How not to look like Indiana Jones?

[Spitfire]

I think it is about being recognized as the right kind of someone special.

I think you are right!

 

[Edward]

Kind of strange post really - Isn't it because we want to be noted and recogniced as someone special, that some people wears fedoras, strange looking jackets and coats?
And when we do get noted - and somebody actually says something - we get p.... of?
Cmon you guys - if you cant take it, wear a baseballcap.

lol

Plenty of folks seem to think I'm 'special'....

 

[Doublegun]

I think it is about being recognized as the right kind of someone special.

I don't want to be seen as anyone but me. The way I dress is a direct reflection of my style and personality and I am not trying to copy anyone. Why a fedora instead of a ball cap? I wear a hat to guard against the elements. I wear a fedora because 75% of the time a ball cap is inappropriate and/or looks just plain dumb. I wear my leather jackets because they are extremely practical, I can dress up or dress down, they are tuff as nails and wear only makes them look better.

 

[Spitfire]

lol

Plenty of folks seem to think I'm 'special'....

Noooo...not you, Edward.

 

[Not-Bogart13]

I don't want to be seen as anyone but me. The way I dress is a direct reflection of my style and personality and I am not trying to copy anyone.

Herein lies the second edge of "not dressing like Indiana Jones." What if your style, left free to develop as it will, turns out to be reminiscent of Indiana Jones? By avoiding that look, you deny yourself at that point.

In the end, wearing anything that is not part of the standard jeans/t-shirt/ballcap standard of style will run the risk of drawing comments. Most lack the ingenuity to be truly witty on the spot, but some try anyway. The results are rarely pleasant. lol If you regularly wear a fedora, western hat, outback, stingy, porkpie, or homburg you will likely be called Indy at least once before you die. You're also likely to be called a cowboy and a gangster at some point, in one variation or another. Some will be lucky enough to dodge this occurrence, while others will simply never hear the whispered comments.

I have noticed this, though; As one who has dressed like Indy on purpose from time to time, it's not what you wear but how you wear it. If you really own your style, it won't matter how close you are to the Indy look. Fewer people will see you that way, and those that do will not feel as compelled to make the remark. It's all attitude.

Best compliment I ever got, wearing my least Indy-like hat; "You loook like that actor, Harrison Ford." I'll take that!

 

[Mr_D.]

I'd rather get "Indy" than the cowboy comments..... for some reason those bug me the most, I guess because a fedora in no way whatever looks like a cowboy hat. [huh]

If it bothers you that much, I'd try wearing a gatsby / eight-panel cap or something along those lines with the jacket.

Which is funny because I read a site somewhere that said "cowboy" hats were a different style of a fedora. I will look for the site again and post if I can.

 

[djgo-cat-go]

When I don't wear my brown FedIV I get called 'Elvis'.. or even Johnny Bravo (the cartoon-character with the yellow quif)..go figure..

 

[Matt Deckard]

How come I don't get called Toht when I wear my black hat? I get people calling me Cheney and stuff...

 

[Inusuit]

Which is funny because I read a site somewhere that said "cowboy" hats were a different style of a fedora. I will look for the site again and post if I can.

Depends on how you define "fedora" and "cowboy" hat. I think there is a continuum rather than a fine line between the two. When you get towards the center of the continuum, they overlap. My favorite hats are Stetson Open Roads. I have a couple with a "fedora" pinch crease, and a couple with the original cattleman crease. Are they cowboy hats or fedoras? There are hats, definately cowboy hats, with 3 1/2 to 5" brims that have pinch creases similar like a fedora.

 

[Edward]

Which is funny because I read a site somewhere that said "cowboy" hats were a different style of a fedora. I will look for the site again and post if I can.

Historically, I think you're right, though I'd argue the toss that what we think of as a 'western' or 'cowboy' hat nowadays is a very different animal.

Depends on how you define "fedora" and "cowboy" hat. I think there is a continuum rather than a fine line between the two. When you get towards the center of the continuum, they overlap. My favorite hats are Stetson Open Roads. I have a couple with a "fedora" pinch crease, and a couple with the original cattleman crease. Are they cowboy hats or fedoras? There are hats, definately cowboy hats, with 3 1/2 to 5" brims that have pinch creases similar like a fedora.

