Benjamin Button Fedora

[hatflick1]

In the new film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Brad Pitt's character wears a vintage fedora that appears to be a Stetson Stratoliner.
If you;re into hat flicks, this is a good one. Some great vintage felts and straws as the periods take place in New Orleans.
http://www.imdb.com/media/rm2195032576/tt0421715

 

[Art Fawcett]

The wife & I were just discussing this yesterday Hatflick. I saw the promo & knew that we had worked on that film ( one of our last) & she reminded me that I had made some hats for it. I have no idea if it's the hat he is wearing but I'm sure gonna find out. The one I made for Pitt was a rust color.

 

[hatflick1]

Art, I bet your rust color fedora is indeed the hat.
What's endearing is, the character Benjamin wears this fedora throughout the film, even as a kid, and, over time, grows into it. It's a constant icon of the protagonist and his enlightened philosophy of life.
As I mentioned, there's a host of other great vintage hats. And caps, for that matter.
While I think of it, "Revolutionary Road", the new DiCaprio film about the isolation of marriage in the suburbs back in the fifties, is also a fantastic hat flick. Loads of crossover fedoras bridging the thirties to the coming space age. Honestly, the movie is very disappointing, leaving one to better appreciate "Mad Men".

 

[Art Fawcett]

Interesting stuff Sir. I found the film file and boy, I'm getting old!! I didn't supply any clothing at all on this film, just made one hat for the Pitt character and they wanted to know how to "age" it as it was too new looking. ( duh). My memory is going ,,that IS the second thing to go,,,right???

 

[indycop]

My memory is going ,,that IS the second thing to go,,,right???

As long as your hatmaking is the last thing to go!! lol lol

 

[EricH]

Art I'm getting too old to remember the first ;-) Might be the waist line. Also could be the shrinking hat size due to hair loss. I like the idea of looking younger as I get older. Certainly have gotten smarter with age. Art, you think you can come up with a fedora with a sweat that pulls back the skin a bit to reduce the wrinkles? Eric (hunkering down for the next Alberta clipper)

 

[Art Fawcett]

hmmm, ANOTHER creative use for velcro??? it's in the works Sir.

 

[hatflick1]

Aging More Than A Fedora

To the discussion of "things that go", may I add a few "things that arrive" during the aging process.
On the rather colorful negative side: making an audible groan when getting up from the couch, caring less and less what one might wear to, say, walk out and check for mail or place trash cans at the curb (George, an aging neighbor of mine degenerated from sweats to bathrobe, to boxer shorts over time), losing any desire to attend parties and/or stay after, nine p.m. which may place one at odds with the Mrs.
Conversely, positive "things that arrive", may include, but are not limited to: having our kids ask for advice (as opposed to money), ignoring the phone during dinner, taking a stroll just because, losing any taste for fast food, wearing a fedora and not caring about the stray "Indiana Jones" comment from a passersby, appreciating the fact that in 21st century America what really needs a bailout is the country's soul. Throwing money is a temporary fix for corporations that did so much to deaden us as people, converting us from citizens with a voice to consumers with wallets thinning as fast as hairlines. If we "old men" can somehow get that message out and make our oppositional legislators start to respond, we will have left behind a vital legacy for the next generations.
Okay, I'm ready for a nap.

 

[Lefty]

Art, is this the one you made? It's the same hat shown in the photo from the original post, but these shots offer more detail.

 

[Art Fawcett]

I believe it is Lefty. If I could see the bow I would know for sure.

 

[Not-Bogart13]

If I may say so, there's a certain "character" to that hat which, to me, says it's Fawcett. I'm not sure what it is, exactly, but I think it's there.

 

[WEEGEE]

Color!

Art,

Is that the same color and block as your Brooklyn limited model?

 

[AlanC]

Very cool, Art!

 

[Art Fawcett]

It sure is WEEGEE, but "aged"
I haven't spoken to Jackie since the film so I don't know what process they chose to age it but it sure looks faded to me.

 

[Lefty]

I think you should get "hat residuals". All the money is in the DVDs.

 

[Art Fawcett]

I could probably go along with that!!

 

[RBH]

It really has the vintage look to it, the shape and color make it seem that way to me.
Great job Art!

 

[Garrett]

Aged

So what methods did you provide when they asked how to age it, Art?

 

[Art Fawcett]

I didn't Garrett, I referred them to a costumer that has more experience in aging than me. Those are some closely guarded methods.

 

[hatflick1]

Duh!

I kept thinking your fedora, Art, looked familiar. And there in my own collection I found a dead ringer. An ADAM DeLuxe, Pliant-Eze (Conformed for head comfort). Hat looks to be the same color and dimensions. Perhaps if I wear it, I will start appearing younger!