New to hats, would like some advice

[Historyteach24]

Yes it does help and thank you! I honestly didn't know prices ranged this high when I first started looking. I know 100 isn't bad but like i said my first two hats have been in the 50 range. I am interested though in going for something along the lines of what you have suggested. I think everyone has been spot on about my face shape and that I could pull off a little more hat! Like one poster said though it is hard to kind of take that first step out into the world wearing a bigger fedora. I have already had to explain to many of my students and fellow teachers that fedoras are not for pimps! I explain that when you wear a dress outfit you wear a dress hat for cripes sakes! Again thanks for all the help and keep posting those suggestions because a noob like myself can always use more inspiration!

 

[jlee562]

Prices for custom hats can go well over $600!

I will say though, having a well made hat is worth the money, certainly. I have an Akubra Federation IV, and its my umbrella substitute.

 

[Historyteach24]

I understand that with like anything else you have to pay for quality. I just can't afford to pay for the high end stuff with a wife and a child on the way on a teacher's salary. I guess the point is when I can spend a little extra cash that I get all the hat I can for the money.

 

[Historyteach24]

Daniel I just checked out the Akubra styles on those websites and I do like the look of some of those hats. I really think the Bogart style would look nice on my noggin, thoughts?

 

[jlee562]

I understand that with like anything else you have to pay for quality. I just can't afford to pay for the high end stuff with a wife and a child on the way on a teacher's salary. I guess the point is when I can spend a little extra cash that I get all the hat I can for the money.

Oh, I'm a grad student, I can relate on the financial situation, believe me! I pinched pennies for quite a while to order a custom made hat. I've had good luck with vintage hats on ebay. I picked up two 60's Resistols for less than $20 each and they're great lids. And there are some nice hats in that $20-$80 range all the time.

 

[Neophyte]

Daniel I just checked out the Akubra styles on those websites and I do like the look of some of those hats. I really think the Bogart style would look nice on my noggin, thoughts?

Sure. The Bogie is a sweet hat. I think one of our Australian members, James71, posted a pic of his somewhere. I think it was in a thread called "The Black Hat Brigade." I believe the main differences in the Stylemaster and Bogart are the crease and color. The Bogie has a center dent, Stylemaster has a teardrop. Either one ought to suit you just fine.

You need to find out somehow if you're a what kind of oval you are: regular, long or wide. Several of my Akubras no longer touch my head because they are uncomfortable to wear. They are all my size, but since I'm a long oval, some hats just don't fit me well.

EDIT: Nevermind. For some reason it was in the Akubra Campdraft thread. Here's the pic of him rockin' out with the Bogie:

 

[DanielJones]

I fully understand the budgetary thing Teach. You can only purchase what you can afford. And Neo is right, find out what kind of oval your head is before diving into another hat. Nothing like buying a hat you cannot wear because it doesn't fit correctly. Another idea is to find a local western store and try on some of their higher end cowboy hats. They should have a variety of oval shapes in stock that you can at least try on to get your fit and shape right. You don't have to buy a hat from them and it'll help in your sizing range so you don't have to guess on line.

Shape of the hat I can see either the Bogart or the Stylemaster on you. They are very similar.

To be honest, $108 for a hat is not all that much these days. And I think jlee mentioned that he got some good deals for vintage hats. If you have a little time and patience you can score some decent deals on vintage fedoras in your range. Finding one for under $100 is not uncommon. Plus with a vintage hat depending on the quality, they hold up better than most modern production hats. A good custom hat can be had for around $300, and it will last a life time, it's just that initial sting of the price tag that gets you at first. So, keep your eye open on ebay and your local antique malls, you may be surprised at what kind of deal you can stumble upon. If you want new, there are several other retailers other than the examples that I posted. Shop around be patient and you will score a great deal for your self. I know that my first vintage lid that I purchased was only $10 and the other hat on the sellers site that I was watching as well went for around $90. They weren't all that different in style, but the other one was wanted more. It all depends.

Good luck out there!

Cheers!

