Your first hat

[RBH]

I have some funky caps and a Scala wool felt pork pie, but I finally got my first "real" hat.

I love my pork pie and have changed the feather at times for variety. I always get compliments on it. I play bass guitar and it's been my "jazz hat" or if I need to be a bit more formal. It serves that purpose well, but is not a hat that is the most comfortable to wear all day and more circular than oval, so not the best fit.

Part of my issue has been that there are no proper hat stores in my city, so no great way to get started even figuring out what fits/works, etc. I did a jazz gig recently and the singer works at a men's clothing store and loved my pork pie. He told me about a lady in town that sells fine hats out of her house...generally appointment only, besides Saturdays.

So, I stopped in this past Saturday and this wonderful lady welcomed me in. Each room of her house is full of built-in shelving and HATS!!! They are somewhat sorted by color and size. I tried on a number of pork pies and smaller hats in the green/brown palette to figure out sizing and try some different styles and then she asked me what I thought about grey. I told her I like grey quite a bit, but want something that I will wear a lot and greys can come across a bit too formal.

She had me try on a 100% beaver grey fedora and it was beautiful, but very light weight and formal. In the meantime, she pulled out a box that was tucked away that contained a Stetson fedora. I had told her I liked greens and didn't want too big of a brim. This Stetson fedora was an absolutely beautiful deep, muted turquoise color with a 2" brim and I instantly fell in love. I purchased the hat and couldn't be more pleased.

Once I got home I tried investigating further what I had purchased and it seems this hat is from the Stetson 150th anniversary catalog based on the hat box. The hat model is listed as a Stetson Grissom...label also mentions "ROYAL" and the color code is TQ for turquoise. Any other details anyone here can provide would be much appreciated! I feel that this hat is most similar to the Stetson Saxon being a 100% rabbit fur, 2" brim, and grosgrain ribbon band. The differences seem to be the unique color and the finishing on the bow, which I think is a cool touch and just different enough...and no feather. I honestly don't know and haven't handled enough nice hats...maybe this is a western weight and not a dress weight? It is fairly thick felt...so maybe that is the main difference between this Grissom model and the Saxon?

I presume this lady had probably been sitting on this unusually colored hat since 2015 and it was just waiting for me to find it!

View attachment 485402

View attachment 485403

Looks great!!!! Enjoy !!!!!!!

 

[Frunobulax]

I have some funky caps and a Scala wool felt pork pie, but I finally got my first "real" hat.

I love my pork pie and have changed the feather at times for variety. I always get compliments on it. I play bass guitar and it's been my "jazz hat" or if I need to be a bit more formal. It serves that purpose well, but is not a hat that is the most comfortable to wear all day and more circular than oval, so not the best fit.

Part of my issue has been that there are no proper hat stores in my city, so no great way to get started even figuring out what fits/works, etc. I did a jazz gig recently and the singer works at a men's clothing store and loved my pork pie. He told me about a lady in town that sells fine hats out of her house...generally appointment only, besides Saturdays.

So, I stopped in this past Saturday and this wonderful lady welcomed me in. Each room of her house is full of built-in shelving and HATS!!! They are somewhat sorted by color and size. I tried on a number of pork pies and smaller hats in the green/brown palette to figure out sizing and try some different styles and then she asked me what I thought about grey. I told her I like grey quite a bit, but want something that I will wear a lot and greys can come across a bit too formal.

She had me try on a 100% beaver grey fedora and it was beautiful, but very light weight and formal. In the meantime, she pulled out a box that was tucked away that contained a Stetson fedora. I had told her I liked greens and didn't want too big of a brim. This Stetson fedora was an absolutely beautiful deep, muted turquoise color with a 2" brim and I instantly fell in love. I purchased the hat and couldn't be more pleased.

