Just began the Art Fawcett process!

[Art Fawcett]

As tall as a tophat, or as tall as the hatmaking system allows while striving for that goal whilst still offering a porkpie bash and homburg brim.

Boy, did we come away with different mental pictures during the email process Pompidou. I'm having trouble envisioning this hat. When you said a "tall" pork pie I'm wasn't thinking topper but rather something maybe 4 1/2" tall instead of 4" tall. Let's talk!!

Actually, this is something I've been curious about. All the pictures I've seen here of the conformer, people have been sizing it straight across their brow. But if we wear hats at a tilt, it would seem that for a "perfect" custom fit, the conformer should also be placed at the same tilt, no?

Actually Wildblue, I ask that the device be placed level on your head when measuring. Afterward, if you want to tilt it, it should be fine. If you tilt it during measuring, that's the ONLY way it will fit. I've gotten a few back because of this very reason.

 

[Matt Deckard]

Do these tilted conformer hats tend to come out as long ovals?

I still need to see some gray swatches of yours for making a good old tall crown short brim fedora. I have a black hat I want to copy in gray.

 

[rlk]

Boy, did we come away with different mental pictures during the email process Pompidou. I'm having trouble envisioning this hat. When you said a "tall" pork pie I'm wasn't thinking topper but rather something maybe 4 1/2" tall instead of 4" tall. Let's talk!!

It seems that Top Hats and Porkpies are at opposite ends of crown design. The Porkpie or telescope is designed to bring the top down to your head with minimal space, hence the recessed rounded contour. On the other hand the flat-top Top Hat is designed to lift the top and create a space and upward sweep. While from a purely sculptural view you could create a hybrid, along with the oddity, the Porkpie shape would be elevated to invisibility. Additionally, the porkpie shape requires a soft flexible felt while the sides of a top hat require extra rigidity. I suspect the creature would appear like a pregnant top hat if you were tall enough to see it.

 

[Art Fawcett]

Do these tilted conformer hats tend to come out as long ovals?

They tend to be small Matt. Haven't noticed long oval or not.

You're right Robert, two very different hats. I hope I can come up with a good solution without being "Alice in Wonderland", since I can't go there.))

 

[Blackthorn]

They tend to be small Matt. Haven't noticed long oval or not.

You're right Robert, two very different hats. I hope I can come up with a good solution without being "Alice in Wonderland", since I can't go there.))

Art, your signature quote seems very appropriate today.

 

[Aureliano]

Art, your signature quote seems very appropriate today.

No kidding! and I thought I gave Art the hardest time ever!

 

[rlk]

What to avoid?...

A vast selection: http://www.costumeandpropshop.com/section6/dept/Hats/Top Hats.html

But seriously, a very tall derby seems to be the closest, such as seen in this 1904 photo:
http://www.shorpy.com/node/8294?size=_original
Some are taller than the period toppers.

 

[Art Fawcett]

No kidding! and I thought I gave Art the hardest time ever!

Ya know Aureliano, the more I think about this hat the more I'm seeing one in my head. ( I think in pictures) although, it doesn't have a real tall crown it DOES have the western saddle effect and pencil curled brim. I think we can make this one pretty cool in a western/hip-hop sorta way..
What if we take the above pic, cut the crown to 4 1/2-5" tall, crease it to a porkpie, tall ribbon with BIG feather? yes, I'm being serious..

 

[Pompidou]

Sounds good to me. We can talk, though. Like I said when I first called, I, in no way, understand the hat making process so don't worry if you have to make amendments for the sake of physics/reality/etc. A tall porkpie with either a pencil curled or homburg looking brim would be fine and dandy. Porkpies are my favorite looking hat. I wear one and everyone calls me a magician. However, if I wear it down to my eyebrow my giant egg of a head pops the crease out - like there was too much yeast in the porkpie recipe. Breadloaf hats aren't half as cool looking. Even adding a modest increase in crown height would be great in a utilitarian sense.

 

[Aureliano]

What if we take the above pic, cut the crown to 4 1/2-5" tall, crease it to a porkpie, tall ribbon with BIG feather? yes, I'm being serious..

Sounds like you nailed it, Art!

I was going to suggest stovepipe with telescope crease.[huh] Can't wait to see what you make!
I also think in pictures when I paint...