Fair point.... I think ,back in the days of the Old West, the hats they wore would be more recognisable to us as a species of fedora than the typical 'cowboy hat' we would see nowadays. Of course we have had our imagery clouded by years of John Wayne and the likes, but there was a much greater variation in headwear back then - if I recall correctly, I read somewhere that the most comon hat in the Old West days was..... the Bowler! Funny how far our stereotypes, no doubt under the influence of Hollywood have gone (nice little riff on this in Back to the Future III contrasting what Doc Brown in 1955 puts Marty in and what people actually ear when he ends up back in the 1880s). ORs I have always seen as a sort of 'country-fedora', but now I think about it, the 'cattleman's crease' is one of the defining features of a 'cowboy' hat to me - that crease, and a wide brim curled up almost vertical at the sides.

 

[pplepic]

Indy

I have a brown leather "flight" jacket and a brown hat that is close enough to Indy. I had the foresight to anticipate Indy jokes, so I never wear that combination together. When I wear my Western hat however, I just smile at people, give a little wave and say, "Howdy." So far it works all right. Nobody has made fun of me (to my face).

 

[RP McMurphy]

LHB

As luck would have it, I just received an LHB from Aero as well.

I say wear it however you like... it's already a different style from today's masses. As far as avoiding the Indy look, maybe go for a wool cap, jeans, plaid shirt or the like? Anything that has "workwear" in it's description. Perhaps a scarf or boots as well?

I suppose it could work equally as well with khaki or wool trousers and a sweater... think '50's casual wear or classic fall weather clothing.

Good Luck!

 

[Paisley]

Yesterday, somebody said I looked like Indiana Jones. (Yes, my avatar is a photo of me.) I was wearing a cream colored Tilley hat, a form-fitting blouse with ribbon tied in a bow, and brown slacks. Being with my best friend for the first time in a couple of years might have brought out something in me, too. I took it as a compliment.

 

[Mr Zablosky]

People can only refer to what they have experience with. Anyone under 35 will only know Indiana Jones when they see a hat. These are teachable moments. Don't forget- we are Hat Ambassadors. Let's bring those folks up to speed!.

 

[Edward]

It's funny how these thing are generational - when I wear a homberg to church, people of a certain age refer to it by its 'Anthony Eden' tag; younger folks often think it's some form of bowler. Typically, the latter haven't seen one before, and I can see where they're coming from on that, given the brim plus the fact that most folks have never handled a real bowler and so don't realise it's not soft. With the fedoras, I've had everything from Indy to Sinatra to John Wayne to Dick Tracy, often depending upon the age of the commentator. It's rare that it is meant in a negative light - mostly people these days just aren't used to seeing a brimmed hat and so have only a very limited range of reference for where it fits in with things... The last guy who called me Dick Tracy was meaning to be extremely complimentary as to the overall look. Thing that surprised me was his age )I'd say late 20s), until I remembered the 1990(?) film.... I presume that's a lot of folks exposure to Dick Tracy. I remember him first from an animated kids' cartoon in the early 80s. Anyhow, I digress. It seems to me that Indy is simply what most people think of when they see a fedora, so it's no surprise we get it a lot.

 

[Seb Lucas]

Twenty years ago, I was wearing an MA-1 nylon flight jacket with a light grey fedora. Some idiot said - "Why are you dressed as Indiana Jones?" I thought I was dressed like me. We got into a small argument about what Indiana actually wore. I then realized that people see what they want and we don't have all that much control over that. In the end that's quite funny. Now I wear a G&B expo jacket, no one has ever mentioned the character - perhaps because I'm in my forties now. Who knows?

 

[STW]

You have to leave the bullwhip at home
My wife has a beautiful bullwhip she brought home from Argentina where she'd lived, and I'ven been tempted.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Twenty years ago, I was wearing an MA-1 nylon flight jacket with a light grey fedora. Some idiot said - "Why are you dressed as Indiana Jones?" I thought I was dressed like me. We got into a small argument about what Indiana actually wore. I then realized that people see what they want and we don't have all that much control over that. In the end that's quite funny. Now I wear a G&B expo jacket, no one has ever mentioned the character - perhaps because I'm in my forties now. Who knows?

you could of ended that argument by saying "hey, which one of us is dresse like indiana jones!?"

 

[Marcus]

This Friday my wife and I will be doing our first outing in vintage attire. We are meeting some friends at Bing Crosby's down in San Diego. I will make a note of all comments as a social experiment and report back. I've been very curious to see what kind of comments we'll draw. I'm curious to see if you draw more or less when you have several folks with you in comparison to maybe just yourself. My attire will be either a dark blue or light blue DB suit and a moonstone "Stylemaster". We'll see if I am mistaken for any archaeologists.

 

[Opas Coat]

Not Indy, but more "Where did you get the Michael Jackson Hat"...:eusa_doh: