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Mustang Mike's Hats

A-List Customer
Messages
399
Location
Southern California
If you browse the internet, you may find one or two charts that help as well. Also, it is a bit different if you're wearing a fedora or a Western hat.

I have an oblong shaped face and most of my Western hats are 3 1/2 to 4" brims with a low to medium finished crown height that's slightly pinched and creased (think cattleman crease) and slight upturn to the brim on the side and slight front and back drop. I also wear a California Vaquero style, when I'm out with the horses. My best look in a fedora is a stingy snap brim with a pinched crown. Three totally different looks for each genre of hat.
 

Rmccamey

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,874
Location
Central Texas
Yes, I agree that that hat does not seem to fit you. If you are used to a 3 1/2 brim, then gauge from there whether you want larger or smaller. Many traditional fedora's will have 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 brims and you can find many western hats with 4 to 5 inch brims. Personally, I think you might look good in an Open Road (usually a 2 3/4 to 3 inch brim) or one of the Akubra outback style hats with a 3 to 4 inch brim dropped in the front and back. (I'm not familiar with the Akubra models, so other Loungers can jump in here.)

Hi Mike. Useful input and that's why I asked. I am probably going to have to mail order a hat and need to know at least what won't work. I do a spend a lot of time outdoors mainly fly fishing and hiking and for that I usually wear my 3.5" brim Tilley LTM2 which I find works well. I need to poke around and look for hat along the lines of what you are talking about. Hopefully others here will chime in with their suggestions.
 

Streak

New in Town
Messages
45
Location
San Diego
I'm not fixed on Akubra it was just a less expensive way to get into a decent quality fur/felt hat.
I see there is the Cattleman and Coober Pedy which both have smaller brims that could work. Problem is that nobody stocks them around here. I would perhaps need to order a couple from the USA distributor and use their 90 day return policy.
 
Messages
19,001
Location
Central California
I'm not fixed on Akubra it was just a less expensive way to get into a decent quality fur/felt hat.
I see there is the Cattleman and Coober Pedy which both have smaller brims that could work. Problem is that nobody stocks them around here. I would perhaps need to order a couple from the USA distributor and use their 90 day return policy.

Hello, Streak. First, I don’t own any of the hats you’ve mentioned so I can’t give specific advice on those models.

To me, a hat can be primarily functional, primarily a fashion accessory, or a mix of the two. Since you care how you look in it I’ll guess you’re in the “mix” category. Unless you need the extra brim width for maximum sun protection, I’d look for something with a brim of 3-3.5 inches. Such hats still offer a lot of shade.

2 7/8”
861531724d95fdea8d77c7902faaa604.jpg


02d6403a687479b6dc57a582698fe170.jpg


3”
0d978aaa965dabef1b77d6b85a65688b.jpg


aaf81fc30c6df1316c819ac27fb286a5.jpg


3 1/4”
88609d1055343e5c9a1f39a38570f733.jpg


c9a1ed801feefbba7eee084d15e60d86.jpg


3 1/2”
2e0a7a7c12436961995755583b8d4394.jpg


72a94590023401be03f9115b0c466ef6.jpg


For me personally, brims over 3 1/2” look more cowboy and that’s just my look.

How you shape the crown and brim as well as how you wear the hat on your head (positioning) all make big differences. You can induce or reduce taper with your crease and the brim shape is also easily modified.

If you don’t like how a hat looks on you then you have your answer. Your tastes and style can change, but you have to at least like how you look in it from the start or you won’t wear it. Buying sight unseen is tough. If those Akubra models are what you’re interested in, spend a few days going through the Akubra Overload thread etc. and see how they look on others...have you considered the Squatter?

If you like the big cowboy/western look then disregard my advice because that’s not anything I know about.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 

Streak

New in Town
Messages
45
Location
San Diego
Thanks for your input. I don't really care how I look but my wife does! Also as Mike said "There's nothing worse than a great hat on the wrong head" so if it really does not my head I need to take that into account. Sun protection is important for me and I live in SoCal where we have lots of it! Having said that 3.5 to 3.75" brim should be fine. I will spend some time on the Akubra thread.
 

Kinsho

New in Town
Messages
10
Akubra Fed IV colours ?

Ok guys, I'm serious about getting one ordered as soon as the new year passes and I get shipping without holidays getting involved.

So, I'm looking at a moonstone, maybe even a deluxe moonstone, though I'm not nailed down on colour.

Where I'm having an issue regards hats direct is, the black looks dark brown, even dark loden on my monitor, even on my iphone.

So, this said, to anyone who has purchased said article, how close are the colours and, is the black, actually black ?

I quite like the moonstone as it appears online and am hoping all the photo's aren't just lighter than real life.

I appreciate all screens are different, but our eyes are generally much better.
 

Just A Hat Rack

Practically Family
Messages
619
Location
Buckeye Nation
Akubra Fed IV colours ?