Once I got home I tried investigating further what I had purchased and it seems this hat is from the Stetson 150th anniversary catalog based on the hat box. The hat model is listed as a Stetson Grissom...label also mentions "ROYAL" and the color code is TQ for turquoise. Any other details anyone here can provide would be much appreciated! I feel that this hat is most similar to the Stetson Saxon being a 100% rabbit fur, 2" brim, and grosgrain ribbon band. The differences seem to be the unique color and the finishing on the bow, which I think is a cool touch and just different enough...and no feather. I honestly don't know and haven't handled enough nice hats...maybe this is a western weight and not a dress weight? It is fairly thick felt...so maybe that is the main difference between this Grissom model and the Saxon?

I presume this lady had probably been sitting on this unusually colored hat since 2015 and it was just waiting for me to find it!

View attachment 485402

View attachment 485403

 

[Ken Paulson]

In amongst the forgotten junk at our cabin up in the north woods I found my disreputable first fedora.
I purchased it at Le Chateau of all places, back in the late 'seventies. I'd recently decided to change my look from that of a hippie craftsperson making wood and silver jewellery to that of a proper goldsmith and, based on my belief that people won't give you money if you look like you need it, I bought my first proper suit. Off-the-rack from the iconic Hudson's Bay Store in Winnipeg, it wasn't much but it made me feel like a grown-up. It was boxy and grey but I dressed it up with a mint-green dress shirt and striped tie chosen for me by the salesman.
To complete the look, I decided I needed an overcoat, no, a trench-coat, and I'd seen a beauty in the window at Le Chateau. It was a black corduroy number with a much more form-fitting style than the suit. Lapels you could land a jet on. Ah, 'seventies. The enterprising young clerk who looked after me convinced me that I needed a hat if I really wanted to make a statement. That she was a rather gorgeous young lady didn't come into it at all, no sirree. She even sold me an umbrella.
For the first while, it's not so much walking down the street wearing a hat but more the hat proceeding along with you dangling self-consciously beneath it. Once you get used to it, though, the feeling is one of being just a cut above the common. I did get used to it, and over the years tuned my look to reflect not how I actually felt about myself, but more how I wanted to feel. And it worked. Wearing a good hat is like wearing a smile. People notice.

 

[belfastboy]

In amongst the forgotten junk at our cabin up in the north woods I found my disreputable first fedora.
I purchased it at Le Chateau of all places, back in the late 'seventies. I'd recently decided to change my look from that of a hippie craftsperson making wood and silver jewellery to that of a proper goldsmith and, based on my belief that people won't give you money if you look like you need it, I bought my first proper suit. Off-the-rack from the iconic Hudson's Bay Store in Winnipeg, it wasn't much but it made me feel like a grown-up. It was boxy and grey but I dressed it up with a mint-green dress shirt and striped tie chosen for me by the salesman.
To complete the look, I decided I needed an overcoat, no, a trench-coat, and I'd seen a beauty in the window at Le Chateau. It was a black corduroy number with a much more form-fitting style than the suit. Lapels you could land a jet on. Ah, 'seventies. The enterprising young clerk who looked after me convinced me that I needed a hat if I really wanted to make a statement. That she was a rather gorgeous young lady didn't come into it at all, no sirree. She even sold me an umbrella.
For the first while, it's not so much walking down the street wearing a hat but more the hat proceeding along with you dangling self-consciously beneath it. Once you get used to it, though, the feeling is one of being just a cut above the common. I did get used to it, and over the years tuned my look to reflect not how I actually felt about myself, but more how I wanted to feel. And it worked. Wearing a good hat is like wearing a smile. People notice.

I think to fully honour the hat clean it up and restore it to respectability. I realize I am biased but a hat that old deserves to have a new life!!

