The Stetson St. Regis homburg - what can you tell me?

[David Conwill]

I just bought this (actually, I bought a fedora and this came along, I think this turned out to be the better purchase). I've never been into homburgs the same way I am fedoras, but I'm really becoming attached to this hat. Probably because I pick it up, put it on, and stare at myself in the mirror for a few minutes every day!

Now, the historian in me has a burning desire to know more. When was the St. Regis produced? What did they cost originally (mine has no price tag)? Does anyone have an advertisement? Who else has one?

I'm dying to know all this and whatever more you might know. Plus I'd like recommendations on how to dress with this hat - they're more formal, so obviously it's more of a suit or tuxedo kind of look. But a gray hat with a tuxedo? It's too bad I haven't got much call to wear morning dress.

-Dave

 

[J.T.Marcus]

I just bought this... I pick it up, put it on, and stare at myself in the mirror for a few minutes every day! ...
Who else has one?...
I'd like recommendations on how to dress with this hat - they're more formal, so obviously it's more of a suit or tuxedo kind of look. But a gray hat with a tuxedo? It's too bad I haven't got much call to wear morning dress.
-Dave

When you keep playing with a hat, every day, you know you like it. And, for good reason; it's a fine hat. I have one, too.

They were worn most often with a dark business suit. They thus gained a reputation for being a BANKER'S hat, and later a GODFATHER hat. Try it on with a few suits, maybe even a more casual sport coat or jacket. If it looks good in the mirror, it will look good on the street. :eusa_clap

 

[MattJH]

For reasons unknown to me, I run into a lot of the Stetson St. Regis homburgs with their open crown still uncreased. More often than not, it's on eBay, but I ran into one not too long ago in antique row in Philadelphia on Pine Street.

 

[Craig Robertson]

The St Regis is a great homburg. Wonderful proportions. It was one of the two hats I wore in a video I did seven months ago in Boston:

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=22995207

It can be worn with a lot of styles, from casual to dress. Go for it.

 

[Alucard73]

I have a Disney that looks just like that. I am planning on wearing it tomorrow with a black suit. I am sure I will get comments on it being a "winter hat" but I dont really see everyone breaking out their homburgs this winter so I am going to go ahead and try it. Will post a pic.

 

[David Conwill]

I'm glad for all the encouragement, fellows. I'm still very curious to know the time period for this hat - and to see one of those gorgeous period advertisments!

-Dave

 

[David Conwill]

Mellencamp's

Well, I started researching Mellencamp's. Apparently they were quite the institution in downtonw Ypsi. They're gone now, as I found an article written about their closing. No dates, however, except a photograph dated 1953.

-Dave

 

[Edward]

I bought a similar grey homberg from a fellow lounge member via ebay, some six months ago or so. I would tend to wear it with a dark suit, for those evenings out where I want to turn things up just a notch over the regular fedora. Also for weddings.... that mid grey would look especially sharp with a well cut suit in a deep navy shade of blue, with or without a nice chalkstripe pattern.

IMO, a homberg also just has a certain edge over a fedora when worn with a tux. A black one is best for this. If you like the homberg style that much, though, it would be worth picking one up. The bonus is that because they're less popular than fedoras, you can score a really nice vintage homberg on ebay for considerably less than the price of an equivalent fedora. I don't think I paid over about $40 for any of my three - the 40s Champ, in light / silver grey, a black Dobbs of indeterminate age, and a 1970 Herbert Johnson for Brooks Bros in a dark grey shade which is a dead ringer for Akubra's 'carbon grey.'

If you do want to wear a homberg more often and feel that it might look just a little formal, you can 'soften' the look by giving the crown more of a fedora bash. My HJ came this way, and it is a nice middle ground at times. I've wron it with everything from a fully dressed lonuge suit look to a wedding, to a Pogues gig when I was in tweeds and jeans. Gives the look that little bit more flexibility. If you're worried about historical accuracy, Michael Collins wore his that way in the early 20s:

(No political commentary intended here, simply raising Collins' image as a sharp dresser. ).

 

[AlanC]

^Is there any edge binding on that hat? Might it be a 'Lord's hat'?

 

[David Conwill]

It does look like a raw edge, though there's so little contrast between the binding and the felt on my St. Regis that it might not show up in anything but the sharpest photograph.

Judge Cardozo liked a fedora-type pinch in his homburg as well, it would appear:

-Dave

 

[MattJH]

Here's a St. Regis in 7 1/2 that went for under $45 just now on eBay. Great price, poorly listed. I'm not too sure I'd trust the size given, though.

 

[Lefty]

It must have been a really popular hat. They're always on ebay, in a variety of sizes and, never seem to sell for too much. Of course, I haven't seen a site called the Homburger Stand yet.

 

[Fortino37]

Homburg are extraordinary

I belive that Homburgs are at this time the most fancy hat still wearable, besides with the bowler, your new Homburg is really nice and as far I can see in very good conditions.

I posted this photo a year a go, me and my family in my brother's wedding, I am wearing a light grey Homburg Resistol 10 from the 40's, one of my favorites




This is my Stetson Special Homburg from the 30's best of the best.


This is my Dobbs 15 from the late 40's


This is my Stetson St. Regis from the mid 50's

 

[MattJH]

If I owned a St. Regis in my size, I'd roll the front brim down fedora-style for sure. I'd never be able to pull of a homburg, but converting it to a fedora w/bound brim seems easy (I'd think!).

My favorite homburg, from Miracle On 34th Street:

 

[Lefty]

Fortino, you're looking good. :eusa_clap

 

[Lefty]

If I owned a St. Regis in my size, I'd roll the front brim down fedora-style for sure.

While I was searching for something else, I saw a couple of photos of people who tried to do this. It doesn't look very good. The end of that brim is just too thick. Bud-n-Texas, JT, and a few others have some pretty crazy looking photos of their attempts, both serious and not so much.

 

[Fortino37]

More Homburgs

There's more Homburgs to share with you



The Stetson St. Regis from the mid 50's


The Dobbs deep blue Homburg from the 40's


The very light grey Homburg by Lee Aetna from the 30's extremely soft fur felt.

 

[dhermann1]

There's a Stetson Homburg in a vintage shop in the Village, don't know if it's a St. Regis. They're asking $90, and if I can talk them down a little I may succumb to the urge. It's a very elegant piece of head gear. You may get the irresistable urge to wear a diamond stick pin in your tie when you put it on.

 

[David Conwill]

If I owned a St. Regis in my size, I'd roll the front brim down fedora-style for sure. I'd never be able to pull of a homburg, but converting it to a fedora w/bound brim seems easy (I'd think!).

Looking at it, it's not that simple. The pencil curl won't allow the brim to snap down with any degree of elegance and it certainly doesn't end up looking like a fedora. I toyed with the idea of having a professional do a fedora conversion, but it's just too nice a hat. I think I'll have to buy a navy double-breasted suit instead.

Remember, I ended up with a Resistol fedora in this deal also. It's a 7 1/8 rather than a 7 1/2 like the seller said, but I'm only 7 3/8, so it shouldn't be too big a deal to stretch it, right?

On the other hand, my wife thinks that with the brim snapped down and with the crown open that she'd like to appropriate this one as a lady's fall hat. In the interests of domestic tranquility, I may let her have it.

-Dave

 

[Alucard73]

Here is my Disney Homburg today. Sorry for the bad photos. I used an unattractive model and took them with my computer.

The brim is a little off center so I wear it, I mean the unnattractive model wears it at a slant.