Tweed/Newsie caps... how to pull it off?

[Bandwagonesque]

While I'm usually not a huge fan of hats... they sometimes come off as "trying too hard". Cheap, Sauce and Bobo all seem to pull this hat off very well. How does one do it without looking like a pretentious art haus douchebag, your Irish grandpa, or some dweeb you wanna pin up against the wall and punch in the gut for his lunch money?

I think it's a great look for cool fall/warmer winter days. Who else is with me on this? Where's a good place to find the authentic stuff, and not some made in China J-Crewesque knockoff that won't break the bank (asking too much?)? Vintage, or are brand new quality made ones still easy to find around $50?

 

[Arethusa]

You can get a Christys' for 60 at villagehatshop, and a Borsalino isn't much more (though I hate the shape). Even a cheap Jaxon is going to be a decent hat, though, and the ivy cap I have from J Crew is probably made of much better stuff than you think. As for wearing hats, tends to work about the same way as wearing other clothes.

 

[Bandwagonesque]

Nice, I'm liking this one... shipping up north is pricy though; but they do offer the option of USPS.

http://www.villagehatshop.com/media/....jpg&width=375

 

[Superb0bo]

I think a big part is getting one that really fits, both size and one that works with your headshape..
I wouldn´t dare buying one online mysel.f

 

[vaclava krishna]

You should consult, the man on the wall, from Paul Stuart.

 

[Arethusa]

Ivy caps can be worn a bit loose, and they actually were meant to fit like this a hundred years ago. They're pretty versatile in that respect, unless you buy one of the streamlined shapes from Kangol or Borsalino, in which case you absolutely need to make sure it fits.

 

[etl]

Worth&Worth has some nice ones, though the one i have has some construction issues. I bought a Borsalino at the Barney's sale last year for $40 and have been very happy with it.

I'm fairly short at 5'6" and find that these caps work well with me. Fedoras and other brimmed caps usually make me feel shorter and look like somebody's son.

 

[Superb0bo]

I agree, they look good a little loose, but not too much. But what I ment is that the depth/height and overall shape can vary much from different styles,and works with different head shapes.

 

[j]

I have about 10 of these all told. A few Kangols including the summer type, a few other felt ones, and three or four tweeds.

I wear them quite frequently, but I don't like the big floppy ones, or the ones that have points sticking out, or the ones with buttons in the middle, etc. I'm very particular. They have to fit closely, or they look ridiculous on me. I wouldn't buy one online either, the sizing is too variable. I've noticed a lot more of them around this season, but that doesn't stop me from wearing the one I've had since high school, bought in a now-defunct old-man Trad shop called Albert Ltd.

Marshalls had some decent ones by Weatherproof when I was in there a few months ago, so I picked up a couple more.

 

[Morgan]

The only way to to pull it off is with confidence. If your body language gives it away that you're too self-conscious of the fact that yes, you have a hat on your head, then it everyone else picks up on that. If it's just a hat, no big deal, then it's no big deal.

As for where to get one, I recommend Paul Stuart. The cashmere ones are super-soft but rather pricey, while the regular wool ones are just as well-made but a lot more reasonable.

 

[Bandwagonesque]

I guess I'll have to see what I can find in town...

That's pretty unlikely. I thought maybe the sizing of them would be forgiving, but never considered how they'd look on different face shapes.

 

[Englandmj7]

This is a subject I did ALOT of research on before making my first purchase. To me, one of the main factors that I was looking for in a newscap was that it wasn't enormously shaped, but rather, had a nice, 'slimmer' profile. Edit: I read Js post above and also agree with his pickiness (I hate buttons in the middle, etc.). I must have tried on 100s of caps in person at stores in San Francisco and LA to no avail. The ones I did find that I truly wanted had enormous pricetags.....

FINALLY, I went to a little Irish imports shop here in SF and found the hat I had been looking for. The company is called "Hanna Hats" and they handmake their caps in Donegal, Ireland from fine tweeds, etc.

They are worth far more than the price they sell for, and I guarantee you, that you will not find a better fit. I say this because they are nice and minimal, unlike some caps which appear large and floppy-ish, which seems unfashionably old to me. Here is their website:

http://www.hannahats.com/

You can order them at great prices through:

http://www.noggintops.com/page.cfm?p=66

Here is a pic of one of mine, so you have an idea on the fit (from the other SF WAYWT

):

Also, the sizing on these (as listed on Noggintops) is accurate, so you won't need to worry about that. For $40 I GUARANTEE you you cannot do better than these.

 

[prozach1576]

Goorin makes some really cool tweed hats.

 

[Bandwagonesque]

Originally Posted by Englandmj7

Here is a pic of one of mine, so you have an idea on the fit (from the other SF WAYWT

)

Perfect...

I'll look around some more, maybe PM later you to ask how you picked your size.

 

[Englandmj7]

Originally Posted by Bandwagonesque

Perfect...

I'll look around some more, maybe PM later you to ask how you picked your size.

Thanks. Don't kill yourself looking on the net, I did it for hours when I was researching, he heh

I originally made a post on this site as well, and whilst people offered tons of recommendations, many of them were either very expensive, or the brand made various models which made it difficult for me to "guess" how they might fit my head (online pictures can be deceiving). These are simple enough that you won't feel uncomfortable wearing one.