Stetson Fashion Collection 1940s Stratoliner Fur Felt Fedora Hat

[frussell]

Tom, nearly every modern Stetson I've bought as "Silverbelly" seems to be the color of Akubra's "Silverbelly," which Stetson used to call "Ranch Tan." The only hat I've gotten lately that looks like the more grey-toned Silverbelly I grew up with was a Resistol, and they call it different names, like "Mist," or Light Grey. Confusing. Frank

 

[gtdean48]

I agree Frank. My Resistol Silver Bellies are more "silver" than the Stetsons. The Akubra is more brownish than even my Stetsons but the most recent Stetson I have is late 1980's....

 

[jimmy the lid]

So, like so many of these (sorta) reintroduced styles, it fell a tad short. In most cases, it's the style that isn't quite right, as has been opined here in regard to the new Stratoliner. In the case of the Biltmore, it was the quality that didn't quite make the grade. Too bad, that, seeing how it really was a nice lookin' lid fresh out of the box. But then, that was quite some time ago. Here's hoping they're making better bodies up there in Guelph these days.

Thanks for the report, tonyb. Sorry to hear that, since, from a style standpoint (including the open crown) it certainly looks promising. Ah, well...

Of course, the hat that is the subject of this thread is a hat made by Hatco that is called a "Stetson Stratoliner." As a practical matter, it is no more a true Stetson Stratoliner than any other similar hat offered by another manufacturer or custom hatter. In the end, one way or the other, it is all about style and quality -- regardless of the source.

Cheers,
JtL

 

[tonyb]

Thanks for the report, tonyb. Sorry to hear that, since, from a style standpoint (including the open crown) it certainly looks promising. Ah, well...

Of course, the hat that is the subject of this thread is a hat made by Hatco that is called a "Stetson Stratoliner." As a practical matter, it is no more a true Stetson Stratoliner than any other similar hat offered by another manufacturer or custom hatter. In the end, one way or the other, it is all about style and quality -- regardless of the source.

Cheers,
JtL

To be fair to Biltmore, it should be reported that the hat was fairly inexpensive -- less, as I recall, than the other "name brand" hats (Stetson, Borsalino, etc.) the store had in stock. And its quality was arguably the equal of some of those higher priced offerings, so it could be said that it was at least as good a value, and perhaps a superior one. (I've had costlier hats that didn't really perform much better over time.)

And that's been a dozen or more years ago now. It could be that this latest version of what appears to be the same style is made from a superior body. Biltmore has changed hands at least once since then, hasn't it? I'd like to see them make a good show of it, seeing how they seem to be getting the styles (at least the one you cited, Jimmy) closer to what people like us wish to see.

 

[jimmy the lid]

I'm pulling for Biltmore, as well. I think that, years ago, that particular style was called the "Wilderness" or something like that...

 

[tonyb]

Hmmm...Could problem number one with the hat trade be built-in unresponsiveness to the consumer?

Are they more committed to keeping in good with the relative few brick/mortar dealers remaining than in getting lids onto heads by any means practicable?

And if they are so committed, in an age where even compleat idiots can and do turn e-commerce to their advantage...for pete's sake, why??? :eusa_doh:[huh]

Point taken, Fletch. But keep in mind that this was a dozen or more years ago. This Brave New Online World of ours hadn't been quite so firmly established back then. (Was I even online then?) You might say that's all the more reason they should have sold to me directly. But they'd likely have suggested I ask the retail shop to order whatever color(s) I wanted. (Again, this was quite some time ago, so I can't give a blow-by-blow account of the conversation.)

I just cruised over to their website. They have a "where to buy" page, which lists the brick-and-mortar stores, and they provide those stores' web addresses, as well as their "physical" ones. But there's nothing for the online-only outfits, such as The Fedora Store. My guess is that if I were to contact Biltmore today, I'd be referred to one or more of the retailers who sell their brand.

 

[tonyb]

I agree Frank. My Resistol Silver Bellies are more "silver" than the Stetsons. The Akubra is more brownish than even my Stetsons but the most recent Stetson I have is late 1980's....

Perhaps someone much better versed than I am on the history of this matter can pipe in here, but it seems that no matter what "silverbelly" meant originally, these days there's a decided lack of agreement. I've seen many distinctly varying shades of light gray so labelled. As you and Frank noted, every manufacturer offering a "silverbelly" seems to have a different definition. So I'm left to think that for most of them, it's now all about marketing. It isn't quite as bad as the "X" quality designations, but it's close.

