How many hats is enough?

[bolthead]

This is s trick question, isn't it?


BTW, 100+ and counting, and I wear each and every one.

 

[150719541]

Hi felows ¡¡¡¡ I think wich hats are as shirts, trousers, shoes, pants or socks, never a few or half dozen is enough, clothes in winter, clothes in summer, 3 or 4 cars, 1 or 2 motorcycles, home and apartment in beach and all can not be used at same time, but every one is owner of many, many things. The humans never have enough, one or other thing.

 

[Mobile Vulgus]

My goal was simple: 7 felts.

1 medium gray with a black ribbon
1 medium gray with a brown ribbon
1 light gray with a black ribbon
1 Tan with black ribbon
1 tan with brown ribbon
1 dark blue
1 silverbelly open-road

That seemed like a sensible goal. Those colors fit all the clothes colors I could arrange and I thought that would be all I'd need.

Then I discovered the longhairs. Wanted one.
Then I discovered the other versions of the open road. Wanted them.
Then I discovered the various makers and wanted one of each.
Then I discovered the styles in different eras. I wanted some examples.
Then I wanted a Stetson Stratoliner. Gotta have it.
Then I….

Well, you get the idea.

Now I am forced to accept that the number of hats that I want is always just one more.

 

[monbla256]

I currently have 7, wear only 4 and might get more !

 

[DAJE]

Let me think about that...
2 Russian Ushankas, one old and retired, one new.
1 Leather wide brimmed rain hat.
1 Cotton sun hat with mosquito netting.
1 fur felt fedora, though I intend to get more...
1 bowler hat.
1 straw fedora, though I intend to get a wider-brimmed straw pretty soon.
1 corduroy flat cap.
1 wool tweed newsboy.
1 linen newsboy.
A couple of cheap caps that I'm unlikely to wear again since I have upgraded.

That comes to 12, surprisingly... but a few of them don't count, so I'll say 9 that I'd actually wear. That's not so many, is it? I certainly don't feel like I own a lot of hats. Not nearly as many as I'd like to own.

 

[Pompidou]

I want one or two that I can wear all the time so that they become synonymous with me. Coming up with a suitable counterpart to my first Art Fawcett hat will take me some time. All I know is it'll be a second Art. After that, I should be all set. Just two. What I want, is for the two hats to get that well taken care of, but well worn look, and if I rotate too many, I'll die first. That wouldn't be good.

 

[HungaryTom]

It`s all about quality, not quantity.

Instead of 20 hats totalling $2000, or even $1000 ($100 or $50 a hat), who would agree its better to have 4 at $500 - pristine vintage, or the very best of Custom or top Montecristi?

It is about quality hats (few) and the quantity (lot of) money spent which will saturate after a while.
Art Fawcetts felt hats helped me to keep the number reasonable.
Also my relatively narrow color preference - rather the light colours.
I will never buy for example two hats in the same colour.

Panama hats are an exception - I can't stop daydreaming about some Montecristi just a bit different block with a ton-sur-ton ribbon color.....:eusa_doh:

Cheers:

Tom

 

[DRB]

D'guy wrote:

It`s all about quality, not quantity.
Instead of 20 hats totalling $2000, or even $1000 ($100 or $50 a hat), who would agree its better to have 4 at $500 - pristine vintage, or the very best of Custom or top Montecristi?

D'guy I agree completely.

Mobile Vulgus: I do believe you have room for one more, perhaps a brown felt?

I have 7. (currently) 5 are custom builds. 2 are Borsalinos that I am having copied by a custom hatter so that the entire collection can be beaver.

 

[Bebop]

Enough hats is when you don't want any more hats......... or you run out of money.

 

[WideBrimm]

How many hats is enough? A man should at least have a hat for each and every birthday

 

[zetwal]

I can't stop daydreaming about some Montecristi just a bit different block with a ton-sur-ton ribbon color.....:eusa_doh:

I understand tone on tone as a technique related to weaving oriental carpets. But I'm not visualizing what you mean as far as hat ribbons go. Can you show us a ribbon of the sort you dream about?

 

[Mobile Vulgus]

Mobile Vulgus: I do believe you have room for one more, perhaps a brown felt?

Exactly right. Like I said, the list I made above was what I thought I needed. I soon came to realize that I needed a brown felt, just like you said. Now I have 2 of them. I have about 20 fedoras now with one bowler and about 5 western hats. Not to mention several other styles and types from caps to wools.

I just can't help myself, apparently!

LOL

 

[DRB]

I know what you mean buddy, I'm right there with you. It is tuff to refrain.

 

[Mr. Paladin]

I have a few over 50, and only four straws, which I seldom wear. 16 or so are homburgs of various makes and styles, 5 are western, and the rest a collection of fedoras both thin and wide ribboned. Oh...and one bowler.

 

[HarpPlayerGene]

Oh...and one bowler.

Yes, and it's time is coming soon...

 

[handlebar bart]

Yes, and it's time is coming soon...

I know just the guy.....

 

[The Good]

This is just the way I see it, but if you know there are situations where you see yourself wearing a particular model or style of hat, then you may as well own it. Especially if you are interested in collecting and wearing hats. I would personally like to have a collection amounting up to "one hat for every day of the week," God-willing. That was referring to fur felt fedoras, but having a couple of good straw hats, a western cowboy hat, Australian outback hat, and homburg (already have one, but a black one couldn't hurt either) would be great too.

 

[HungaryTom]

I understand tone on tone as a technique related to weaving oriental carpets. But I'm not visualizing what you mean as far as hat ribbons go. Can you show us a ribbon of the sort you dream about?

This.

The ribbon having a similar shade like the straw. The ribbon mustn't be ivory or off white since the Montecristi will get a bit yellowish over the years.

 

[Jabos]

My collection is in its infancy (but don't tell my wife that). My 12th is on the way, from Art. Can you ever have enough? There are too many beautiful hats to be had!

 

[C44Antelope]

You have only one head. So it stands to reason that you only NEED one hat, the one you have on.

However when you consider the weather and seasons, you might argue that a winter hat and a summer hat might be a bare minimum.

And then there is the necessity of a funeral hat. You can't wear the funeral hat to a wedding, so you have to have a wedding hat. And the number just goes up...