Boater or Panama?

[HungaryTom]

I had one boater at the prom dance in 1991 - our class performed a charleston. Ever since I had a few wheat straws.
However since I had a few montecristi and one cuenca I would never go another way.
Boaters look good on people who want to evoke the 1870s-1920s but thats all.
Panama hats with their multiple blocks are much more timeless. Panama Fedoras look great.

 

[TCMfan25]

I had one boater at the prom dance in 1991 - our class performed a charleston. Ever since I had a few wheat straws.
However since I had a few montecristi and one cuenca I would never go another way.
Boaters look good on people who want to evoke the 1870s-1920s but thats all.
Panama hats with their multiple blocks are much more timeless. Panama Fedoras look great.

Boaters were popular, worn, and featured in big clothing catalouges well into the 40's.

 

[Widebrim]

Boaters were popular, worn, and featured in big clothing catalouges well into the 40's.

By 1940, the fedora was the predominant hat, even if boaters were still "floating" around...

 

[rlk]

Up to the early 60's during summer. There are 50's outdoor sporting events that still show a predominance of boaters.

 

[David Conwill]

I find my panamas more versatile, but my boater is more fun. Honestly, though, I tend toward bareheadedness in the summer months.

-Dave

 

[TCMfan25]

]http://cgi.ebay.com/Vtg-1941-BOND-STREET-Mens-Suit-Clothing-CATALOG-1940s-/190547313799?pt=Vintage_Men_s_Clothing&hash=item2c5d814487#ht_525wt_907&clk_rvr_id=245670207346

1940's Catalouge, features Boater in 4th picture.

They may not have been the main trend but still were very popular.

 

[El Sid]

I say a panama, unless you can really croon or tapdance.

 

[Bernie Zack]

I wear my boater with one of my seersucker suits in the summer atleast 2x/week. a panama the other 3x/week. So the answer is . . . both.

 

[Talbot]

I prefer a panama. A boater doesn't hold its shape after you unroll it.

 

[Widebrim]

I say a panama, unless you can really croon or tapdance.

lol (And I know at least enough Latin to appreciate your signature line.)

 

[TCMfan25]

Boater for me!

Good for the average Golden Era Joe!

They Were Good for Bing!

"Nice Boater Ed!" exclaimed Bogart, "I love Boaters, say were could I get one?"

But I suppose we can compromise

 

[monbla256]

Boaters look nice, but are really a bit dated look. A Panama still has a contemporary look to it. Besides, I've never seen a Montecristi Boater

 

[El Sid]

lol (And I know at least enough Latin to appreciate your signature line.)

Then we're even--I know only enough Latin to come up with the signature line and I'm not 100% confident I got it right...

By the way, that's a great looking lid in your Avatar, Widebrim.

 

[Widebrim]

Then we're even--I know only enough Latin to come up with the signature line and I'm not 100% confident I got it right...

By the way, that's a great looking lid in your Avatar, Widebrim.

Gratias tibi ago! It's a Borsalino Alessandria.

 

[dogrocketp]

Boater, Panama........They both say "I'm a man of style." And certainly more style than the average person!

 

[skyvue]

It's intriguing to see folks calling boaters a "dated" look -- this within a community that is, in large part (though admittedly not entirely) devoted to all things vintage.

Don't kid yourself that there's anything particularly contemporary about fedoras and Panamas. Do a few people still wear them? Sure, but it's a tiny minority. And some (though fewer) people still wear boaters, too. But Panamas/fedoras are not, nor have they been in decades, contemporary. Which means that they, too, are dated, a throwback look.

So the question is, how far back are you willing to go with your look? The forties (fedoras, Panamas) are okay, but the thirties (boaters) aren't? Fair enough. We all have our cut-off points. But believe me, for every person here who finds boaters "dated," you could find hundreds of thousands of people in the average large city who feel the same way about fedoras and Panamas.

I suspect that if Indiana Jones had opted for a boater over a fedora, we'd see plenty more people sporting boaters today, and they'd have a very different image than the cliched association with barbershop quartets. Let's face it, our collective notions about any garment or accessory are easily manipulated.

In the end, for many of us, all that matters is that we like the look we adopt. The notion of "dated" doesn't even enter into it.

 

[dhermann1]

I have one of each, and I love them both. But my panama is my every day summer hat, whereas the boater is for special occasions, like last month's Jazz Age Pawn Party at Governors Island. I find the panama sits more comfortably on my head.
But having said that, let me say that wearing a straw boater is a really neat experience. The design of this hat gives it an uncanny ability to cool your noggin. And the looks you'll get from ladies are worth a dollar in yer pocket, as my grandfather would say.
If you think you'd feel funny wearing one, be a true Lounger and give it a stab.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

More of a panama guy, myself. It takes a lot of guts and style to pull of a boater, nowadays. Kudos to all who do, they look sharp!

 

[1961MJS]

Hi

"Dated look, here, in the Fedora Lounge? Shirley you jest?" Pun Intended. I dislike the Boater, the shape is fine, the look is o.k., but isn't my best look. I dislike them because they're too stiff. In the interests of full disclosure, I've only held a couple at Levine's early last summer.

Later

 

[David Conwill]

I don't have much experience handling any boaters other than my vintage Lee, but I would say my boater isn't significantly stiffer than my inexpensive panama from Panama Bob, and is indeed significantly more flexible than my Dobbs Shantung. I find it quite cool and comfortable.

-Dave