Good looking boaters that won't break the bank?

[leo]

I've been in a small store over the past couple of years where the owner wears a boater. At first I thought it was some sort of a foam political campaign giveaway. It is thick and stiff. I simply considered it part of his eccentric personality, and I quickly got used to seeing him in it. He only wears it in the store.

But maybe his boater is the real deal, made of straw instead of styrofoam. I'll have to pay attention or ask the next time I'm there to find out where he got it.

It's amazing what I learn here.

Bill

 

[Tango Yankee]

Here's the alternative boater I was talking about.

I've got a similar one, i.e., with the fedora-esque brim, but mine has a flat top. It's a Cavanagh, but it's not sporting a Cavanagh Edge. lol It does have a very nice liner.

It's labeled as a 7 1/4, but it actually measures out to a 7 1/16th. The sweatband looks good, but is a bit brittle. I'll try the Lexol on it, but I don't think it'll be stretchable. The stitching holding the sweatband to the hat is actually designed to hold the sweatband a little ways away from the hat, providing a means to vent the hat. Very cool, if you'll pardon the pun!

Cheers,
Tom

 

[SMUPhil]

An entire band of boaters

From the early 60's through the mid 70's, the Southern Methodist University (SMU) Mustang Band often wore straw boaters, usually when wearing their candystriped blazers. Apparently, they kept blowing off during halftime shows, and after a particularly windy game, they were scrapped for good. The current Mustang Band still wears the candystriped coats, however.

 

[carldelo]

Wow

The vertical stripes on the SMU hatbands just about gave me a seizure - ay caramba! But an impressive display none the less.

I happened to run across this Tesi Italian boater on the Bencraft site - reasonably priced, they're a FL sponsor and it actually comes in my size. I plan to try one when I go by there (soon, I hope).

http://www.bencrafthats.com/product.php?pid=119&subcname=Tesi

 

[Woodfluter]

Wolfman is correct...I tried on a very good, Italian-made boater years ago in a DC hat shop, and they are way too stiff to conform to one's head. Ya gotta get one that fits perfectly if you can, perhaps a challenge if you have a longer head, hence I would be mighty wary of e-bay.

The thinner, commoner, cheaper variety aren't worth spending any money on however...I've seen those and tried them on, and they aren't remotely in the same ballpark as regards quality.

The darker-colored boater in Dinerman's second picture is perhaps the only kind I'd seriously consider wearing myself. He absolutely does not look goofy in it.

Speaking of which, I understand all the reservations, and also good points about about the wearing of any sort of hat being a bit out of our own time (anachronistic?); but really I think this boils down to cojones. If you have the balls to wear a boater with style, any folks whose opinions are worth a second thought will respect that and see it as a mark of confidence. Hats are good "medicine" in the American Indian sense, and if this medicine works for you, by all means go for it.

 

[Nick D]

Went to the Hat Company in York yesterday, but there weren't any boaters on display. Oh well, I'll be going back again at some point.