northseastar
New in Town
- Messages
- 3
Hi there - I have been perusing (not quite the correct usage of that word) this "Lounge" for a few weeks, gleaning information on various things of interest to me, and generally enjoying the knowledge and enthusiasm shared of fine quality things.
I decided to post a little story here of my recent hat purchase. I have long been somewhat perplexed at the decline of hat wearing in this culture, and that it never seems to come back into widespread fashion; especially given the undeniable protection hats offer from solar radiation and cold. Hats are also among the coolest looking things you can adorn yourself with, in my opinion.
Of course, I'm not referring here to the homogenious looking baseball cap especially ubiquitous among younger men. You see, I decided a while back that the protection of a hat had become critical for me (having already had an instance of basal cell on my forehead), and felt that at 31, I was a bit mature for a baseball cap. I had worn Ivy type caps from time to time in the past, and kinda felt like anything fancier (i.e. a fedora) would be a bit too weirdly conspicuous for my personal taste. More recently, however, I decided that there is nothing wrong with a traditional hat, and lots of things right, and, I am old enough to be a little bolder in my look.
Being quite an enthusiast of quality, and especially of the 'old world' calibre, I became excited about procuring a fine beaver felt fedora, custom fit to feel and look superlative. Now, I'll admit here that I am impatient once I get my mind set on getting something. Even given the lack in polularity of hats, I found it rather strange that my 'googling' came up with so few possibilities for custom hatters (and especially in my home state of New York - with its hat history!). I finally came across and decided on a Master Hatter by the name of Gary White. I should mention, that I actually tried Dave Brown Hats first, going so far as to fill out his online information form, and call him when that went without response for several days. I had a pleasant enough conversation with Mr. Brown, and expressed my strong interest in buying a hat in a particular style from him. He told me that someone would call within a couple of weeks to work out the order, and I never heard from him again. I even emailed him again to remind him of my interest in doing business with him, but, who knows what happened there. Anyway, I called Mr. White, proprietor of The Cutom Hatter in Buffalo, NY, and was very encouraged by his warmth and seeming professionalism. My interest peaked, I did something that perhaps only a few who are similarly nutty about certain things would do - I drove twelve and a half hours from my home in Poughkeepsie, NY to Buffalo and back, in one day in July, through a driving rainstorm, to be properly fitted for a good felt fedora. I feel to this day that the trip was truly worthwhile. Meeting Mr. White was a real pleasure... his cordiality was really extraordinary, and he was incredibly generous in explaining his craft and product, and showing his tools and process. I estimate I had his undivided attention for nearly two hours, and he expressed great appreciation for my having made the effort to come to his shop.
Admittedly, I had no, and still have comparatively little knowledge of and experience with traditional hats (though I have been looking through a book of interviews with former hatters that Mr. White gifted me with). I received my hat, well packaged in its own special box, about seven weeks after my visit, and am still getting acquainted with it. It is a charcoal grey fedora, with about a 1.25 inch brim and a charcoal grey gro grain. As I am small of stature, Mr. White aptly estimated a shorter crown and small brim. The hat fits quite well - among the measurments taken in the shop was a 'mapping' of the irregularities particular to my head, done with a truly vintage tool - and the quality of construction seems very nice to me.
So, in conclusion to this overly-long statement, I just wanted to relate my positive experience with a rare sort of businessman, and would certainly be interested to hear any feedback from others...
I decided to post a little story here of my recent hat purchase. I have long been somewhat perplexed at the decline of hat wearing in this culture, and that it never seems to come back into widespread fashion; especially given the undeniable protection hats offer from solar radiation and cold. Hats are also among the coolest looking things you can adorn yourself with, in my opinion.
Of course, I'm not referring here to the homogenious looking baseball cap especially ubiquitous among younger men. You see, I decided a while back that the protection of a hat had become critical for me (having already had an instance of basal cell on my forehead), and felt that at 31, I was a bit mature for a baseball cap. I had worn Ivy type caps from time to time in the past, and kinda felt like anything fancier (i.e. a fedora) would be a bit too weirdly conspicuous for my personal taste. More recently, however, I decided that there is nothing wrong with a traditional hat, and lots of things right, and, I am old enough to be a little bolder in my look.
Being quite an enthusiast of quality, and especially of the 'old world' calibre, I became excited about procuring a fine beaver felt fedora, custom fit to feel and look superlative. Now, I'll admit here that I am impatient once I get my mind set on getting something. Even given the lack in polularity of hats, I found it rather strange that my 'googling' came up with so few possibilities for custom hatters (and especially in my home state of New York - with its hat history!). I finally came across and decided on a Master Hatter by the name of Gary White. I should mention, that I actually tried Dave Brown Hats first, going so far as to fill out his online information form, and call him when that went without response for several days. I had a pleasant enough conversation with Mr. Brown, and expressed my strong interest in buying a hat in a particular style from him. He told me that someone would call within a couple of weeks to work out the order, and I never heard from him again. I even emailed him again to remind him of my interest in doing business with him, but, who knows what happened there. Anyway, I called Mr. White, proprietor of The Cutom Hatter in Buffalo, NY, and was very encouraged by his warmth and seeming professionalism. My interest peaked, I did something that perhaps only a few who are similarly nutty about certain things would do - I drove twelve and a half hours from my home in Poughkeepsie, NY to Buffalo and back, in one day in July, through a driving rainstorm, to be properly fitted for a good felt fedora. I feel to this day that the trip was truly worthwhile. Meeting Mr. White was a real pleasure... his cordiality was really extraordinary, and he was incredibly generous in explaining his craft and product, and showing his tools and process. I estimate I had his undivided attention for nearly two hours, and he expressed great appreciation for my having made the effort to come to his shop.
Admittedly, I had no, and still have comparatively little knowledge of and experience with traditional hats (though I have been looking through a book of interviews with former hatters that Mr. White gifted me with). I received my hat, well packaged in its own special box, about seven weeks after my visit, and am still getting acquainted with it. It is a charcoal grey fedora, with about a 1.25 inch brim and a charcoal grey gro grain. As I am small of stature, Mr. White aptly estimated a shorter crown and small brim. The hat fits quite well - among the measurments taken in the shop was a 'mapping' of the irregularities particular to my head, done with a truly vintage tool - and the quality of construction seems very nice to me.
So, in conclusion to this overly-long statement, I just wanted to relate my positive experience with a rare sort of businessman, and would certainly be interested to hear any feedback from others...
