Mad Hatter

Behold! The long promised post focused solely on some hats I've acquired in the recent months.

First up, a '40s/50's canvas "showerized" fedora. Looking through many old photo's and movies I've noticed that these fedora's started mainly for farmers and workers and by the '50s and '60s became quite a common accessory for the casual gentleman. I remember first seeing one like this in "The Long Long Trailer" (1954) and was quite intrigued by it. Breaths quite well too!

I love they way they used to round off the pinch on the crown in those days. I wonder why it went out of style.

Next we have a panama hat from the same period. While the brim is a little bent and the crown is a little stained and faded, the leather sweatband is in practically mint condition. I guess the original owner didn't care to store it properly.

Here we have my new old "knockabout" post-war Dobbs 5th Avenue Westward. The sweatband has dried out and some moths had themselves a high grade wool snack, but it holds it's new shape quite well and has plenty of life left in it.

                                                                         Now for some caps!
A real "Ivy" campus flat cap from the postwar period.  I'm not certain which college campus it was worn on. I was think either Princeton or Pratt, but with some research based on where the cap was manufactured I discovered the P might stand for either the defunct Parsons College of Fairfield or Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport.

                                   Saving the best for last! A NOS '30s-'40s 8 panel cap by Apex.

Any of you vintage cloth experts know what this kind of pattern is called? I've only seen it once before on a '70s polyester sport coat. 

 .95 cent price tag has me thinking this was one of the more affordable models in it's day, though the quality and craftsmanship far surpasses today's most expensive caps.

                    Well, now that my blog is caught up it's time for my current music obsession!
                     "Boogie Woogie Rag" (1952). Two of the greatest genres of music in one!