Re: This is caused by....

Posted by The Spatsman from spider-ta077.proxy.aol.com on January 23, 2001 at 17:22:48:

In Reply to: PB Height posted by Darl on January 23, 2001 at 01:42:56:

: New to the whole fedora thing but I got a PB today and I think it's great but I think it seems rather tall. Is this normal/

This is caused by comparing historic reproductions with modern equivelents. Todays fedoras are low crowned with little character.
The fedora from the 20's through the 40's had some real body to them...higher crowns and wider brims, a huge assortment of colors and ribbons and bashes to choose from.
You can thank Fred Astaire, Bing Crosby and the other jet-setters of the time for bringing the "snap-brim" fedora into favor, the hat favored by most blues and jazz musicians. Get a couple of early films under your belt, and you'll see that what you call too high was quite dashing and acceptable in the early 20th century.
As a final note, here's an example of the early high crown fedora being remembered by the entertainment industry...Mugsy the Gangster, from the Warner Bros cartoons. He was made of every gangster cliche from the 20's and the 30's...and he's almost ALL crown!
The animators remembered.
Ask others if they think it's too tall after a week or so. Let them see it up close and at a distance. Give it time. Hey, a Dickensian Era beaver felt topper is a really tall hat, some about 18 inches, and Lincolns was taller than that.
I'm rambling, here, but don't bail on a hat that is representitive of a past time because it doesn't look like a modern hat.
Give it time.
~The Spatsman

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: : New to the whole fedora thing but I got a PB today and I think it's great but I think it seems rather tall.  Is this normal/

: This is caused by comparing historic reproductions with modern equivelents. Todays fedoras are low crowned with little character.
: The fedora from the 20's through the 40's had some real body to them...higher crowns and wider brims, a huge assortment of colors and ribbons and bashes to choose from.
: You can thank Fred Astaire, Bing Crosby and the other jet-setters of the time for bringing the "snap-brim" fedora into favor, the hat favored by most blues and jazz musicians. Get a couple of early films under your belt, and you'll see that what you call too high was quite dashing and acceptable in the early 20th century.
: As a final note, here's an example of the early high crown fedora being remembered by the entertainment industry...Mugsy the Gangster, from the Warner Bros cartoons. He was made of every gangster cliche from the 20's and the 30's...and he's almost ALL crown!
: The animators remembered.
: Ask others if they think it's too tall after a week or so. Let them see it up close and at a distance. Give it time. Hey, a Dickensian Era beaver felt topper is a really tall hat, some about 18 inches, and Lincolns was taller than that.
: I'm rambling, here, but don't bail on a hat that is representitive of a past time because it doesn't look like a modern hat.
: Give it time.
: ~The Spatsman

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