Felt hats in summer..

[dlgilbert]

I was just curious as to how many folks wear their felt hats in summertime? I'm in southern Pennsylvania where it gets hot and humid in summers (ugh!) so I mostly wear straw in summer, but every now and then, when it's not TOO hot, I break out a felt fedora.

What's the hottest the weather can be before you say "No way!" to felt?

 

[jamespowers]

I was just curious as to how many folks wear their felt hats in summertime? I'm in southern Pennsylvania where it gets hot and humid in summers (ugh!) so I mostly wear straw in summer, but every now and then, when it's not TOO hot, I break out a felt fedora.

What's the hottest the weather can be before you say "No way!" to felt?

I know what you mean but I do wear felt when it is hot. It just depends on the weight of the felt. I wouldn't wear my heavy felts in hot weather but I would wear a Playboy without a liner or one of many WWII era felts that are light felts without liners. The Playboy has vent holes in the crown of the felt so it isn't too bad. So do many Featherweight Champ hats. If you can find a felt hat made for hot weather then it won't be much worse than wearing a straw hat. My great grandfather used to be famous for wearing felt hats and long sleeve shirts in hot weather. His explanation: "What keeps out cold keeps out heat."
I wear a felt hat in Vegas during a 130 degree day. Talk about hot! The funny thing is that the hat kind of kept me cooler in the shade created by it. The hat was a lightweight felt but maybe Great-Grandfather had the right idea.

Regards to all,

J

 

[jamespowers]

I just found this ad after I posted my response. Maybe it can give you an idea of the light weight hat made for hot weather I was trying to describe.

Regards to all,

J

 

[Victor]

I have seen a hat like that. It had a series of small vent holes that were punched in the top of the crown. You couldn't really see the holes unless you looked closely. Looked interesting but wasn't my size so I let it go. I wonder how much vents really help.

 

[jamespowers]

They help. Believe me.

Regards to all,

J

 

[Matt Deckard]

I have seen a hat like that. It had a series of small vent holes that were punched in the top of the crown. You couldn't really see the holes unless you looked closely. Looked interesting but wasn't my size so I let it go. I wonder how much vents really help.

I had a hat with vents, and still have my Campaign hat which has vents. I think the vintage Borsalino corrugated front that allows air to come in at your brow works well for keeping a felt hat cool, though you will still overheat under any fur felt if the temp is right and you are moving enough.

 

[jamespowers]

I think the most efficiently vented hat is the Champ featherweight. A double row of holes around the entire crown, ventilated ribbon and ventilated sweatband really makes a difference. It is probably better than the Borsalino---in my opinion.

Regards to all,

J

 

[riccardo]

great!

Great thread,
i always ask myself it...i'm very curious about summer felt hat ( i live in sicily-south Italy ) here someone (only old men) wear cotton cloth hat, but i don't like them, may anyone post any summer felt hat pics?

Hi, thanks.

Best regards.

Riccardo.

 

[jamespowers]

I could not get ahold of some pictures I have on my home computer but this will give you some idea what we mean by perforated felt for ventilation.

This is an ad for a lightweight Dobbs in 1945:

Regards to all,

J

 

[Biltmore Bob]

I have a gray felt Biltmore C crown that I wear in the summer if it's
a raining.

 

[Kaleponi Craig]

I was just curious as to how many folks wear their felt hats in summertime? I'm in southern Pennsylvania where it gets hot and humid in summers (ugh!) so I mostly wear straw in summer, but every now and then, when it's not TOO hot, I break out a felt fedora.

What's the hottest the weather can be before you say "No way!" to felt?

My fur felt hats are pretty heavy, so I usually only wear them in colder months (when it's 60 or so or less) and my Panamas in the summer. However, today it's cold and rainy here in the SF Bay Area, so on came the fur felt.

Regards, Kaleponi Craig

 

[Pen Collector]

Hey, Jamespowers...

that looks like a Dallas Cowboy hat (Fedora). The color, the star.....
That would have been the perfect hat for Tom Landry.

 

[Michael Mallory]

I wear felts in the summer chiefly if it's after dark. Or cool. I was at a party in Zuma Beach Saturday night, wearing my Montecristi, and completely paranoid that the wind would rip it off my head and blow it into the pool or the fire pit, or that a sea gull would...well, you know. I wish I'd worn a felt!

 

[jamespowers]

that looks like a Dallas Cowboy hat (Fedora). The color, the star.....
That would have been the perfect hat for Tom Landry.

I know what you mean. I still have not run down the history on that hat. It is just as interesting to guess though.

Regards to all,

J

 

[Michaelson]

I've been amazed at how cool my new Camptown hat has been so far this summer. Usually I just soldier on wearing my standard felt leather banded fedoras, and perspiration runs down the side of my face all day long. Not with this Camptown, as it has the ventilated roan sweatband, and I can actually FEEL anytime any sort of air movement takes place around the hat, as it moves through the band and cools the head. I'm MUCH more comfortable with this type band, and I really wish more hatmakers would offer this option for us. Regards! Michaelson

 

[Feraud]

..Not with this Camptown, as it has the ventilated roan sweatband, and I can actually FEEL anytime any sort of air movement takes place around the hat, as it moves through the band and cools the head. I'm MUCH more comfortable with this type band, and I really wish more hatmakers would offer this option for us. Regards! Michaelson

Now that is a wonderful option to have on a hat! I have heard good things about the Camptown hat. I hope to order one soon.

I do not have a straw hat so I am working with felts. I have brown but wanted a lighter color hat to absorb less heat.
What I will be wearing this summer is my Stetson Open Road. The color is tan and the hat feels very light on the head.

 

[qwerty]

Too hot for the fur felt hat?

It seems that everyone here agrees that in summer it is too hot to wear a fur felt hat.
If it is so how come that Indiana Jones wears his fedora all the time. In Raiders of the lost ark ho goes to Egypt, knowing what to expect. It is hot and dry, but he is still wearing his fedora. Is it just a gimmick or is it OK to wear a fur felt fedora in the summer?
Also in Australia fur felt fedoras are national treasure. Do not forget about cowboy hats, too.
So?

 

[Feraud]

Indiana Jones can do it because..he is Indy!!
If you are willing to deal with the heat and sweat you can wear your fur felt hat year round. I have worn my rabbit felt Akubra in the summer. It is hot but do-able. I just received a beaver Adventurebilt. The felt is so dense I do not think I will wear it in the Summer. With three or four hats in stock I do not need to stick to one hat all year.

 

[Visigoth]

In anything short of sweltering heat, I'm happy in a light-colored fur-felt fedora, without a lining. (I'm in the habit of taking linings out of hats, unless they're valuable vintage items.)

 

[J. M. Stovall]

Last month I went to the airshow down in Galveston. That morning I was looking at my vintage Dobbs straw, and a light tan vintage Stetson fedora and was thinking the same thing, how guys never seem to wear straw in those old photos. So I went with the felt and you know what, all day long on the tarmac in the Texas sun and I never felt hot. This hat even has the liner too. I wear my straw a lot and sometimes sweat up a storm. Maybe someone here to try and get a juicy government grant to study this.