Interesting 1929 Time Magazine Hat Article

[jimmy the lid]

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,927954-1,00.html

 

[Tiller]

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,927954-1,00.html

Interesting read Jimmy, thanks for sharing.

 

[rlk]

Thanks for the interesting article. I did note the average hat size for 1929...7-1/8. So much for the tiny cranium theory.

 

[Dewhurst]

I've never actually heard this legend about the origin of rabbit felt. Very amusing.

 

[daizawaguy]

Great read. And ironically, the only place that produces Knox hats to this day is....Japan. Licensed to Stetson, the owners of the Know brand, I`m not sure how much they sell, but the legend lives on...

 

[Feraud]

Figures on hat sales show that many a thrifty U. S. citizen must wear old hats through new seasons, as U. S. hat consumption is only ½ a hat per capita per annum.

How do you fall within the stats?

 

[gtdean48]

Thanks for the interesting article. I did note the average hat size for 1929...7-1/8. So much for the tiny cranium theory.

That is TINY!!!

 

[Feraud]

7 1/8th. is a classic vintage size.

 

[zetwal]

Yea! it is interesting. Thanks for sharing.

 

[mayserwegener]

That is TINY!!!

Based on how most people wore hats back then I would say that it would be equal to 7 1/4 today (based on most wearing the hat down).

 

[ScionPI2005]

Cool. Thanks for sharing! To go from making $25 a year in learning your trade, to $10 a week, what a radical difference!

 

[Undertow]

Great article, thanks!

 

[Joshbru3]

I think its interesting to note that the article made mention that the style for that season in straw hats was a short brim with a bell shaped crown. It was probably the same for felt hats that year. The brim size was most likely a 2 inch or 2 1/8 inch, but it just reinforces the idea that the 1960's stingys were not a new idea for the 60's, they were a reinvention of an old style.

 

[tonyb]

About 1/2 a hat per capita per annum. In 1929, but some months before the crash, so a common person is likely a lot looser with his bucks than he will be in the coming years.

U.S. population -- about 122 million.

Assuming that "per capita" rate factors in the entire population, and not just adult males, that's about 61 million hats a year.

 

[Dinerman]

I think its interesting to note that the article made mention that the style for that season in straw hats was a short brim with a bell shaped crown. It was probably the same for felt hats that year. The brim size was most likely a 2 inch or 2 1/8 inch, but it just reinforces the idea that the 1960's stingys were not a new idea for the 60's, they were a reinvention of an old style.

That straw would probably have been a boater.

Short brims were around in the '30s, but the flange was different than it was in the '60s, as was the crown height and taper. No way to mistake one for the other.

 

[rlk]

That straw would probably have been a boater.

Short brims were around in the '30s, but the flange was different than it was in the '60s, as was the crown height and taper. No way to mistake one for the other.

Thats stretching a generalization a bit too far. Straws and Tyroleans would be mostly indistinguishable from late 50's-60's if you couldn't turn the hat over or see the rest of the clothing. The 1930 jobber Catalog(NYC) has a majority of hats without particularly straight-sided or overly tall crowns. The up brim was also an attempted trend of the end of the 50's-earliest 60's(Homburg, Derby and back-bow tried too). It was definitely a reprise in the typical cyclical nature of fashions and arts. Obviously there are variations and occasional distinctions but the similarity is quite strong.