Ok guys, I'm serious about getting one ordered as soon as the new year passes and I get shipping without holidays getting involved.

So, I'm looking at a moonstone, maybe even a deluxe moonstone, though I'm not nailed down on colour.

Where I'm having an issue regards hats direct is, the black looks dark brown, even dark loden on my monitor, even on my iphone.

So, this said, to anyone who has purchased said article, how close are the colours and, is the black, actually black ?

I quite like the moonstone as it appears online and am hoping all the photo's aren't just lighter than real life.

I appreciate all screens are different, but our eyes are generally much better.
I don't own any Fed IV's, so I can't attest to the colors. There are many who do, so I'm sure some photos may be on their way. In the meantime, there are a few dedicated threads to Akubra, and a couple more dedicated solely to the Fed IV, all plentiful with pictures in the wild. It may take a minute or two of scrolling to find the threads, but it's well worth your while.
 

Just A Hat Rack

Practically Family
Messages
619
Location
Buckeye Nation
Akubra Fed IV colours ?

Ok guys, I'm serious about getting one ordered as soon as the new year passes and I get shipping without holidays getting involved.

So, I'm looking at a moonstone, maybe even a deluxe moonstone, though I'm not nailed down on colour.

Where I'm having an issue regards hats direct is, the black looks dark brown, even dark loden on my monitor, even on my iphone.

So, this said, to anyone who has purchased said article, how close are the colours and, is the black, actually black ?

I quite like the moonstone as it appears online and am hoping all the photo's aren't just lighter than real life.

I appreciate all screens are different, but our eyes are generally much better.
Here is one of the Fed IV links. It's the one most recently accessed. I don't recall any black hats being discussed, but there are plenty of other colors represented.

https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?ur...&share_tid=37835&share_fid=65109&share_type=t
 
Messages
12,018
Location
East of Los Angeles
Akubra Fed IV colours ?

Ok guys, I'm serious about getting one ordered as soon as the new year passes and I get shipping without holidays getting involved.

So, I'm looking at a moonstone, maybe even a deluxe moonstone, though I'm not nailed down on colour.

Where I'm having an issue regards hats direct is, the black looks dark brown, even dark loden on my monitor, even on my iphone.

So, this said, to anyone who has purchased said article, how close are the colours and, is the black, actually black ?

I quite like the moonstone as it appears online and am hoping all the photo's aren't just lighter than real life.

I appreciate all screens are different, but our eyes are generally much better.
I'm pretty sure that whoever takes the photos for Hats Direct/The Hattery does a small amount of photo manipulation to show off their hats at their best, but the end result is that the representations of the colors are usually of the "close, but not quite" variety. On that note, here are a couple of photos of my Moonstone Fed IV (deluxe/Heritage Grade) on a sunny day:

svTHxiJ.jpg


And just for the sake of comparison, here's the same hat with my Tawny Fawn and Dark Brown Fed IVs:

FocbUgW.jpg


On my monitor these are a slightly better representation of the color than the photos on Hats Direct's/The Hattery's website. I consider it to be a mid-gray--not too dark, not too light. Certain lighting brings out a hint of a blueish hue, but it's definitely a gray hat.

I can't help with the black Fed IV because I've never owned one or seen one in person, but on my monitor I see no hint of brown in their photos; it looks like a black hat photographed under bright lights.
 

Kinsho

New in Town
Messages
10
I'm pretty sure that whoever takes the photos for Hats Direct/The Hattery does a small amount of photo manipulation to show off their hats at their best, but the end result is that the representations of the colors are usually of the "close, but not quite" variety. On that note, here are a couple of photos of my Moonstone Fed IV (deluxe/Heritage Grade) on a sunny day:

svTHxiJ.jpg


And just for the sake of comparison, here's the same hat with my Tawny Fawn and Dark Brown Fed IVs:

FocbUgW.jpg


On my monitor these are a slightly better representation of the color than the photos on Hats Direct's/The Hattery's website. I consider it to be a mid-gray--not too dark, not too light. Certain lighting brings out a hint of a blueish hue, but it's definitely a gray hat.

I can't help with the black Fed IV because I've never owned one or seen one in person, but on my monitor I see no hint of brown in their photos; it looks like a black hat photographed under bright lights.

Seeing them together really helps. Many thanks.
Yea, on my monitor, the black image looks dark chocolate, hence my concern all the others may be darker etc.
 
Messages
19,001
Location
Central California
Akubra Fed IV colours ?

Ok guys, I'm serious about getting one ordered as soon as the new year passes and I get shipping without holidays getting involved.

So, I'm looking at a moonstone, maybe even a deluxe moonstone, though I'm not nailed down on colour.

Where I'm having an issue regards hats direct is, the black looks dark brown, even dark loden on my monitor, even on my iphone.

So, this said, to anyone who has purchased said article, how close are the colours and, is the black, actually black ?

