It's been raining, or threatening to, with a fair amount of regularity lately. I find that the cheap hat finds an unexpected mate in the old Barbour jacket. Naturally, a Barbour is most at home with a tweed cap, but this one has a bit of the air of the old english bucket hat, just enough to tie it to the Barbour. Being khaki makes the hat a cinch against the deep olive green waxed cotton. On a sunny day, it works right into a blazer/khaki/blue shirt combo with ease. Goes pretty good with brown tortoise shell Ray Bans too.Every now and then, I think I want a proper tweed bucket hat. But unless you're John Updike, it's unlike to look anything other than frumpy. This ones got a bit more shape, which keeps it just fresh enough. Truly, I never thought I'd ever really recommend something from Target, but whaddaya know?, this hat broke the mold.
All of this is, of course, merely my humble opinion.
p.s. comments are officially closed on the "Ink and Bow Ties" post. Talk about a raw nerve....
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19 comments:
Don't know about that narrow brim, but you pull off the linen cap pretty good, so...
Check out some backpacking stores too. I got a canvas fedora with about a 2 1/2" brim from REI, on sale real cheap, and they often have wool crushers that are fairly stylish.
BTW, some truly a**h*le "anons" have hit some other blogs too, must be something going around.
I'm ambivalent about the stingy brim. The look is cool, but the functionality suffers. I have a couple of hats with brims on the stingy side, and they (just) keep the rain off my face (mostly), but are worthless for keeping the sun out of my eyes. I think I might need to invest in a proper chapeau since all of the cheap hats these days are stingy.
So what do I win for spawning what I believe are the most comments for a single post in AAW's history?
G, is this basically your first foray into fedora territory? (I remember you wearing a tattered straw one to the beach, but I'm not sure if you count that.) Either way, it looks good.
I love your flat caps, but I'd love to see you in more fedoras and maybe even a homburg, which you can easily get away with in winter in Boston, given the weather. Some men, like ADG, think they can't pull off a hat, but that's nonsense in my opinion; hats, like suits, make almost every man look better. You just have to find one that suits your features.
I'd love to wear a felt hat with just a suit, like Will does, but I think it'd feel too costumey to me in 2010. So my rule of thumb is I never wear a felt unless it's either cold or wet enough (or both) for a coat. When it is, a hat becomes utilitarian as well as decorative.
Hmm, I hope I can find this hat at my local Target. I could use a crushable rainhat that would go with my trench and I definitely like the price of this one. I can't find it on their website though. Anyone know where to find this hat online, or one like it? Otherwise it's hoping that SoCal Targets would somehow stock items that protect against rain...
Perhaps you have come to a realization of how incredibly offensive tattoos are to many of us, and how shocked we are that such a truly fine gentleman as your good self would willingly put himself in the same category as motorcycle trash and drug addicts.
Abe,
I find your attitude offensive. Tattoos are superficial, but that kind of thinking runs deep.
Drug addicts? Seriously.
I love the color of the hat, but I'm with the others regarding the stingy brim. I have a similar noggin and find that I need a little more brim so the hat looks proportional.
Though I might not be a fan of the hat or tatts., I enjoy your blog.
It appears to me that the hat is a little undersized for your head. And from my point of view it doesn't go with a Barbour. Could be some sort of summer hat, too?!
I'd recommend something bigger and more "rough".
Something like the kind of hats people wear in Bavaria, where I spent my holidays. Take a look at my blog :-)
BTW: Don't take these rude comments about your SHOCKING tattoos too personal. Some people do live in their own little square world and hide behind their online anonymity.
The stingy brim hat is also called a Trilby, and is enjoying a surge of popularity these days. They were also popular in the 60s, and, given the recent popularity of 60s-like silhouettes, it's no surprise that Trilbys are back.
The Homburg has been partially co-opted by rappers, so is harder to pull off. I would only wear one with a suit or a tuxedo, as a black Homburg is the most correct hat to wear with a tuxedo. (Top hats are for white tie only.)
