ManofKent
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Lovely find Alan
Knox sounds about right. I have never actually seen a Dobbs version until now. Nice! The Knox version is different. It actually has a sweatband and is more conventional inside as well.Here is the circa-1920 (made between 1917 and 1923) Dobbs Tuxedo Hat.
It's the thinnest felt I've encountered, thinner than my 1942 Gay Prince. Size 7 3/8. 6-inch crown, very high-peaked, though that could be due to wear rather than the block. 20-ligne ribbon (1 7/8"), and I forgot to measure the brim, though it's probably around 2 3/8". Since the entire lining is stitched together, I can't investigate to see if there are any tags.
Tuxedo Hats are still kind of a mystery to us, as they don't turn up very often. I've done some research into the history of Tuxedo Hats, but there is so much more that we don't know. The first reference I can find of a man's Tuxedo Hat is from 1900. I guess American men struggled for fifteen or so years to figure out what to wear with a Tuxedo, as a high silk top hat wasn't proper, nor was the stiff hat (Derby). Homburgs appear to have been marginally acceptable, but again, they didn't seem to fit the occasion that an informal suit like the tuxedo would require. The Tuxedo Hat was the answer, an informal hat for informal evening wear. The silk underbrim would complement the lapel facing on the jacket. The felt was light, the entire inside was lined with silk, and thus the hat could be rolled up and stuffed in an overcoat pocket. There are multiple references to Tuxedo Hats in newspaper as and publications through the 'Oughts, the Teens, and into the Twenties. By the 1930s, Opera Hats and Homburgs were also acceptable for evening wear with a Tuxedo, and the Tuxedo Hat fell out of favor by the 1940s. I have found no evidence to suggest country or manufacturer of origin, though I suspect it is an American invention, even though most clothing and hat styles originated in Europe. However, I have found reference to Alpine Tuxedo Hats and Velour Tuxedo Hats, so it's conceivable that they could have migrated from overseas. If I had to put money on a manufacturer, I would have to say Knox. If they didn't invent the style, then they were probably the first American company to produce them.
It's not curled like a Homburg, it just has an upturned flange. Make no mistake, this isn't meant to resemble a Homburg. I have no idea if they were meant to be worn with upturned brim, or as a snap brim, though I'm sure either was acceptable. This hat shows very little signs of wear, though it seems to want to naturally go to a front pinch, leading me to believe that's how it's owner originally wore it. One reference from 1908 also refers to the Tuxedo Hat as a Tuxedo Derby or a Dress Derby, though it is also nothing like a Derby.
To me, this seems like the perfect hat for a Tuxedo. An informal formal hat. Take away the silk underbrim and the silk lining, replace it with a leather sweatband, and you have a soft felt snap-brim hat. An extremely light soft felt hat, but a soft felt hat nonetheless.
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Brad
Knox sounds about right. I have never actually seen a Dobbs version until now. Nice! The Knox version is different. It actually has a sweatband and is more conventional inside as well.
Looks a good find dh66