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Best hats
- Thread starter colinlyne
- Start date
billyspew
One Too Many
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That's a very subjective question - how do you rate best - fur quality, durability, workmanship, style, etc, etc.
Have you ever worn a fedora, do you know what size/style of crown or brim suits you?
If you are new I would suggest you visit a shop to try some on, unfortunately they are few and far between in Britain, the only ones I know are in London - Hat Shops
If you know what you like go to Hats Direct or another Akubra supplier, or if you have lots of money check out Optimo or Vintage Silhouettes, as these will offer you the custom route.
Have you ever worn a fedora, do you know what size/style of crown or brim suits you?
If you are new I would suggest you visit a shop to try some on, unfortunately they are few and far between in Britain, the only ones I know are in London - Hat Shops
If you know what you like go to Hats Direct or another Akubra supplier, or if you have lots of money check out Optimo or Vintage Silhouettes, as these will offer you the custom route.
Rick Blaine
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billyspew said:
Great link, Billy... your web page?
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cookie
I'll Lock Up
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billyspew said:
Some typos on the website that need correction...FWIW
Best hat?!?! billyspew is correct, subjective indeed.
I guess if I had to take a shot in the dark, I would say that I regard any Biltmore made with their Rosellini felt as a "best" hat. Will cost you from $165 to $225 dollars depending on what website you get them from, but they are worth every penny. Also quite subjectively, Biltmore has some of the best finishes and styling of any manufacturer in existence right now. Their sweatbands are worth dying for.
From their own website:
http://www.biltmorehats.com/productcategories5.htm
I guess if I had to take a shot in the dark, I would say that I regard any Biltmore made with their Rosellini felt as a "best" hat. Will cost you from $165 to $225 dollars depending on what website you get them from, but they are worth every penny. Also quite subjectively, Biltmore has some of the best finishes and styling of any manufacturer in existence right now. Their sweatbands are worth dying for.
From their own website:
http://www.biltmorehats.com/productcategories5.htm
RobFedoraField
One Too Many
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best hat...
I think the question needs to be rewritten so you can get some semblance of an answer.
how much money are you willing to spend? I can say what I think the best hat for $100 is but the answer changes if you say $400.
also, what kind of hat do you like, wide / narrow brim, etc.
this will help us here at the lounge throw all kinds of recommendations to you
I think the question needs to be rewritten so you can get some semblance of an answer.
how much money are you willing to spend? I can say what I think the best hat for $100 is but the answer changes if you say $400.
also, what kind of hat do you like, wide / narrow brim, etc.
this will help us here at the lounge throw all kinds of recommendations to you
scottyrocks
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Quite frankly, due to the huge number of variables in all aspects of hatdom, even limiting the discussion to just fedoras, on top of every individual's own subjective preferences, I dont think theres a true answer to the OP's question. But suggestions are always possible. And suggestions you will get, oh ya, uh-hunh . . .
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I recommend a fedora made of 100% beaver fur felt as the best fedora to purchase. Prices & styles may vary depending on source...colinlyne said:
GWD
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Lefty said:
Too Funny! :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap
Pilgrim
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colinlyne said:
Response: how long is a ball of string? [huh]
I recommend spending some time here doing your homework, reading the reference threads, and learning the answer for yourself....because only YOU can answer that question.
HungaryTom
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colinlyne said:
There is a quite long thread here, discussing the same topic:
http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=8258
What I could conclude is the following:
1. Custom made hats are better in terms of craftsmanship than production hats.
2. Certain high-end hat raw materials (beaver felt, mink felt, montecristi toquilla 'Panama' straw, good Milan straw) are available rather with quality focuser custom hatters.
3. Good master hatters make superb hats but they can not make vintage hats.
4. If you prefer vintage hats that is another story - that is a lot of crap and treasures out on the market.
5. Certain high-end vintage hats have qualities that aren't there with modern hats (other felting technology or finer hand-woven straw) which fact makes a lot of vintage over-priced. Also the fact that the community interested in fine vintage things has been growing substantially in the last few years which drives the auction prices high.
If you are lucky you find a piece of cake and a contemporary master hatter can refurbish it for you.
Thankfully, there are plenty of amazing hats being made today, as well, both custom and production.
