Too Small?? Too big? Just right? or How to wear a hat!

[BlueTrain]

I think men used to wear hats a little further back on their head than we do now when we try to dress like our grandfathers. For instance, on the TV show Foyle's War, Foyle wears his hat to far forward, at least in my opinion, for what it's worth. If you look at old photos of soldiers, particularly British and German, they all seem to be wearing their caps rather low and far back on the head, or at least that's my impression. When I was in the army, I could never get a baseball cap that felt like it fit just right.

I've never had the nerve or the cash to buy a fine hat, such as a Stetson and I just don't think I could pull it off. I even feel self-conscious in a baseball cap, in spite of having worn them for three years in the army. But I happily wear a whole bunch of cotton bush hats, mostly all old and heavily stained. I should get one in a conservative dark blue to wear with suits.

One scene in a movie serial, The Fighting Marines, from the mid-1930s, there is a scene in which a man gets in the back seat of a touring car which had the top up but no side curtains. I was very impressed by the way he took his hat, holding it by the brim with both hands front and back, and jammed it down on his head. Then the car drove away in a cloud of dust.

There are some nice photos here of real people wearing hats and there was something I couldn't quite put my finger on compared with the ones that were so beautifully and perfectly correctly worn in the old movies. Then I realized that it was simply that they were all nicely focused and in color. The color just ruins that highly desirable period look.

 

[scottyrocks]

In very old photos that required posing and sitting very still for a while, hats were tilted back so that faces could be seen.

 

[BlueTrain]

Could be but I wasn't thinking of still photos. I remember, though, of when I was in basic training and they lined us up for a group photo. They told us to push our helmet liners back on our head so our faces would show better. The drill sergeant said for us to make sure to tell everyone that we didn't wear them like that the rest of the time.

I have memories of my father (and others) wearing hats in the 1950s but a lot of the details escape me. But no one should tell you how to wear your hat or how to crease it.

Something else that sometimes we overlook is how habits and styles can change within a few years, sometime so distinctly that it's possible to date things within a relatively narrow time frame, though there are pitfalls. A few people cling to old styles for a long time and that still happens. Some things go out of style and become unavailable, so when something is too worn out to wear, it can't be replaced. In my case, I have things that are too expensive to wear but I wanted them and I got them. They'll probably show up on eBay in fifteen years. That's where I got them in the first place.

Sometimes these changes happen and you don't realize it.

 

[Zombie_61]

In very old photos that required posing and sitting very still for a while, hats were tilted back so that faces could be seen.

They did that when filming movies as well so the actors' faces could be seen. Sometimes the hats were pushed so far back that I have to wonder how they stayed on the actors' heads.

 

[Frunobulax]

They did that when filming movies as well so the actors' faces could be seen. Sometimes the hats were pushed so far back that I have to wonder how they stayed on the actors' heads.

Spirit gum. [emoji4]


Sent directly from my mind to yours

 

[Zombie_61]

Spirit gum.

I was thinking excessive hair product, i.e. "Dapper Dan" or something similar, but they probably used whatever they had on hand at the moment--staples, nails, gaffer's tape...

 

[scottyrocks]

Or staple guns.

 

[Seth Duzan]

- and a funny thing is, that your ears are not parallel to the ground. Your optometrist will tell you, that on most of our heads, the right and left ear are positioned slightly different ... one a little higher than the other. When an opened pair of spectacles is put down on a tabletop, both temples are rarely touching the table at the same time.

Anyway, personalized wearing styles is one of the things, that make wearing hats (and the wearers' looks) interesting to me

Yeah I have an almost 1/3 inch difference in my ears... Lol. Makes for fun at the barbers when evening my sideburns...

 

[TheDane]

Then I realized that it was simply that they were all nicely focused and in color. The color just ruins that highly desirable period look.

Not really. It ruins your conception of the period look. As you don't remember the period, but mainly know it from B/W pictures and movies, that is probably a misconception

I don't believe, hats were worn farther back on the head in the 30s - 50s. The lighting explanation, mentioned above, sounds absolutely plausible. I remember to have read, that Ford's hats in the Indiana Jones movies had directional brims due to the lighting and photography staff. With a directional brim it was easier to light his face from different directions. Whether true or not, I don't know - but it sure sounds plausible to this former theatre technician

 

[Michael R.]

Yeah , I'm not a selfie guy . I cringe and look goofy anyway , but ... It's tough taking a picture (especially yourself) and indoors getting the light and angle right to view the Hat and not have a grimmising face or odd look . I can appreciate the people that take such wonderful pictures of their self .

