Fedora Color suggestions

[Aureliano]

Disregard the warnings about brown hats looking too "Indiana Jones". Lots of men wore brown hats before Dr. Henry Jones came along. Besides, Indy's hat is awesome---even apart from any association with some iconic film character and his hat.

Just be prepared to be called Indy by someone--known to you or not--pretty much every time you wear it out. Happened to me and I couldn't take it. :eeek: Now brown hats are off my list.

 

[St. Valentine]

I was quite keen on getting the "real Indy hat" but as I am wearing an A-2 for my everyday jacket I changed my mind. I am used to beeing called "Indy" but I thing the more you look like the good old doctor, the more often you are called after his name. After all I keep beeing called "Cowboy" when I wear my light grey Borsalino. What visual perception problems do people have anyway???

Go for the colour you like best, you´ll be given names anyway.

Frank

 

[scottyrocks]

Just be prepared to be called Indy by someone--known to you or not--pretty much every time you wear it out. Happened to me and I couldn't take it. :eeek: Now brown hats are off my list.

I guess you can't help it if you are as handsome as Mr. Ford.

Personally, I don't care what people say. I wear what I like.

 

[jbucklin]

Personally, I don't care what people say. I wear what I like.

Same here. If I cared what people thought I probably would only wear what people thought of as acceptable ("trendy") anyway. One of the few positive aspects of getting old I guess.

 

[Aureliano]

I don't care what people say either, but--at the risk of sounding contradicting--being stereotyped every single time I wore a brown hat was just exhausting. One can only smile so much.

 

[jbucklin]

Sometimes I will take those comments as a cue to begin educating people on hats. And that also opens up the door to discuss classic films. Then that will hopefully turn into a conversation about the general populace's lack of awareness of and appreciation for history. I'm not saying that this happens often, but it is the ideal result of an Indy comment made to me.

I will admit though to being a bit irritated how, when right after receiving my brown vintage Borsalino Alessandria, I got several Indy comments (compliments?) one right after the other. And this was after wearing my brown Fed IV many, many times around the very same people. Go figure.

 

[barrowjh]

I think your age may be a factor; saturated colors (dark browns, black, navy blue, forrest green, etc) look better on younger men, and lighter colors look better on those of us with hair (and skin tone) that is washing out. No one has yet mentioned a light olive, but if you can find that shade, it might be a match. I think the reason that silver belly colors in the thin-ribbons just tend to look 'right' on most of us post 40s is because it does not clash with our skin/hair tone.

 

[scottyrocks]

At any rate, if possible, the OP may want to go to an actual brick-n-mortar hat store and try on a few hats of different colors. If you don't have a hat store nearby, most of the big men's clothing stores, and department stores, have a selection of fedoras. One of the colors, or color groups, may just talk to you.

 

[tealseal]

I think your age may be a factor; saturated colors (dark browns, black, navy blue, forrest green, etc) look better on younger men, and lighter colors look better on those of us with hair (and skin tone) that is washing out.

Attire too! My first fedora was brown. When I bought it I was a senior undergraduate in university, and typically wore jeans or khakis with a polo or button down shirt. For this ensemble, the brown was an excellent color. Worked in all seasons too! If I had to do it again, I would have gone tawny fawn.

 

[new2hats]

Still contemplating the grey vs brown. It is difficult to not be able to hold a hat and inspect for quality, color, fit, etc. I am mainly going by internet browsing and looking for reviews and photos, as there are no hat stores anywhere close to me. There is a grey that is sold online for 20 bucks less than a brown would be.

I may just go with the brown, even with the risk of being called Indy; I already have received comments from ignorant folks with my dark green Mayser. I figure if I will spend almost 2 hundred bucks on a hat, it will be the color I really want. Plus it seems that the cotton hats at Sears, Jc Penney, etc. have the cheaper trilby cotton hats that are commonly in grey patterns it seems, so I may start with one of those if it pressing to have the grey. Grey just seems dreary to me, like the skies of N.E.

Personally, so far I am more of a panama hat wearer, and that season is closely approaching, but I do like the feel of a fur felt...

 

[Lt. Bob]

I think it all depends on what you wear. If you wear a lot of earth tones (browns, greens) go with a brown hat. If you wear more blue/blacks, go with a grey hat.

 

[scottyrocks]

n2h, most of the major department stores that carry mens clothing, meaning suits and such, have a small section with real fedoras, at least here in NY. Even if they're wool, that's better than the cloth stuff you've seen. Take a look around. You may find something to help you make a more informed decision.

 

[new2hats]

n2h, most of the major department stores that carry mens clothing, meaning suits and such, have a small section with real fedoras, at least here in NY. Even if they're wool, that's better than the cloth stuff you've seen. Take a look around. You may find something to help you make a more informed decision.

Thanks for your input! I wish there were more stores around here, I think that there is a Gentleman's Wearhouse around here. Just dont want to be swarmed if I go in to a store, sometimes the salespeople can get aggressive...

 

[new2hats]

I think it all depends on what you wear. If you wear a lot of earth tones (browns, greens) go with a brown hat. If you wear more blue/blacks, go with a grey hat.

I wear mainly light colored khaki pants and dress shirt to work, under a black coat or jacket with birkenstocks (bostons when it is cold out). On Weekends it is birkentstocks and bluejeans, cargo pants or soccer-type shorts.

Does a brown hat not go with bluejeans or black coat?

 

[felkor]

What I've found is that if you plan on wearing a feather in your hat, you have even more flexibility. Put in a feather that has some colour in it that matches what you're wearing, and presto, it looks fantastic. My fedora is a dark green (looks greyish in certain lights) and it goes fine with just about anything, but if I put in a feather that has the same colour as the shirt I'm wearing, then it just makes the whole thing look like it matches perfectly.

 

[Lt. Bob]

I wear mainly light colored khaki pants and dress shirt to work, under a black coat or jacket with birkenstocks (bostons when it is cold out). On Weekends it is birkentstocks and bluejeans, cargo pants or soccer-type shorts.

Does a brown hat not go with bluejeans or black coat?

Jeans go with pretty much everything so they get excluded from the color palette.
With the clothes you describe, I'd go with brown. Just avoid wearing a brown leather jacket and carrying a whip when you're wearing the hat.

 

[Stinkykid]

Amazing that everybody said grey. I vote brown. I find that a fawn / mid-light brown is the most versatile colour for me and I rarely wear my grey hats. I guess in the end it's whatever suits your skin and hair colouring best, and what will go with most of the clothes you wear. I think brown also goes far better with jeans as grey can look a bit formal.

 

[gtdean48]

I'd vote for Silverbelly for a first fedora color since it can go brown or grey but that wasn't given as an option.

 

[wgiceman]

You can tell by this thread's content that you have no choice but to get a charcoal gray, and a light gray, and a dark brown, and a light brown, and a tan, and a silverbelly and perhaps a blue hat. Then you can venture out into perhaps an olive and even a black. You may as well get on with it. I'm willing to bet that most members of this forum started with the same question as you and they are still trying to get it just right 10 or 15 or 20+ hats later. ........ I'm just sayin'. [huh]

 

[Hoss & da Posse]

you can tell by this thread's content that you have no choice but to get a charcoal gray, and a light gray, and a dark brown, and a light brown, and a tan, and a silverbelly and perhaps a blue hat. :d then you can venture out into perhaps an olive and even a black. You may as well get on with it. I'm willing to bet that most members of this forum started with the same question as you and they are still trying to get it just right 10 or 15 or 20+ hats later. ........ I'm just sayin'. [huh]

big +1

Oh, and I agree with Tom...Silverbelly is the most versatile color I own