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Winter hats

shiftless_bum

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Depending on the jacket a dark coloured watch cap/toque is fine, particulalry if paired with pea coat. If you're looking for a less casual look, you can get all kinds of wool caps with fold down ear flaps that have the appearance of a driving cap/newsboy (e.g. http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/3145453?...esultback=1390) If warmth is the priority, a fur lined avaiator/trapper hat works. If its not that cold and you're concerned about your coiffe, consider earmuffs. Karakul's always compel me to make snowballs.
 

huskyzealot

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I have struggled with this same issue. I am also a younger male (24) who has to wear more formal clothes for work.

Unfortunately, there doesn't appear to be a great solution to our problem.

I generally wear one of the following

1. http://www.orvis.com/store/product.a...ubcat_id=16225

this works ok, but the ear flaps actually dont do much...it is very easy for cold air to get under them....i might look for a warmer version of a hat like this and see if it is a better solution


2. http://www.jpressonline.com/winter_g...?id=016R_LTBRN

i think the simple style and colors make this a little more formal than most other knit caps. this hat keeps me super warm, but messes up my hair and probably looks a little odd with a suit or sportcoat


3. http://www.180s.com/pages/catalog_vi...&y=7&i=81&c=14

I know a lot of people hate these things, but the more streamlined versions (with the plastic band) are much sleeker than the others. i can also easily throw them in my pocket when needed and they dont mess up my hair.
 

Will C.

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Originally Posted by ktrp
A question that cannot be answered, I fear. Several decades ago, stylish men from warmer climates decided to stop wearing hats entirely when dressed well. Stocking caps look about as good with a suit and overcoat as running shoes do. Unfortunately, most young men stopped wearing any other sort of winter hat. If you can look good in a fedora or similar, more power to you. I feel I would look 'costumey' wearing one with a suit. I actually think its easier to pair a traditional men's hat with streetwear and not look costumey then with a suit. Suit + fedora + overcoat = full anachronistic dress. I'm considering going for a flat cap, as suggested above, though I haven't pulled the trigger yet. I'll probably start with a cheap one and see how I find it. If you decide to look into a nicer one, I saw someone with one made by Hanna Hats of ireland that looked terrific. They are available through that companies website in a variety of tweeds, and in both a traditional and a 'more fitted' look. My father always wore a black Karakul hat, the sort one now sees most on central asian politicians, though I would say he wore it a little lower then they do. To me that still draws less attention then a traditional brimmed hat when paired with an overcoat in winter.
You have it a bit backwards there - when an overcoat is worn, a proper hat doesn't look costume at all, because then it serves an obvious utilitarian need (cold weather). When worn only with a suit. a hat is a problem for some men, but usually they just choose the wrong hat. If you buy that flatcap I hope you choose carefully - colourful tweed caps will look horrible with a city overcoat, especially at night time. One option might be a solid dark gray ascot cap... in any event, coordinate the cap and coat.
Several decades ago, stylish men from warmer climates decided to stop wearing hats entirely when dressed well.
And which decade was that, specifically? It couldn't have been the '60s -
SchneiderzeitungOct62_005.jpg
- or the '70s -
Rundschau1971_002.jpg
or even the '80s:
vlcsnap2010110703h03m20.png
I suppose you must have meant the '90s. That's alright then, there wasn't much style in the '90s anyway.
 

ville_e

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I nice cashmere/wool beanie works also with more formal wear.

I would warmly recommend a fur hat as well. They are very popular again and are a nice alternative.
 

Jay Gatsby

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Originally Posted by ktrp
A question that cannot be answered, I fear. Several decades ago, stylish men from warmer climates decided to stop wearing hats entirely when dressed well.

Stocking caps look about as good with a suit and overcoat as running shoes do. Unfortunately, most young men stopped wearing any other sort of winter hat.

If you can look good in a fedora or similar, more power to you. I feel I would look 'costumey' wearing one with a suit. I actually think its easier to pair a traditional men's hat with streetwear and not look costumey then with a suit. Suit + fedora + overcoat = full anachronistic dress.

I'm considering going for a flat cap, as suggested above, though I haven't pulled the trigger yet. I'll probably start with a cheap one and see how I find it. If you decide to look into a nicer one, I saw someone with one made by Hanna Hats of ireland that looked terrific. They are available through that companies website in a variety of tweeds, and in both a traditional and a 'more fitted' look.

My father always wore a black Karakul hat, the sort one now sees most on central asian politicians, though I would say he wore it a little lower then they do. To me that still draws less attention then a traditional brimmed hat when paired with an overcoat in winter.


This is almost certainly the best post by a new member, ever.
 

cptjeff

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Originally Posted by Will C.
You have it a bit backwards there - when an overcoat is worn, a proper hat doesn't look costume at all, because then it serves an obvious utilitarian need (cold weather). When worn only with a suit. a hat is a problem for some men, but usually they just choose the wrong hat.

If you buy that flatcap I hope you choose carefully - colourful tweed caps will look horrible with a city overcoat, especially at night time. One option might be a solid dark gray ascot cap... in any event, coordinate the cap and coat.


Nah, tweed will be fine with an overcoat. Even at night, at least if the colors are tasteful and not lime green and purple or something. No idea where you got that idea.

And which decade was that, specifically? It couldn't have been the '60s -

SchneiderzeitungOct62_005.jpg
First, like it or not, proper felt hats disappeared in the US around the 60's, a few fashion spreads and holdouts notwithstanding.

Second, I hadn't seen a photo of a stingy homburg like that from any time later then the 20s and 30s before. Neat.
 

MyOtherLife

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Originally Posted by Jay Gatsby
Tuques mess up your hair on the way to work. Is there no answer for keeping the head warm in the winter time without looking like you're playing dress up?
frown.gif

i-want-you-to-stop-whining.jpg
 

williamson

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Originally Posted by Will C.
You have it a bit backwards there - when an overcoat is worn, a proper hat doesn't look costume at all, because then it serves an obvious utilitarian need (cold weather).
This is absolutely right.
Fedoras look respectable on older men but on a younger guy the impression they give off is one of novelty and eccentricity.
The solution to this impression is for large numbers of younger men to adopt (re-adopt?) them.
Suit + fedora + overcoat = full anachronistic dress.
And this is nonsense - it's simply classical. However, suit and fedora without an overcoat or raincoat are anachronistic in my opinion (compare the first quotation, which is a comment on this one).
Tweed or plain wool flat cap, they look fine on a younger guy and don't blow away in the wind.
A flat cap looks great with a tweed overcoat and with the single-breasted raglan-sleeve fly-front raincoat (is that called "balmacaan" in the USA?). The original poster mentions a "sportcoat"; a flat cap looks good with that as well.
 

donCarlos

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I have two main fedoras - grey and brown. It is the only decent headwear for winter. It may look anachronistic, but for me, it is the only decent non-juvenile headwear.
 

pinchi22

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I´ve struggled with the same issues and ended up with a Kangol flat cap (classic 504) model.

IMHO, it´s reasonably stylish without looking eccentric and affected, as I think a fedora would. At the same time, I´ve used it in temps well below freezing (-14 C on a recent trip to Berlin). Of course, if it got any colder, I´d resort to an ugly wool ski hat, even if it looked wrong with a suit.
 

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