the edges) and has a cloth sweatband.Its a Daltons hat and seller states it was from her parents. Says "Milan straw" on the inside. Did they use cloth sweatbands in the 50's ?
I actually looked up Daltons and it said they went out of business in the 1940's.
2) Does banded edges always mean the edges are raw or not finished nicely ? I like the hat but I don't care for the cloth sweatband or the banded edges..i was thinking perhaps I would remove the cloth around the edges but my guess is they wouldn't cover up something that was finished nicely...your thoughts cheerfully accepted.
1on1
 

thekiyote

Familiar Face
Messages
67
I stopped into Optimo the other day, and they told me that with my head shape, I needed a high crown. I'm not sure what that is, outside of something to do with the shape of the top of the hat. What's the difference between a high and a low crown?

Also, as far as etiquette goes, my view is that etiquette follows what's considered commonly acceptable. Since dress hats aren't a common anymore, your minimum should just follow the etiquette for the closest substitute: if you're in a place where people wear cowboy hats, do that. If you're in a place like Chicago, where they aren't, the rules for knit and baseball caps apply (which are much more lenient).

You can always do more than that, but that's like following Emily Post. You might know you're following the correct etiquette, but, at this point, other people probably don't, so it's not necessary.
 

Bigger Don

Practically Family
but in no way am I going to judge someone else for doing what I personally won't
Quite a broad statement. There are a lot of things others do that we might find abhorrent, middlin', or admirable.

In the realm of hat etiquette, I would usually "judge" those who do not remove their hats during the National Anthem as ignorant, at best. An exception in my judgement that comes to mind would be a female cancer patient. (Sexist? Perhaps.)
 
Messages
19,409
Location
Funkytown, USA
Hi guys- Can someone please school me on a couple Q.'s I had.

1) I was looking to buy a straw fedora hat- seller states its 50's but has the banded edge (wrapped in fabric along the edges) and has a cloth sweatband.Its a Daltons hat and seller states it was from her parents. Says "Milan straw" on the inside. Did they use cloth sweatbands in the 50's ?
I actually looked up Daltons and it said they went out of business in the 1940's.
2) Does banded edges always mean the edges are raw or not finished nicely ? I like the hat but I don't care for the cloth sweatband or the banded edges..i was thinking perhaps I would remove the cloth around the edges but my guess is they wouldn't cover up something that was finished nicely...your thoughts cheerfully accepted.
1on1

Dalton Hats was actually in business until April, 1952 - at least. That was when the company was sold. I'm sure some older stock was still being sold in the mid 50s. Also, I've seen Dalton hats that are obviously late 50s or even possibly 60s, by their design. I think the name was used for a while after the original company was sold. The later hats are of significantly lower quality. The ones I have I presume are late 40s, possibly early 50s. I've never seen a Dalton straw. Can you get pics?

Also, I'm not certain about the cloth sweatband question. My straw knowledge is limited. What do you mean by "banded edges?" Are you referring to brim binding? That would be (sort of )unusual for a Milan.
 

moontheloon

I'll Lock Up
Messages
8,592
Location
NJ
Quite a broad statement. There are a lot of things others do that we might find abhorrent, middlin', or admirable.

In the realm of hat etiquette, I would usually "judge" those who do not remove their hats during the National Anthem as ignorant, at best. An exception in my judgement that comes to mind would be a female cancer patient. (Sexist? Perhaps.)

I'll leave the judging to you... I tend to not concern myself with the actions of others when they do not directly encroach on the safety or well being of my family


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Messages
12,384
Location
Albany Oregon
If it fits, wear it! Any hat that is over 60 years old is worth our collective admiration. Pics would really help. Sounds like it deserves to be rescued and worn. Welcome to the lounge. Look around at posts from last summer when we all were sportin' our straws for ideas.
 

1on1

One of the Regulars
Messages
144
Location
USA
photos of hat in question..
BM5shr.jpg
wY4XxB.jpg
 

Jacqueline

New in Town
Messages
10
Location
TN
https://www.google.dk/?gws_rd=ssl#q=books+on+hat+making+site:thefedoralounge.com

Note what is written in the search field. When you ad " site:thefedoralounge.com" (without the quotes) to the search-string, Google will only return results from TFL. It's a Google feature, you can use with any site ;)

Oh yeah, I forgot to respond before - not many people know this site search tool on google. I often use it (even searched TFL before joining this way). Also if you put a "-" in front of any word (i.e. -word), it will omit search results from that word :)

I fix/build computers on the side as well as work with a lot of software, thus google and it's tools have been handy in my life :)
 

Jacqueline

New in Town
Messages
10
Location
TN
Maybe put it in the classifieds here and see what happens.

I have a quick question: would you have any idea as to what price I should ask (or bargain with)? ...I may list it here or possibly eBay. I've searched for "biltmore peluche" through both the classifieds here as well as items that may have sold on eBay in the past with zero results. Any help is greatly appreciated...thanks!
 

Bob Roberts

I'll Lock Up
Messages
11,201
Location
milford ct
I have a quick question: would you have any idea as to what price I should ask (or bargain with)? ...I may list it here or possibly eBay. I've searched for "biltmore peluche" through both the classifieds here as well as items that may have sold on eBay in the past with zero results. Any help is greatly appreciated...thanks!
No, I'm sorry. Biltmore made quite a few different hats in that finish. Do you have any idea of its age or a best guess...? I dont have any idea of its value or worth. Its only obviously "worth" what someone is willing to pay for it. Set a minimum bid (what you think its worth to you) and see what happens. Color? Condition? Size? Dimensions? Age? These will all help determine value.
 

Jacqueline

New in Town
Messages
10
Location
TN
No, I'm sorry. Biltmore made quite a few different hats in that finish. Do you have any idea of its age or a best guess...? I dont have any idea of its value or worth. Its only obviously "worth" what someone is willing to pay for it. Set a minimum bid (what you think its worth to you) and see what happens. Color? Condition? Size? Dimensions? Age? These will all help determine value.

You've been so informative...much appreciated!

We aren't really sure when he purchased it, my husband is thinking he's had it at least 10 or 15 years. Ironically, out of all the hats his father had (he was a true Texas cowboy), Justin (my husband), rarely ever saw him wear this one and it ended up being the only one we inherited. It doesn't look very worn and was kept in a large hat box. The ribbon has what looks like a water spot but I would assume that should come off easily...
We are now trying to contact his dad's wife to see if she recalls when it was purchased...so we'll see what she says if she knows anything about it.
 
Messages
12,005
Location
Southern California
I stopped into Optimo the other day, and they told me that with my head shape, I needed a high crown. I'm not sure what that is, outside of something to do with the shape of the top of the hat. What's the difference between a high and a low crown?
You are correct. The "crown" is the dome-like section of the hat that directly covers your head. The height of the un-shaped crown (commonly known as "open crown"), measured from the brim up, varies from style to style depending on how the crown will ultimately be shaped. It's quite simple, really--the taller the crown, the more material you have to work with to achieve the shape you want, or, in your case, to accommodate the wearer's head.

I never thought I had a particularly "tall" head myself, but once I started wearing hats regularly I learned rather quickly that I also need hats with higher/taller crowns.
 

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