 

[johnnycanuck]

In amongst the forgotten junk at our cabin up in the north woods I found my disreputable first fedora.
I purchased it at Le Chateau of all places, back in the late 'seventies. I'd recently decided to change my look from that of a hippie craftsperson making wood and silver jewellery to that of a proper goldsmith and, based on my belief that people won't give you money if you look like you need it, I bought my first proper suit. Off-the-rack from the iconic Hudson's Bay Store in Winnipeg, it wasn't much but it made me feel like a grown-up. It was boxy and grey but I dressed it up with a mint-green dress shirt and striped tie chosen for me by the salesman.
To complete the look, I decided I needed an overcoat, no, a trench-coat, and I'd seen a beauty in the window at Le Chateau. It was a black corduroy number with a much more form-fitting style than the suit. Lapels you could land a jet on. Ah, 'seventies. The enterprising young clerk who looked after me convinced me that I needed a hat if I really wanted to make a statement. That she was a rather gorgeous young lady didn't come into it at all, no sirree. She even sold me an umbrella.
For the first while, it's not so much walking down the street wearing a hat but more the hat proceeding along with you dangling self-consciously beneath it. Once you get used to it, though, the feeling is one of being just a cut above the common. I did get used to it, and over the years tuned my look to reflect not how I actually felt about myself, but more how I wanted to feel. And it worked. Wearing a good hat is like wearing a smile. People notice.

Doesent look to be in bad condition. Send it away to be re-block and put it back into your circulation.
Johnny

 

[Cuvier]

The first hat I bought is an old Stetson. The local hatter says it was a factory second from about 1985, the year I was born. I bought it in 2010. I wear it quite often. It was in excellent shape when I got it. The previous owner never wore it as it was still in the box and not a spec of dust was visible. Boy did I ruin that. I'm on my third sweat band. There are no sweat stains as it all blended together into one large stain. It's covered in dust, smoke, gunpowder, bit of blood, more dust, dirt, and has taken several dips in streams lakes, creeks, mud holes, and rain storms. I've pulled countless mesquite and cactus thorns out and it's been rolled under a horse a couple of times. I've had it reblocked and shaped several times and I think it still looks good. I do get complaints about its smell. I set off alarms when I wore it in an airport.
That hat fits like a close friend.

 

[Frunobulax]

The first hat I bought is an old Stetson. The local hatter says it was a factory second from about 1985, the year I was born. I bought it in 2010. I wear it quite often. It was in excellent shape when I got it. The previous owner never wore it as it was still in the box and not a spec of dust was visible. Boy did I ruin that. I'm on my third sweat band. There are no sweat stains as it all blended together into one large stain. It's covered in dust, smoke, gunpowder, bit of blood, more dust, dirt, and has taken several dips in streams lakes, creeks, mud holes, and rain storms. I've pulled countless mesquite and cactus thorns out and it's been rolled under a horse a couple of times. I've had it reblocked and shaped several times and I think it still looks good. I do get complaints about its smell. I set off alarms when I wore it in an airport.
That hat fits like a close friend.

Shoot, you could put that on eBay as a "distressed" BoHo hat and make some good coin!

 

[AbbaDatDeHat]

The first hat I bought is an old Stetson. The local hatter says it was a factory second from about 1985, the year I was born. I bought it in 2010. I wear it quite often. It was in excellent shape when I got it. The previous owner never wore it as it was still in the box and not a spec of dust was visible. Boy did I ruin that. I'm on my third sweat band. There are no sweat stains as it all blended together into one large stain. It's covered in dust, smoke, gunpowder, bit of blood, more dust, dirt, and has taken several dips in streams lakes, creeks, mud holes, and rain storms. I've pulled countless mesquite and cactus thorns out and it's been rolled under a horse a couple of times. I've had it reblocked and shaped several times and I think it still looks good. I do get complaints about its smell. I set off alarms when I wore it in an airport.
That hat fits like a close friend.

Wanna see this one.

 

[Cuvier]

Shoot, you could put that on eBay as a "distressed" BoHo hat and make some good coin!

It doesn't look distressed though. Really it just looks like a dirty hat. I brush it out every now and then and when it gets real bad I take it in and have it professionally cleaned. I'll see if I can get a picture of it.

At one time it was a chocolate brown. I had it cleaned and blocked last year so it's looking better. You can see a burn on the underside of the brim in the rear.
Luckily I don't discolor hats that much with sweat but the color has changed. I wear this almost every summer day if I'm outside all day.