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Excellent choice. That cap looks great on her!Head shot with the new Belfry "Maxine" cap Lil' Tuk picked up today.
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Excellent choice. That cap looks great on her!Head shot with the new Belfry "Maxine" cap Lil' Tuk picked up today.
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You're right, those numbers don't match up at all.58cm - 7 3/8 - 23 5/8
I've seen "unusual" numbers like these on a few professional hatters' websites, and it doesn't inspire confidence. I'd much rather see a statement like, "Send me your head measurements, and if I don't have the hat you want in stock in that size I'll make one. This is how I want you to measure your head; measure it three times, and send me all three measurements. [instructions follow]." Otherwise it can be a bit of a guessing game, and shipping a hat or cap back and forth beyond the initial purchase can get expensive....So, again I think there is something up how sizes are listed on his site. This one while not as tight as the All Sport doesn't seem to be what I think of as a 7 3/8 hat. He lists it as 58cm - 7 3/8 - 23 5/8". To me, those numbers don't match...
I've seen typos on sizing like that on the Monsivais site, and on a cap for sale from Well Dressed Head. I actually emailed Keith about the discrepancy and he told me the actual size of cap in question.
On the cap I ordered from Cordova, I just told him my hat size in inches, 23-3/8" and that's what he's going with (as listed on his invoice).
Personally, I wouldn't be happy with a custom hat or cap that didn't fit like a custom.
What do they use in the brim to provide stiffness? Is it the usual plastic insert?So here's my next installment on "The Binge"...
Froggy Went Courting - 1920s Baker Boy - Made by Olney
I wanted to try a WIDE baker boy, but in the 1920s style and somewhere on this forum someone pointed out an outfit called Froggy Went Courting based in the UK. They specialize in vintage clothing as well as reproductions. While I was specifically looking to only buy from bespoke makers of fine head-wear, I figured since this one was reproduced for FWC based on a 1920s pattern, it'd fit the bill.
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So this one is an interesting one. Upon opening the hat you can tell the worksmanship is of high quality. Olney makes some nice head-wear and that's pretty much why I'd go with something like this. I also like the color and brown birdseye tweed pattern. I think they accidentally sold me a 60cm hat, when I ordered 59cm so the hat can slip down over time. The hat is quite large in the crown. 12" measured across. For some reason the Monsivais hats, even though they have larger crowns seem to just mesh with me right off the bat. It's not that I don't like the hat. It just seems a little clownish. I dunno. Just a first impression. This one will take a bit to jive with. At least, you can flop it to the side a bit.
What I don't like... well the hat has this plastic strip or tension thing right where the button fastener is. I guess it's supposed to keep some separation between the peak and the crown. Either way it seemed to make the hat look weird to me. It just didn't work for me. So I cut it out. I know - blasphemy. There's no going back now. The pics are taken without it. I'm not sure if the original hats from the 10s-30s had these, but it now seems better without it. The other thing that irks me about the hat is the peak doesn't hold its shape. It's some sort of plastic, but doesn't want to retain a nice curve like the Monsivais hats do.
Otherwise, it's a cool cap. Froggy Went Courting has a few other models made by Olney (a 5 dart) and they're at a decent price. I think with shipping to the US the cap came out to around $92.
I have three Hat People caps, all "full cut":
Left to right - White, grey, and black Herringbone; brown, green, and black Herringbone; black and grey Herringbone. Their sizing and the quality of their work are consistent; all three caps fit exactly the same. They're very comfortable and, being made from Pendleton wool (with cotton liners) they keep my head nice and warm on cold nights. I do wish they offered leather sweatbands as an option, and the caps they list on their website are only available while they have the material on-hand (none of these are currently available) so you have to get them while you can, but I really like mine and think they're a heck of a deal for the price.
What do they use in the brim to provide stiffness? Is it the usual plastic insert?
I have three Hat People caps, all "full cut":
Left to right - White, grey, and black Herringbone; brown, green, and black Herringbone; black and grey Herringbone. Their sizing and the quality of their work are consistent; all three caps fit exactly the same. They're very comfortable and, being made from Pendleton wool (with cotton liners) they keep my head nice and warm on cold nights. I do wish they offered leather sweatbands as an option, and the caps they list on their website are only available while they have the material on-hand (none of these are currently available) so you have to get them while you can, but I really like mine and think they're a heck of a deal for the price.
Nice! The herringbone pattern is fairly subtle, and overall I find mine goes well with most of my wardrobe. That being said, I tend to wear my "brown, green, and black" herringbone more often simply because I like the color(s) so much.I ended up getting the black and grey herringbone. I initially bought heather grey, but decided to give Carol a buzz to see what else they had in stock. She mentioned they had enough of the black and grey left from another customer that bailed on their hat before it was finished...
I briefly considered getting one, but I have a Capas flat cap that's cut very similarly to Hat People's extra full cut (or at least that's how it looks to me when I compare it to the "extra full cut" photo on their website) and I think it's a bit too much for me....If I were going to do another HP hat, I'd go with extra full cut next time.