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What hat are you wearing today?

We have a break from the oppressive heat today and I felt like a felt. This is the iconic Stetson Stratoliner. It was introduced shortly before WWII and is still made (in name, if not in spirit) by the company that owns the Stetson brand today. I have three… two earlier examples from the 1940s that are unlined and very light in weight and this somewhat more substantial version with a mid 1950s vintage, like me.

This classic dress western style hat is named for the Boeing model 307 Stratoliner - the first commercial airplane to have a pressurized cabin. Boeing made only ten of these planes. Stetson sold the Strat was a very cool little piece of airplane bling. But this pin (which appears to be the version that came with the hat originally) is not the four engine Stratoliner - rather a two engine TWA prop that appears to be a DC-3. 

Why the discrepancy?… I don’t have the answer. But if you have a love for mid 20th C. American hats, you need one of these.

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What hat are you wearing today?

It was my birthday and I chose an old Stetson… 1920s, perhaps earlier. Beautiful old hats make me feel young. 

The Hat That Won the West

It wasn’t the wide brimmed cowboy hat, according to this 1957 article, but the hard rounded derby. From its emergence in mid-1800’s Britain until the rise in popularity of soft hats in the early 20th century, the bowler or derby (as it is known in the U.S.) was worn by everyone. Worn well,

and not so well.

by men at play,

and women at play,

…even anarchists agreed to agree on the bowler.

A poorly fitting bowler is torturous to wear, but conformed to the head, it’s a dream. This beautiful 1920s featherweight Premier Quality from Stetson is a favorite and among the most comfortable hats in my collection. 

If you are intrigued and want to learn more about the derby hat, pay a visit to the Hatted Professor, Brad Bowers.

A Clear Winner

If you shop for a western hat today you will see the effects of X-inflation. 10X, 100X even 1000X used to suggest quality levels in the felt hat body. I have a 1X nutria Stetson western from the 1920s that will beat the fur off off most any hat made today.

Here is a rare animal, a 1930s Stetson 5X Clear Beaver. Back in the days when this hat was manufactured, 5X Clear Beaver was top of the line. The felt finish is a joy to handle - finely pounced (sanded), but unlike western hats today, soft and supple too. The crown can be molded into any crease imaginable with your fingers… no steam required. Truly an amazing hat in incredible condition. Enjoy the photos!

$37.50 was a lot of hat dough in the 1930s.

Here compared to a fine quality 7X clear beaver western from the 1950s:

And here is what it looks like on:

Nutria-cious!

Ringing in the new with something old.

These three old Stetson cowboy hats from the 1920s/1930s are made from nutria… a charming name for a somewhat less than attractive rodent, originally from South America - now quite a nuisance in the southern United States. The nutria’s fur made a very soft and durable hat and became a popular felting fur as beaver became scarce and expensive in the early 1900s. 

The latest addition is this black furry Stetson with a 7” tall crown and 4”brim.

Here’s how I have it bashed:

This is the softest of the three hats with a very flexible brim. The ribbon is in good shape… the frayed edge of the bow is original.

The sweatband is soft and bears a mark “orange peel sheepskin.”

Originally purchased in Cheyenne, Wyoming, the hat spent most of its well cared for life in Woodstock, Vermont…

and is now moseying comfortably in Buffalo, NY.

Old Faithful, part II

Yesterday I wore a faithful old western hat… approaching its 90th birthday, this Stetson 1X Nutria (X’s went a long way in those days) is a favorite. Nutria is a  water rodent which became a popular source for hats when beaver became scarce in the early 20th C. It makes a very soft and very durable felt.

Simple unlined interior, with “the Fray” sweatband giving the some evidence to its 1920’s vintage - a taped rear seam and round glued size tag. 

Fifty mile per hour wind gusts forecast for later today… will have to choose something with a narrower brim and little less history.

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Beige

Is it the color of the universe? I don’t know… but it is the focus of this vintage still life featuring my Stetson 7X Clear Beaver western hat circa 1950s and my Macintosh SE circa 1980s. Both still work.

It’s a beige day for me. How about you?

The Imperial Stetson

A glorious hat circa 1940… they don’t make them like this any more. 

A good hat makes a happy Monday.

Austin, TX

Heading off for my first trip to Texas. I should really be taking a cowboy hat I guess, or maybe a fine dress western like this Stetson 100. Top of the line in its day, it retailed for a C note in the 1950’s and 60’s - a lot of change back then. 

But it’s going to be 102 tomorrow in Austin… too hot and sweaty for this pale pristine beauty. I’ll bring the crocodile boots and my nice old Stetson Stratoliner. It’s from the early forties, cool, dark, unlined and light as a feather. Yep, that should do the trick. See you in a few.

The Hat Thing

I’ve got a great day job that I’ve been lucky to hold on to for thirty years now… and a night job taking pictures that’s drifting into the daylight. But I’ve also got a dark little secret that I don’t keep very well hidden. I’m into hats. It’s been a long standing thing. I wore a beret in college and caps in my twenties. In recent years I wore a snap brim Tilley hat. Amazingly durable, you can machine wash it and it comes out looking better than new. It was a fixture on my head until it disappeared one night last year. As I went to replace it, I found a key to the door of the world of hats. Ebay. The history of the last century of men’s hats is there for the learning and I was a quick learner. I studied my way through a small museum of vintage hats, many of which now fill our spare bedroom and drift into the dining room and living room as the seasons change. Fedoras, Panamas, westerns, derbies. I wear them all. Bear with me as I share some of my favorites here from time to time.

 

This 1930’s Stetson Real Nutria Quality is a highlight. It’s a very fine western with beautiful fur felt and gorgeous construction. A bit of moth damage if you hunt for it, but otherwise it’s an 80 year old fossil from the golden age of men’s hats that looks as if it were bought this morning. Inside, a beautiful supple leather sweatband with rolled edge and deep foil imprints… notice the tiny stitches where it attaches to the reed.

Chinese red silk lining with gold imprint.

wide brim and high crown… it feels so good on.