I quite like the moonstone as it appears online and am hoping all the photo's aren't just lighter than real life.

I appreciate all screens are different, but our eyes are generally much better.


The others gave you good advice. I own one of the original Federations (not the IV) in black and it is definitely a true black. I’ve also looked at other black Akubras in person and they have all looked back to me.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
Messages
12,018
Location
East of Los Angeles
Nice chapeaus there Monsier! They display well!!! Honestly, I never took much of a close look at Acruba's. I have a new found respect.
Thank you. I'd like to take full credit, but Akubra made them; I only formed them into a shape that was pleasing to me. :D I'd have to say the Fed IV is my favorite Akubra, but the Campdraft runs a close second.

Seeing them together really helps. Many thanks.
Yea, on my monitor, the black image looks dark chocolate, hence my concern all the others may be darker etc.
You're welcome. Just in case you haven't figured it out yet, almost all of us here are enablers in some way. ;)

I don't know that I'd say the colors are darker, but I'd definitely say they're at least slightly different than what they appear to be in Akubra's promotional photos. Or almost any photos, for that matter. Some of that can be attributed to various monitor settings, but in my experience it's difficult to photograph the color(s) of fur felt accurately unless you have a good deal of experience doing so or are an expert at photo manipulation. The true color of every hat I've purchased online has been at least a bit of a surprise regardless of how much research I did before ordering. *shrug*
 
Messages
19,001
Location
Central California
Hello, Streak. First, I don’t own any of the hats you’ve mentioned so I can’t give specific advice on those models.

To me, a hat can be primarily functional, primarily a fashion accessory, or a mix of the two. Since you care how you look in it I’ll guess you’re in the “mix” category. Unless you need the extra brim width for maximum sun protection, I’d look for something with a brim of 3-3.5 inches. Such hats still offer a lot of shade.

2 7/8”
861531724d95fdea8d77c7902faaa604.jpg


02d6403a687479b6dc57a582698fe170.jpg


3”
0d978aaa965dabef1b77d6b85a65688b.jpg


aaf81fc30c6df1316c819ac27fb286a5.jpg


3 1/4”
88609d1055343e5c9a1f39a38570f733.jpg


c9a1ed801feefbba7eee084d15e60d86.jpg


3 1/2”
2e0a7a7c12436961995755583b8d4394.jpg


72a94590023401be03f9115b0c466ef6.jpg


For me personally, brims over 3 1/2” look more cowboy and that’s just not my look.

How you shape the crown and brim as well as how you wear the hat on your head (positioning) all make big differences. You can induce or reduce taper with your crease and the brim shape is also easily modified.

If you don’t like how a hat looks on you then you have your answer. Your tastes and style can change, but you have to at least like how you look in it from the start or you won’t wear it. Buying sight unseen is tough. If those Akubra models are what you’re interested in, spend a few days going through the Akubra Overload thread etc. and see how they look on others...have you considered the Squatter?

If you like the big cowboy/western look then disregard my advice because that’s not anything I know about.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
Messages
10,858
Location
vancouver, canada
Akubra Fed IV colours ?

Ok guys, I'm serious about getting one ordered as soon as the new year passes and I get shipping without holidays getting involved.

So, I'm looking at a moonstone, maybe even a deluxe moonstone, though I'm not nailed down on colour.

Where I'm having an issue regards hats direct is, the black looks dark brown, even dark loden on my monitor, even on my iphone.

So, this said, to anyone who has purchased said article, how close are the colours and, is the black, actually black ?

I quite like the moonstone as it appears online and am hoping all the photo's aren't just lighter than real life.

I appreciate all screens are different, but our eyes are generally much better.
I have been eyeing a Moonstone Adventurer in my local hat shop and can say in person it is a light grey and to my eye has decided blue tones to it. But def would place it in the light grey category. On the shelf all the Akubra black hats are definitely a true black but have not seen a Fed in black.
 
Messages
19,001
Location
Central California
I have been eyeing a Moonstone Adventurer in my local hat shop and can say in person it is a light grey and to my eye has decided blue tones to it. But def would place it in the light grey category. On the shelf all the Akubra black hats are definitely a true black but have not seen a Fed in black.

@Kinsho this is a black Federation (not the Fed IV) and it is definitely a true black:

8bf838600bdb1e77ec8e33885ea741df.jpg


cb5c8c36dc5c68cae6b17ebac2f06120.jpg


644372ac058cb5deb645b2641427eafa.jpg



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 

2jakes

I'll Lock Up
Messages
9,680
Location
Alamo Heights ☀️ Texas
So, my Fed IV D/L turned up.
I'm not sure about the Heritage Fawn part but fits fine and I quite like the shade. But in the hand it's more a green/blue than a brown as can be seen here.
View attachment 153879
And with my loden lawson alongside...
View attachment 153880
Green/blue will give you a nice youthful
overall stance which can be worn anywhere (Imo)
 

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