So, you shouldn't have any trouble finding a hat, either modern or vintage, that you regard as a "best" hat.
I'd say good luck, but you'll need more than that. Especially if you're asking for opinions.lol lol lol
So, you shouldn't have any trouble finding a hat, either modern or vintage, that you regard as a "best" hat.
I'd say good luck, but you'll need more than that. Especially if you're asking for opinions.lol lol lol
Charlie Huang
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Best hat? It depends on what kind of hat.
The Elizans
Familiar Face
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Start off in London...
I have to confess, I do not know much about modern production or custom fedoras, I favour vintage hats, but I will say this, British made hats of recent decades fall short of the mark in terms of style and quality. Failsworth, Olney, Christies and Lock are among the current producers of hats common in the UK, for any one of these (excluding the Lock) you should pay no more that £60.00. Lock are expensive and not much better in terms of quality, all of the above suffer from a lack of any boldness in style (that is of course my opinion ) If you are new to wearing hats and would like to experiment with style and colour before you commit a lot of money, may I suggest Camden market in London. There are literally 100's of fedora/trilby style hats vintage and new dotted all over the permanent indoor market stalls at the most reasonable prices to be found anywhere. Find a/some hats you like, buy them, see which ones work best then sell any you are not fond of on ebay and almost certainly get your money back. Camden market is an 'experience' if you have never been and I will eat my hat if you do not have a good time!
I have to confess, I do not know much about modern production or custom fedoras, I favour vintage hats, but I will say this, British made hats of recent decades fall short of the mark in terms of style and quality. Failsworth, Olney, Christies and Lock are among the current producers of hats common in the UK, for any one of these (excluding the Lock) you should pay no more that £60.00. Lock are expensive and not much better in terms of quality, all of the above suffer from a lack of any boldness in style (that is of course my opinion
) If you are new to wearing hats and would like to experiment with style and colour before you commit a lot of money, may I suggest Camden market in London. There are literally 100's of fedora/trilby style hats vintage and new dotted all over the permanent indoor market stalls at the most reasonable prices to be found anywhere. Find a/some hats you like, buy them, see which ones work best then sell any you are not fond of on ebay and almost certainly get your money back. Camden market is an 'experience' if you have never been and I will eat my hat if you do not have a good time!
Mike in Seattle
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colinlyne said:
Sure, will be happy to tell you as soon as you tell me the "best" car to purchase and the "best" place to live and the "best" color shirt to wear today.
KeyGrip
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Mike in Seattle said:
McLaren F1, Doolin, Black. What's with all the easy questions, I thought we were talking about hats?
Colinlyne, a good way to start your search is to choose a type of hat. From there, you should familiarize yourself with the different materials and styles within that category. Also, I find it helps to go to your nearest hat store and just start trying on hats. Get used to the way different hats make you look and try to find a style that you like.
avedwards
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Best will depend on what you like and what suits you, but it can be narrowed down a bit. Best quality material for fedoras is usually pure beaver felt or a beaver and other fur blend (as this feels smoothe and is very durable I've heard). Best style cannot be pinpointed as that depends on you, so you just have to experiment or ask a hat expert.
So where to find beaver or beaver blend hats and style which will suits you? That would suggest a custom hatter as their hats are well constructed and they will customise them to your liking so that it looks good on you as they will know what is best.
So to name a few custom hatters I have heard of: Art Fawcett (there should be plenty of threads mentioning him and he is a lounger), Optimo, Adventurebuilt (though the wait is long) are just a few. I have spoken to Art and he charges $305 for the hat which is pure beaver, and the waiting time is approximately two months, after the conformer (head shape measuring device) is sent back to him.
Hope this helps, just guesses though as I've not been able to afford a custom just yet.
So where to find beaver or beaver blend hats and style which will suits you? That would suggest a custom hatter as their hats are well constructed and they will customise them to your liking so that it looks good on you as they will know what is best.
So to name a few custom hatters I have heard of: Art Fawcett (there should be plenty of threads mentioning him and he is a lounger), Optimo, Adventurebuilt (though the wait is long) are just a few. I have spoken to Art and he charges $305 for the hat which is pure beaver, and the waiting time is approximately two months, after the conformer (head shape measuring device) is sent back to him.
Hope this helps, just guesses though as I've not been able to afford a custom just yet.