Dan

 

[Historyteach24]

Ok guys I love the pic of that bogie! I hate to sound completely lost but I don't understand the shape thing. Would a person at a hat store be able to tell me my face shape and be able to show me hats that fit that shape? Because quite honestly I was just thrown for a loop

 

[Neophyte]

Ok guys I love the pic of that bogie! I hate to sound completely lost but I don't understand the shape thing. Would a person at a hat store be able to tell me my face shape and be able to show me hats that fit that shape? Because quite honestly I was just thrown for a loop

I'll search for a relevant thread with a more concrete definition. In the meantime, since I was just looking at this video, and because it is relevant to your question, I will post it. It deals with ovality, defines it, and show you what you can do:

[video=youtube;JFqy5N1WfK4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFqy5N1WfK4[/video]

 

[DanielJones]

We're talking about a fuller face shape as opposed to a thin face. So, basically someone like yourself with fuller features or a strong jawline will look like you are wearing a broader hat whereas the man with a thin face ormaybe a weaker jawline may look as though the hat is wearing them. Too much hat for the head and shoulders.
You have fairly stronger facial features but not too much so. This way you can get away with the stingy hat, as long as it is drawn down low, and the wider brim and taller crown.
For me I have a fuller face but the top of my head (from the eyebrows to the crown of the skull) is too tall to effectively wear a stingy hat. it rides up too high on me and looks like an afterthought.
Now, if you are talking about the shape bein in the oval then you have a different issue. The oval is the shape of your skull if you look down from the top. Some folks are a standard oval, then you have a long oval which if you wear a regular oval hat in your size, you will be a tad tight front to back with huge gaps on the sides of your head. Then there is a round oval, basically the head is a circle.

If any of that makes any sense.

Cheers!

Dan

 

[Neophyte]

We're talking about a fuller face shape as opposed to a thin face. So, basically someone like yourself with fuller features or a strong jawline will look like you are wearing a broader hat whereas the man with a thin face ormaybe a weaker jawline may look as though the hat is wearing them. Too much hat for the head and shoulders.
You have fairly stronger facial features but not too much so. This way you can get away with the stingy hat, as long as it is drawn down low, and the wider brim and taller crown.
For me I have a fuller face but the top of my head (from the eyebrows to the crown of the skull) is too tall to effectively wear a stingy hat. it rides up too high on me and looks like an afterthought.

If any of that makes any sense.

Cheers!

Dan

Is 'Teach asking about facial shape or head shape? I'm confused myself lol.

 

[DanielJones]

Did an edit to address that issue.

Cheers!

Dan

 

[Historyteach24]

Well I was confused about the whole thing! I understand the facial features part of it. Let me make sure. From my photos you can tell that yes I look fine with my shorter brimmed stingy fedora in my pictures but I would look just as good with "more hat" so to speak. Go from my 3 1/2 crown to maybe a 4 and get a larger brim. Now after watching the video I have found out that I need to know how my skull measures up so I don't have a mis-fitting hat. About sum it up?

 

[DanielJones]

That about sums it up in a nutshell.:bounce:

Cheers!

Dan

 

[Historyteach24]

I tell ya quite honestly this is all a little overwhelming lol. I am surfing on ebay and other sites and it can be daunting finding a hat that fits all the criteria!

 

[Neophyte]

Well I was confused about the whole thing! I understand the facial features part of it. Let me make sure. From my photos you can tell that yes I look fine with my shorter brimmed stingy fedora in my pictures but I would look just as good with "more hat" so to speak. Go from my 3 1/2 crown to maybe a 4 and get a larger brim. Now after watching the video I have found out that I need to know how my skull measures up so I don't have a mis-fitting hat. About sum it up?

Yes. There is a range of ratios of length against width of your head that determines your ovality. It would be difficult for someone to measure this without help from and expert, I'd imagine. The Bogart ought to suit your facial shape just fine. The problem arises when you find out that not all hats have the same "ovality" or "roundness" in the crown.

Keep in mind that you can stretch a hat like in the video pretty easily to turn it into a different kind oval. Also, as was stated in the video, you can send a hat to a hatter to have it reblocked into different oval shapes.

I wouldn't worry too much. As long as the hat is your size, it can be salvaged. Judging by your pics in your hats, though, I suspect you may be a regular oval. In that case, you're sitting in the catbird seat!

 

[Historyteach24]

Thanks neo and Dan the help is very much appreciated.

 

[DanielJones]

No problem Teach! Always happy to be of some help.

Cheers!

Dan

 

[Historyteach24]

Ok I was wondering the opinion of scala brand hats I found a really nice hat that has intrigued me

 

[Historyteach24]

This is fur felt so it would be an upgrade obviously on my current collection but at the same time it is do-able and wont break the bank