In normal action many times its pulled lower or even back , like an old photo of a hot tired guy cooling off Hat tilted back resting . Being cool and getting cool can be two different things . Plus like the guys said in movies or pictures they want to see your face . Interesting thoughts ... .

 

[Hawleyhim]

I don't have any experience with Akubras.

As for how I like to wear hats, there is no one answer.
I keep some hats deliberately tight, to wear on windy days.
Others are a touch too big and I can't always wear them,
depending on my head (heads aren't always precisely the
same size) and haircut. I don't tend to put padding under
the sweatband, but have been known to put a folded dollar
or two under the band in extreme cases.

Some hats are designed to ride high (e.g., cowboy and
Open Road-type hats) for coolness. Fedoras tend to
ride lower, depending.

Usually I'd say the best fit is the hat you forget you have on.
But that's not always so.

Is there any other way to make a hat fit tighter than to put padding under the band.I don't like doing that because it wrinkles the band.

 

[Redfokker]

There has been some magic floating around the lounge concerning wetting the sweat and letting it dry over a lightbulb/lamp shade. I think Fruno is the magician who mentioned it. It can be done I think.

 

[tropicalbob]

Is there any other way to make a hat fit tighter than to put padding under the band.I don't like doing that because it wrinkles the band.

Yes, but in my experience it's only for a short time. Every one of my hats that arrived a bit big has shrunk down to the fit point. I'd just have a little patience rather than ruin a good band.

 

[Frunobulax]

Listen to tropicalbob first. Wear it for a while; shim it if you must. It will likely shrink a bit and conform to your head after a while. The light bulb trick came from Bob Roberts who got it from Jeff (formerly of Del Monico, now with Hatco). I've only done it once, to a very oversized new Akubra CD. I'm sure patience would have shrunk that one, as well, but I decided to take a shortcut.

I would NOT do this to a hat of appreciable vintage, however!


Sent directly from my mind to yours.

 

[feltfan]

Never tried the lightbulb trick. Sounds risky.

A small shim, like the dollar bill, won't noticeably deform your hat or sweatband.

 

[Redfokker]

Listen to tropicalbob first. Wear it for a while; shim it if you must. It will likely shrink a bit and conform to your head after a while. The light bulb trick came from Bob Roberts who got it from Jeff (formerly of Del Monico, now with Hatco). I've only done it once, to a very oversized new Akubra CD. I'm sure patience would have shrunk that one, as well, but I decided to take a shortcut.

I would NOT do this to a hat of appreciable vintage, however!


Sent directly from my mind to yours.

That is the conversation I remembered. I agree with the guru fruno. Hats do change over time, I have experienced the conforming to my noggin over time. Foam/cork shims should do you fine until the hat decides it likes being on your head and starts to behave.

 

[Bob Roberts]

Listen to tropicalbob first. Wear it for a while; shim it if you must. It will likely shrink a bit and conform to your head after a while. The light bulb trick came from Bob Roberts who got it from Jeff (formerly of Del Monico, now with Hatco). I've only done it once, to a very oversized new Akubra CD. I'm sure patience would have shrunk that one, as well, but I decided to take a shortcut.

I would NOT do this to a hat of appreciable vintage, however!


Sent directly from my mind to yours.

Lol. There should be a footnote source somewhere for the origin of the Jeff Dyer sweatband shrinking technique.

 

[Roadopen]

I have sized up from a 57 to 58 on the advice of a forum member. The new larger size has my newest hats sitting just above my ear top by approximately 1/2 inch. The 58s are comfortable without being overly tight and I can still jam them down on my head in heavier breezes. I have added a couple of cork spacers to snug them up though. The 57s now seem too snug when I put them on and it takes a good 10 minutes before they feel comfortable. I'm between the 57 and 58 but prefer sizing a 58 snugger now.

I am leaning towards this comfort zone as a 57 > 58 would give me just that, unless you have a different hat style you prefer a little loose or tight. It all depends on the style and model as each manufacturer's do have their own sizing give or take.

Roadopen

 

[Roadopen]

How about upside down?

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Hey, Bryan. This is something that varies between individuals so there isn’t a “right” answer. I agree with Moon that the only rule is that it should be comfortable.

As a side note, rather than starting a new thread for something that has been discussed in many prior threads, spend some time searching The Lounge for existing threads where they address your topic. We try to limit the creation of new threads to topics not already addressed, otherwise the forum becomes too unwieldy. These are threads I found in 30 seconds:


https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/how-should-a-fedora-or-hat-like-it-fit.86277/


https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/how-high-should-a-fedora-sit.38201/

https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/too-small-too-big-just-right-or-how-to-wear-a-hat.19058/


Don’t be surprised if one of the bartenders (site moderators) merge your thread into an existing thread.




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