When Fedoras ruled

[suitedcboy]

A couple of photos from Styleforum thread on Averell Harriman, the publisher of LIFE.

I have no idea of the source of the photos since it wasn't mentioned in the thread.
The Mallory photo (2nd one) has an interesting statement about Mallory and being union made.

 

[Blackthorn]

Ah, those were the days, my friend!

 

[Dewhurst]

Ah, those were the days, my friend!

Were they?

 

[Blackthorn]

Were they?

Speaking fedora-wise, they were. I'd love to see fedoras regain that level of popularity.

Medical and tech-wise, no, they weren't the good old days.

 

[feltfan]

Especially if you were white and male...

The hat on the right in that first picture, with the big crown
and the crisp dent. Aaaaahh. Go try to find a hat made of
something like that today. Good luck.

 

[Fletch]

Especially if you were white and male...

and Protestant, and a veteran, and financially secure, and not politically outspoken, and had nothing at all unusual in your private life.

 

[Woodfluter]

and Protestant, and a veteran, and financially secure, and not politically outspoken, and had nothing at all unusual in your private life.

Right...and speaking of hats, it might have been "the day" for men, but look at the woman's hat in the Mallory photo. I remember my mom wearing stuff like that when I was tiny, and I always thought they looked plumb awful.

- Bill

 

[Feraud]

I've always enjoyed pictures of crowds that show a sea of hats.

 

[Wolfmanjack]

Interesting photo. Lots of Homburgs; relatively few fedoras. Feraud, do you know the date and location of this photo?

 

[suitedcboy]

The Fedora Lounge meets at the ballpark.................

 

[Doublegun]

Interesting - a majority of the hats appear to be lighter in color (silverbelly, tan, gray) vs darker (black, charcoal) and not necessarily "coordinated" with the color of top coat.

 

[cybergentleman]

of note

Its cold, people are bundled up- where are the guys without clothes with the team's logo painted on their torsos.

anyway, when was this shot taken, i see a lot of stiff brims, homburg like...

 

[Dreispitz]

St. Regis Wing lol

 

[Dewhurst]

Feraud, I set that photograph as my desktop wallpaper. Very cool.

 

[tonyb]

I've always enjoyed pictures of crowds that show a sea of hats.

Great shot. Much to take in. But is the photo "flipped"? Note that all the bows are on what appears to be the starboard sides of the crowns.

 

[Feraud]

Interesting photo. Lots of Homburgs; relatively few fedoras. Feraud, do you know the date and location of this photo?

Sorry. It's a Shorpy photo and I did not note the info.

Edit - The photo is likely flipped hence the bows being on the opposite side..

 

[cybergentleman]

am i crazy?

it's ok, but just looking at this again, am I crazy or are the bows of these hats generally on the right hand side of the hats. I think most modern mens hats have the bow on the left.

can anyone comment on this?
If I am correct - why did this change?

 

[Brad Bowers]

This is better:

Brad

 

[Not-Bogart13]

Now, a different crowd would have probably said something about the field not looking right, huh? lol

I love this shot. I also notice that the hats seem to clash on the dark/light scale mainly with the guys in overcoats, but the guys without seem to have lighter jackets on with their lighter hats. I would be interested to see a color version of this, but alas...

 

[DanielJones]

Sure looks cold at that ball game as well, judging by the bundled up look of most of the folks there.

Cheers!

Dan