Dress Cap, incl. Beret?

[Lafont]

I wear a duffel coat for dress in the colder months. I realize a duffel coat is not considered particularly dressy by many, but the ones I've had (currently BB, also a Gloverall awaiting) are traditional-colored, expensive and well-made types and fairly long. As I am waiting for buses most workdays when I dress up, and am an avid walker as well, I frequently wear the large and unstructured hood (worst feature of BB coat) with a wool cap.
Question: It's now at the point where I could consider turning in my 8-year-old Borsalino cap for a new cap of some sort. I find with a hood no fedora works too well, though the wool types are better than felt but have still a bit too high a crown. My Borsalino, which I got at the esteemed JJ Hat Center in NY in '01, is a nice fine weabe and of simple shape (Ascot) and I feel it's about as dressy as a wool cap could be. What are your opinions what types of wool caps would come off as the dressiest?
How about a beret? Could it come off as dressy enough? They're plenty flat enough. At the moment I don't particularly want a solid-colored one because they're the least interesting , though others are harder to find and perhaps they'd be taken as less dressy? I'd only consider a subtle type, and perhaps a plaid. And good quality. Ideal would be made in France or perhaps British. Opinions, please.

 

[edinatlanta]

Originally Posted by Lafont

How about a beret?

Are you trying to look affected and effete? I hope not.

I've recently (in the past few months) started wearing a cap and I've done far more reading on them than I should. That said, I've learned there is no such thing as a "formal" cap. Hats tend to look odd on people younger than 40 too, so keep that in mind.

Just get a good wool cap and you will be fine.

 

[Lafont]

Why were you guessing age? Let's just say I'm considerably beyond 40 and have always been a hat guy. Thanks for the first response, though.

 

[edinatlanta]

Originally Posted by Lafont

Why were you guessing age? Let's just say I'm considerably beyond 40 and have always been a "hat guy." Thanks for the first response, though.

I was just offering in case you were below said age.

 

[jmacak]

Originally Posted by edinatlanta

Are you trying to look affected and effete? I hope not.

I've recently (in the past few months) started wearing a cap and I've done far more reading on them than I should. That said, I've learned there is no such thing as a "formal" cap. Hats tend to look odd on people younger than 40 too, so keep that in mind.

Just get a good wool cap and you will be fine.

I don't get the hate for berets.

Like Lafont, I wear a fedora, but here in Seattle we have some really windy days that I resort to the beret. And I don't think that I am effete OR affected. I just think it looks better than the standard stocking cap.

cheers

joe

 

[edinatlanta]

Originally Posted by jmacak

I don't get the hate for berets.

It is the string on top that doesit.

 

[Lafont]

jmacak - you wrote you wear a fedora like me. No, I've had many fedoras in the past but at present don't wear any in the colder months. My current "dress" cap is the Borsalino Ascot, and my current casual winter cap is a BB with the button and really nice. Looks great with the duffel coat (without hood) but I can't claim it as "dressy."

 

[Pundit]

I am not a hat guy - yet, but do wear a beret when wearing a hat makes sense. I like that it can be rolled up and stuffed in a pocket when not needed.

As for appearing effete, go ask an Army Ranger.

 

[Metlin]

I like wearing some hats -- my personal favorite is a newsboy cap or a flat hat that I tend to wear around fall and winter. While I usually wear mine with my topcoat, I'm fairly certain that it could be worn with a duffel coat.

Besides, people keep mistaking those for berets anyway.

And I don't buy the whole you need to be more than a particular age to wear your hat/ascot/cravat/whatever crap.

You can wear whatever you like as long as you can pull it off. I've in my late twenties, and I've received nothing but compliments on my hats.

 

[Lafont]

I like seeing the young guys wearing fedoras again - even if they be the narrow, sort of "funky" type. Actually, I've seen little of this around Cleveland in public areas, but I see plenty in the stores here and magazines and even on tv shows (e.g. youngest son on "Dirty Sexy Money." Hopefully they'll catch on here, and replace some of the baseball caps. None of these are really dressy, of course. Well, the former could be, I suppose, depending on material, etc.

 

[Lafont]

Actually my current dressier cap is not an Ascot; I've had that style but not this one. Don't know what to call it but the general "cap" type without the button or related sections. "Ivy League?"
When I was in 5th/6th grade Ivy League caps were the big new thing and they had buckles in the back.