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Brim Up or Down?

Lafont

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I just purchased one of those fabulous, fur felt Makins fedoras, with the grosgrain band. Amazingly, I wanted a Makins ever since I first laid eyes on them - about 1974 or '75 in either Tiger's Lily boutique or Halle's department store in Cleveland. General question, guys:

This hat has the usual, wide-brimmed look. Do you prefer the brim up or down in the back? Please don't respond something about personal choice. This is sort of a survey. I'd be interested to know, of course, how the individual or individuals who actually design the hats prefer they be worn. But also, what's your opinion?


.
 
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Crane's

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How's the crown bashed? Typical pinch front? I own a few fedoras and whether or not I snap the brim down or not depends on my mood and the weather. The brims are designed by the manufacturers to be worn up or down and it is a personal choice on what you want to do.
 

Lafont

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Okay - here are some photos of my actual new chapeau. I was going to attach some from the Makins website, which is odd in that in its online catalogs when one clicks on a hat style a photo of a different hat appears.... Anyway, my photos don't show much but JayJay asked....

[ATTACHMENT=2599]April, 2012 019.JPG (152k. JPG file)[/ATTACHMENT]

[ATTACHMENT=2600]April, 2012 018.JPG (151k. JPG file)[/ATTACHMENT]

.... Brim up, brim down. Crane's - Maybe it should reflect my mood? Perhaps up in the back is a tad more stylish? When I'm driving with a coat the brim up in back works out slightly better. Or maybe the pinched thing is what should make the difference. I don't believe this is a pinched hat - at least is isn't now. Yes, the typically pinched fedora I can see it up in the back, but perhaps when not pinched it looks better down?

One of these days I'll get back to the store (before they move from downtown altogether) and see how their stacked Makins fedora brims are.
But can I trust hat store guys who attach plasticky Capas inserts inside crowns of fedoras designed to be crushable? I know the Mike's guys added feathers to at least some like my new hat but I think that's fine - in fact, commendable!:happy:
 
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Crane's

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The thing about fine hats is they tend to be very personal items. Some people wear them as is from the store while others bash the crown to a shape they like. Then there's the brim which can also be shaped in any number of ways. My fedoras have the center dent and a pinch front. The brim at the front of my hats are turned down a bit and most of the time I'll snap the backs down. On your head you can wear it dead centered or kicked to one side, high on the brow or slung low. With one hat you can attain many different looks and moods.

Since you're new to this just start out by wearing the hat as is. Get used to it and eventually you'll feel comfortable wearing it. Then if you feel like it start experimenting with different bashes etc. Be aware though that fine hats are a freakin addiction. I have around 20 or so and some people have a lot more than I do.

For more on hats check out the fedora lounge. I hang out there every once in a while. Great group and plenty of members here are members there as well.

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/

Oh and start a hat fund... LOL!
 

GBR

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you have not expressed your own opinion so why should anyone else?
 

Lafont

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Thanks, but where on earth did you get the idea I'm "new to this?" I'm in my 60s and have been wearing hats (fine and otherwise) all my life. As for Fedora Lounge, I've looked at it from time to time but when I once wanted to join I was unable - something about it was limited to individuals with a certain kind of Internet access which I didn't have.
 

Lafont

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I haven't? Generally I like clothes as they designer had in mind, or as established etiquette has in mind. However, of course, the whole point here is to get opinions.
 

Broder

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What is "OP?"

OP is, in this case, an acronym for 'original post', the first post in the thread.

I do not really know what is considered appropiate, wearing the brim up or down. My tip is to do whatever you feel the most comfortable in, people tend to look their best when they are comfortable.
 

Ianiceman

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Definitely IMO a hat like that should have the brim snapped up at the back, otherwise the whole thing looks like a droopy, slightly more structured Woody Allen bucket hat.

Whether or not you snap up the front is up to you. I have a traditional fedora style Pnama which I think looks a lot better with the front snapped up, but most fedoras are up in the back, down in the front.
 

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