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25 January 2009

Old Hat

No man's wardrobe is really complete without a few tattered and well loved items in it. These are the sort of things that common sense would suggest were sent to the trash long ago, but for reasons inexplicable even to the wearer were not. Things that will never be thrown out. Things one's wife and family find quaint or funny, and wonder why one is so attached to them.One of mine is this old hat:





An old Dobbs hat, probably 1940's vintageFrom Boyd's of Philadelphia

I have owned this hat forever. The leather band on the inside is completely disintegrated in front. The band is mottled with sweat stains. Its been run over by cars three times since I've had it. These days I wear it mostly in the garden or in terrible rain. (I wore it today because I just had a haircut and it fits best when my hair is short).The pictures do not do justice to the wear on it, the ravages of 60+ years of use. I like to imagine it was worn in a bank robbery or on a boxcar in the dust bowl. Ah, Romance....

My grandfather wore an old brown hat very much like this one. We all wondered why he was so attached to the filthy old thing. What goes around comes around, I guess.


Whats your favorite crummy old thing?


p.s. any readers in the Philadelphia area have any good stories about Boyd's?
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6 comments:

  1. AnonymousJanuary 26, 2009 at 6:18 AM

    I hold on to old t-shirts till they are nothing but tattered rags. My favorite t-shirt is one that I have been wearing at least once a week for 6 years.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousJanuary 26, 2009 at 2:37 PM

    http://famigliatimore.com/giuseppe/Giuseppe.JPG

    Now that's how to wear an old hat.

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousJanuary 26, 2009 at 8:10 PM

    I inherited three fedoras from my grandfather several years ago. All three of them are rather tattered but I wouldn't dream of parting with them.

    ReplyDelete
  4. GiuseppeJanuary 26, 2009 at 8:25 PM

    Pasquale,

    I've still got that hat too, but I lost the feather.

    I think a lengthy post describing the events of that evening may soon be in order.

    ReplyDelete
  5. KimJanuary 28, 2009 at 7:22 AM

    We'll never forget my uncle's red "tennies". Nasty pair of red converse all stars that he would not part with for any reason....and this was at least 25 years ago. He probably still has them.

    ReplyDelete
  6. David VFebruary 6, 2009 at 9:17 AM

    The leather can be replaced. The ribbon can be replaced. The hat cleaned and re blocked.
    it will o longer be just a filthy old thing used only in the ran but a smart addition to your wardrobe. Anything to get rid of that watch cap!!

    ReplyDelete

An Affordable Wardrobe strives for an open discussion of all the topics presented here. All opinions, whether in agreement with the author or not, will be considered for publication. Please present your points in a clear and adult fashion. Negative comments of an overtly crass nature will not be published. Besides dressing like grown ups, let's behave like them as well.