Want to buy or sell something? Check the classifieds
  • The Fedora Lounge is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

What hat with a tuxedo?

TheDane

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,670
Location
Copenhagen, Denmark
I believe a Boater with a black hat band would be in order.
That's quite interesting! As I understand it, boaters were originally the ball-cap of the day ... worn at sporting events. Only later it permeated into better circles' city-wear. But then again, I'm known to have been wrong before ... at least once :D
 

Edward

Bartender
Messages
25,082
Location
London, UK
Boaters were very much a casual hat back when - see the way they were often worn by Harlod Lloyd's everyman character, in much the same way Laurel and Hardy wore the workingman's bowler. By the thirties, though, they seem to have become common enough with black tie in Summer - I've seen a fair few fashion plates from back then, at least, portraying that look, so the idea was about (not that you can always assumed the fashion plates were 'reality', of course).

Myself, I stick with the traditional homberg for Winter black tie, but once the weather gets hotter and I crack out the ivory dj, I'm very happy to sport a boater with that.
 

Captain O

One of the Regulars
Messages
194
Location
Northwestern Oregon.
Boaters were very much a casual hat back when - see the way they were often worn by Harlod Lloyd's everyman character, in much the same way Laurel and Hardy wore the workingman's bowler. By the thirties, though, they seem to have become common enough with black tie in Summer - I've seen a fair few fashion plates from back then, at least, portraying that look, so the idea was about (not that you can always assumed the fashion plates were 'reality', of course).

Myself, I stick with the traditional homberg for Winter black tie, but once the weather gets hotter and I crack out the ivory dj, I'm very happy to sport a boater with that.

How cool is that? (It has my "seal of approval").
 

TheDane

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,670
Location
Copenhagen, Denmark
Boaters were very much a casual hat back when - see the way they were often worn by Harlod Lloyd's everyman character, in much the same way Laurel and Hardy wore the workingman's bowler. By the thirties, though, they seem to have become common enough with black tie in Summer - I've seen a fair few fashion plates from back then, at least, portraying that look, so the idea was about (not that you can always assumed the fashion plates were 'reality', of course).

Myself, I stick with the traditional homberg for Winter black tie, but once the weather gets hotter and I crack out the ivory dj, I'm very happy to sport a boater with that.
Thanks for the info. I never do black tie - and I haven't been wearing white tie and top hat since I was 12 years old, enjoying magic as my hobby. As I don't see myself as a coming Freemason or member of the Royal family, it'll probably stay like that :)
 

Cunarder

New in Town
Messages
7
Location
Oxford, England
Would a Boater be considered appropriate with a white or cream dinner jacket in the UK? I don't want to shock the natives at a vintage black tie event I'm attending in a few weeks by the seaside!

By the way, I too favour a black Homburg with a black dinner suit/Tuxedo. It tops it off nicely, and is very smart too.
 
Messages
73
Location
London, UK
Would a Boater be considered appropriate with a white or cream dinner jacket in the UK? I don't want to shock the natives at a vintage black tie event I'm attending in a few weeks by the seaside!

Depends on the weather but in general, yes of course! And besides, in my experience vintagelovers, I'm one of them, don't care that much for rules, they care about stories. Have fun.
 

Cunarder

New in Town
Messages
7
Location
Oxford, England
Thank you, I'm sure I will. I suppose there are those who love vintage in whatever form, and those (like me) who also enjoy accurately reflecting what was worn in the past, so that past conventions still matter. How very British I guess!
 
Messages
73
Location
London, UK
Thank you, I'm sure I will. I suppose there are those who love vintage in whatever form, and those (like me) who also enjoy accurately reflecting what was worn in the past, so that past conventions still matter. How very British I guess!

I'm like that too, but I was talking about my vintage friends who host this kind of events. A boater and a dinnerjacket have been seen in lots of vintage illustrations from the 30s


Verzonden vanaf mijn iPhone met Tapatalk
 

DanO

One of the Regulars
Messages
227
Location
San Jose CA
I suppose it depends on the venue. In Texas I'm sure a black cowboy hat is de rigueur. I don't do tux often my avatar was an alaskan cruise a couple years ago, the hat was an indy bashed fedora. Got alot of "nice hat" Note I was the only one wearing a hat.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
109,295
Messages
3,078,189
Members
54,244
Latest member
seeldoger47
Top