Wearing a hat for winter? What kind?

[AVT]

Its starting to become really cold where i live.
Were talking around -8Celsius.

I am considering buying a hat to stop myself from freezing to death.
What kind of hat would look good with a "dressy casual" attire?
I usually wear an attire like this; peacoat, jeans, chelsea boots, scarf. All nicely slim fitted.

 

[dpopat]

 

[alliswell]

Originally Posted by AVT

Its starting to become really cold where i live.
Were talking around -8Celsius.

I am considering buying a hat to stop myself from freezing to death.
What kind of hat would look good with a "dressy casual" attire?
I usually wear an attire like this; peacoat, jeans, chelsea boots, scarf. All nicely slim fitted.

Peacoat and wool watch cap is the obvious choice.

 

[AVT]

What do you guys think about those big fur hats?
Must be warm!

 

[Fred H.]

You a relic from the Cold War? If ya ain't a Ruskie, the only (deceased) beaver on your head should be...
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... A stingy brim fur felt fedora from Vintage Silhouettes or Optimo.

 

[bleachboy]

Originally Posted by AVT

What do you guys think about those big fur hats?
Must be warm!

I have a Russian one. It is really warm.

But seriously, in case nobody's recommended it yet, the only real choice is an Ed Hardy fitted.

 

[JayJay]

Originally Posted by AVT

What do you guys think about those big fur hats? Must be warm!
I also have a Russian one that I bought several years ago while in those parts. It's really warm, but also draws lots of attention. I wear it on only the coldest and snowiest days of the year.

 

[bjan]

 

[Fred H.]

Seriously. Buy a fur felt hat from Optimo:

OR:

Optimo Hat Company

 

[cptjeff]

Art Fawcett at Vintage Silhouettes makes very nice custom beaver hats for a fair bit less then optimo, and quality is still top notch. Both would be excellent choices.

However, you don't have to go custom. Stetson is back to making decent stuff again, after a few decades of subpar dress hats Their cowboy stuff has stayed top notch. Akubra, an aussie maker with a more rough and tumble vibe, never stopped making high quality hats.

Of course, you also may want to consider other styles. Ivy caps or newsboys in tweed are a great classic look, and there are a fair number of makers. Hanna hats is one of the more well known, classic irish tweeds and styling.

And if you're looking for 60's style stingies, e-bay has a great supply of the real deal at (depending on your size) reasonable prices.

 

[Fred H.]

CJ -- Agree completely about Art's hats. I have a chocolate brown in an underwelt brim. 100% beaver and fits me perfectly. He also did a Milan straw for me this year. Once you've had a bespoke hat made it's extremely difficult to go back to OTR.

 

[patrick_b]

I have very short hair and live in the Northeast. We spend lots of time outdoors but even on workdays w/business attire, I go with a very thin, cuffed merino wool beanie/skull cap. It's not ideal for the workday, but I don't have to worry about messing my hair up and I simply remove it before I walk into a meeting w/clients. In this case, function outweighs fashion.

It's a lot like this smartwool version.

http://www.rei.com/product/738915

 

[Marshdrifter]

Originally Posted by AVT

Its starting to become really cold where i live.
Were talking around -8Celsius.

I am considering buying a hat to stop myself from freezing to death.
What kind of hat would look good with a "dressy casual" attire?
I usually wear an attire like this; peacoat, jeans, chelsea boots, scarf. All nicely slim fitted.
You should also consider the length of time that you're spending outside.

If all I'm doing is spending brief periods outside as I walk from place to place and the temp is above or around -7, I'll wear a brimmed hat. It's currently a wool trilby, but all those Optimo hats sure are tempting.

If it's brief periods at -7 or colder, then I wear a watch cap/tuque. I'll also wear these for prolonged periods of time (hours, not minutes) if the temp is below 7. My ears get cold.

If you're spending a prolonged period of time outside and the temp is below -7, I could see wearing the furry earflap hat. I know foresters who swear by them.

Obviously my temperature/time requirements are based on what's comfortable to me. Your mileage will undoubtedly vary.

 

[JhwkMac]

+1 for those felt fedoras. RLPL makes nice ones, or some italian brands.