 

[Pompidou]

So I got back in touch with Art today, and we had a good chat where we closed the gap on how we mentally conceive words. I'm happy. We are going with the western influenced tallish porkpie with a big feather concept somewhat like parts of the joke-hat Aureliano posted, like Art was talking about in his last post. The result should satisfy his integrity and my originality. I'm excited. I still think oxblood will be my color of choice, but I won't know for sure till I get the samples. My only concern with color is making sure I have enough clothes that match.

When I got my whippet and porkpie, I had to pay four times as much for outfits that I can wear them with. One set for my black hat/shoes/belt and corresponding outfits, and one set for my brown. In a perfect world the hat color of choice will work with both. If it works with black and brown, I've got a hat that works with every conceivable outfit I can put together in the future. All my clothes are buttoned business casual type affairs and the occasional polo shirt.

 

[rlk]

Poker Hats

 

[Lefty]

we can make this one pretty cool in a western/hip-hop sorta way..

Now this should be different.

My first thought upon reading western/hip-hop:

 

[daizawaguy]

I still think oxblood will be my color of choice, but I won't know for sure till I get the samples. My only concern with color is making sure I have enough clothes that match.

Know what you mean on this one, Sir.

The other thing you want to be sure is whether you want a dark or light color.

I can tell you that the new sunset color goes well with browns and blacks - usually there are very few colors that will do that...

But as in my opinion the dark maroon ribbon that Art uses goes as well with any color, perhaps the oxblood is that sort of color...

But, , you`re not only thinking of making only one lol lol hat then are you...

 

[Pompidou]

But, , you`re not only thinking of making only one lol lol hat then are you...

Nah, this won't be my last hat. That said, hats won't be my priority for a while after I get it. You see, I have only one suit, and it's old, and doesn't really fit right. I need suits. I like to think a brown, black and ????? hat will cover all my bases in the mean time. Once I get enough suits to wear every work day, and I'm thinking by that, two blacks, two browns, a grey, a white and a navy blue, I'll go back to new hats. I'll probably never buy a prefab hat again. I like the custom process much better.

 

[fluteplayer07]

Almost as good as HPG's pride and joy...




Ya know, the more I look at those two, the more I think that you and Gene go on the same dumpster diving... *Ahem* I mean... rescue missions.

 

[rlk]

Porkpie/Homburg

1936:

1956:

A low crown version, but it was Frank Lloyd Wright's style of choice for decades.

 

[Pompidou]

Got my conformer in the mail today, and sized my melon. I'll mail it back either tomorrow or Thursday. After seeing the felts with the naked eye, I'm strongly leaning towards Cabernet - it's a brighter red than what I thought Oxblood would be. If the brim is going to be anything at all like a Homburg, whatever that style of brim is called with the especially bulky edge, the second color will have to compliment the Cabaret and still go with both black and brown. This is a lot of fun so far. I don't know if Art has ideas in mind, but I wouldn't be surprised if both the brim and the ribbon were a shade of red as well. We'll see where reality takes us, because reality's not my strong suit.

EDIT: After looking at the VS website, I think a straight-up Cabernet will be perfect. I like the Cabernet ribbon on the Peach Melba hat, and seeing the Cabernet felt live in the Frankie hat seems like a winning combo. I asked my mother for advice on colors that match black, brown and navy blue, and she said Cabernet without thinking. Works out well for me, because it was the color my eyes gravitated to. Usually, when I think something looks really cool, it's really a bad idea. I lucked out this time.

EDIT 2: Anyone know in what way hat colors tend to change? In other words, years down the line, am I looking at a pink hat in my future? I haven't owned a fedora for more than a year, so wear and tear and colors over time aren't something I'm experienced with. The answer won't change my decision. I'm just curious.

 

[Andykev]

Conformer

Art, dump the conformer.

Send each customer a 5 pound keg of Play-Doh and they can mold their head to the exact shape. lol lol lol

The conformer has to be very level and the diameter/oval of the hat will be appropriate for the customer. Tilting does cause inaccurate measurements.

Now, I DO have an original conformer, the wooden one...collecting dust...

 

[Pry]

I'm totally imagining "The Man in the Yellow Hat" with a stingy brim.