fiddletown
New in Town
- Messages
- 48
- Location
- California - S. F. Bay Area
Graham Thompson from Optimo Hats in Chicago has been holding a trunk show in the area. I had an appointment with him yesterday and wound up ordering some hats.
I was impressed by the apparent quality and fine hand of his samples. I final picked three colors for fedoras. Then chose ribbons (color, width and bow style) and other design details.
He could basically do pretty much whatever I liked. I prefer a tear drop or diamond crease. Also, I like a wide brim (2.75 to 3 inches -- getting one with a 2.75 inch brim and two with a 3 inch). I really appreciated that since wide brims are hard to come by in a soft, felt fedora.
We also spent some time settling on the size.
Simply put, these are custom hats, made to measure and to the buyers specifications. All in all, it was a very pleasant experience. In this age of mass productions, opportunities to have something made for you, just as you want it, are becoming increasingly rare.
And they are making me up a terai (slouch hat -- the sort of thing robert Ruark was photographed in on safari -- in some of the books I've read, they have been referred to as "soft, wide brimmed, felt Boralinos). I've always wanted one, and I'm anxious to see how it will turn out.
The hats are due to be delivered around the second week in December. I'll post some photographs after they arrive.
I was impressed by the apparent quality and fine hand of his samples. I final picked three colors for fedoras. Then chose ribbons (color, width and bow style) and other design details.
He could basically do pretty much whatever I liked. I prefer a tear drop or diamond crease. Also, I like a wide brim (2.75 to 3 inches -- getting one with a 2.75 inch brim and two with a 3 inch). I really appreciated that since wide brims are hard to come by in a soft, felt fedora.
We also spent some time settling on the size.
Simply put, these are custom hats, made to measure and to the buyers specifications. All in all, it was a very pleasant experience. In this age of mass productions, opportunities to have something made for you, just as you want it, are becoming increasingly rare.
And they are making me up a terai (slouch hat -- the sort of thing robert Ruark was photographed in on safari -- in some of the books I've read, they have been referred to as "soft, wide brimmed, felt Boralinos). I've always wanted one, and I'm anxious to see how it will turn out.
The hats are due to be delivered around the second week in December. I'll post some photographs after they arrive.