A fedora (originally a women's hat style, oddly enough) has a broader brim than the Trilby and is considered to be more flattering to more face and head shapes than any other. The fedora is also highly functional, as it keeps your head warm & dry, and also keeps the sun out of your eyes. I wear one every day. A decent one will probably set you back about $120 (±$20). You can get custom made from about $300. I never see them in thrift stores where I live; YMMV.
The main downside of fedoras is that they appear to be popular with the fantasy role playing crowd; they seem to be of the misapprehension that wearing one will make them look like Indiana Jones. No matter. Wear one with a jacket and tie, leave the duster at home (you don't really have one of those in your closet, do you?), and no one will think you're off to play D&D in your friend's basement.
Hey Wallace - where's Gromit? Just kidding and giving you a hard time. Apologies in advance.
@-ABE-------- I find YOU & your superficial, arrogant non valid comments extremely offensive,
It's mind blowing to me that THIS is what you choose to be offended by, with all that is going on in the world, Here you are choosing to go out of your way to insult someone (you don't know) for THEIR self expresion,
To me this make you lower than all of the ridiculous comparisons you spat out to G.
Get a clue "Abe"
J.
Love the blog G.
Anonymous J,
What you're really saying is two things:
1. All forms of self-expression are equally valid (a position I disagree with); and
2. It's not OK for Honest Abe to get offended by something that you find acceptable.
In other words, you're judging him for being judgmental. That attitude is just a few short steps away from being tyrannical.
In contrast, Honest Abe is telling us that yes, many people still have negative opinions of tattoos, and he's one of them. He wasn't directly insulting Giuseppe--read it again if you don't see that. Yet he could have been more diplomatic, and I fully understand why G is offended by Abe's post.
Even though I don't like tattoos myself, I know some really good people--like G--who have them, so it's not a deal-breaker for me. Not everyone feels that way--and that's OK.
It is, after all, a free country.
P.S.: G has talked a little about his ink before. I love the ones that honor his grandparents. I honored mine by naming my children after them. Either way, we are expressing something deep, even if we do it in different ways--and that may be part of why I feel such an affinity for someone I've never met.
@ Fogy-
There is a difference in having an opinion about something and self expression, both obviously are free to express including myself, However for "Good ol Abe" to find his way to G's own blog and personally attack him (and anyone else with tattoos, including my self) comparing us to "Drug dealers" is completely out of line and rightfully so shall be called out by G, myself and anyone else who is offended by his close-minded remarks.
Abe can join a "I find tattoos trashy" blog and have a field day! There is a place & time for everything , There is also something called tact
But, as I'm sure "G" is tired of this topic. Let's move on....
J.
J,
exhausted.
Honest Abe really ought to defend himself, so all I will say on his behalf is this:
He did not directly insult Giuseppe, but he did say disparaging things about tattoos. This could easily be taken as an attack, but Abe actually praised G. He expressed shock that someone he thought so highly of would have tattoos.
J then came down on him like a ton of bricks, and I pointed out that it was an overreaction, and why.
I could say more, but--Abe, you're on your own now.
Fogey,
He thought highly of me based on my words. He then changed his mind and became offended based upon something entirely superficial. He then proceeded to lump me in a catagory with "motorcycle trash" and "drug addicts". I will not sit quietly and have someone call me a a drug addict, or trash of any kind.
Sorry, that kind of knee jerk behavior is indefensible.
G, if you ever actually wish to get yourself the aforementioned bucket hat, this one seems to be more in your price range:
http://fineanddandyshop.com/tan-bucket-hat.html
G,
It's just part of my personality, for better or for worse, that I don't take things personally. So of course I don't see as personal most criticisms, regardless of whom they are directed at.
Even so, I, too, would probably resent being lumped in with drug addicts, etc. I still don't see him calling you that directly, but perhaps that's too fine a line to draw.
For the record, I think you're a great guy, and I don't have a problem with your reaction to Abe (and I loved your "spicy meat-a-balls" response here!). My problem was with J's response.
I got your back, buddy.
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