 

[Mobile Vulgus]

I have a feeling that there's always been a "decided lack of agreement" on what ANYTHING means in the wonderful world of hatmakers. The "X" designations don't seem to have any concrete meaning and neither do colors, sizes, or styles. Heck a 1940s Stetson doesn't agree with a 1980s Stetson, even! I have had several Stetsons in "silverbelly" and they all drift around in shade pretty widely.

This is one area where collecting hats is a bit maddening, really.

At some point you just have to decide if you like the particular hat you are holding and forget all the so-called color titles and quality designations.

 

[RBH]

It may be a simple point of getting the Stetson Stratoliner name out there before 'time' ran out.
Lets hope Stetson has a fine straw Stratoliner in our upcoming summers future.

 

[tonyb]

At some point you just have to decide if you like the particular hat you are holding and forget all the so-called color titles and quality designations.

Amen to that.

Still, I'm betting that the vintage brown size 7 1/8 Stratoliner I have stashed away in a box would fetch considerably more money than a hat every bit its equal in all regards except the name. Call it cachet, or something.

 

[gtdean48]

...
Lets hope Stetson has a fine straw Stratoliner in our upcoming summers future.

We can only HOPE so!!!

 

[Fletch]

Point taken, Fletch. But keep in mind that this was a dozen or more years ago. This Brave New Online World of ours hadn't been quite so firmly established back then.

I'm sorry, because if you made that at all clear, I missed it completely. I was probably too engaged with the issue - which, as you correctly point out, is not quite such an issue today. Altho as late as last year, someone posted that what brick/mortar shops sell is usually limited to what moves enough units to fit in a regional rep's car trunk. And that is one helluva way to run a business in the 21st century.

As you and Frank noted, every manufacturer offering a "silverbelly" seems to have a different definition. So I'm left to think that for most of them, it's now all about marketing. It isn't quite as bad as the "X" quality designations, but it's close.

It may be about marketing, but is it good marketing? At some point you have to sit back and ask, "How much of our volume is coming from informed customers, and how much from willy-nilly customers? And which group is more likely to buy from us more than once?"

It just strikes me as fashion-minded marketing - seat of the pants, we decide, dealers buy, consumers jump. And given that hats are nowhere near doing fashion volume - even tho they've caught on in a small way lately - that has to come back and bite them in the seat of the pants.

 

[tonyb]

It may be about marketing, but is it good marketing? At some point you have to sit back and ask, "How much of our volume is coming from informed customers, and how much from willy-nilly customers? And which group is more likely to buy from us more than once?"

It just strikes me as fashion-minded marketing - seat of the pants, we decide, dealers buy, consumers jump. And given that hats are nowhere near doing fashion volume - even tho they've caught on in a small way lately - that has to come back and bite them in the seat of the pants.

Man, I wish I knew more than I do about all that stuff.

The ways and why-fors of the hat industry might make for real interesting reading, though, if the right person told the story. "Hatless Jack" was the most thoroughgoing account of it I've seen, but one book can only do so much lest it grow to unmanageable proportions.

You gotta be right about that "nowhere near doing fashion volume - even tho they've caught on in a small way lately ... " thing. At the moment it would appear there's more money in eight-dollar-and-ninety-nine-cent cloth "fedoras" (by loose definition) than in felt hats. I can only imagine how many of those things pass over the checkout stands at Target and Wal-mart. Is it too much to suppose it would be many times the sales of fifty-dollar-plus (let alone hundred-dollar-plus) hats from men's wear and Western shops? I could see those big-box discount retailers carrying a wool felt hat priced at, say, thirty-five bucks. Maybe those would sell well enough to pay for their space on the shelves. But anything much more than that?

 

[job]

new stratoliner

The fedora store is now selling the stratoliner again.

 

[The Wiser Hatter]

Was there a Stratoliner ever made in Straw? The open road is made in Straw. I have never seen a VTG Strat in Straw on the bay.

 

[RBH]

You are correct, as far as I know Stetson never made a straw Stratoliner.
Sears had a Stratoliner styled fedora they called 'The Flight' and also sold it in a straw model.
What Tom and I are making note of is Stetsons current offering of a straw Wippet [I like it].
We are hoping a straw Stratoliner will soon follow.

 

[danofarlington]

You are correct, as far as I know Stetson never made a straw Stratoliner.

"Stratoliner" to me sounds like it should be made out of aluminum, by Boeing.

 

[RBH]

Sears ad from 1948

 

[handlebar bart]

Great find Rusty.

 

[gtdean48]

Sears ad from 1948

I want ONE!!!