The Proportionate Raider Hat...

[mooniteman]

Alright - so this is something I've thought about quite often...

When you buy a coat you get it made to your specs - not Harrison's

When you buy Indy pants - you get it made to your specs... not Harrison's...

So when you buy a hat... shouldn't we do the same ?

Now now - before we all yell "Of course! We choose our bloody hat size!" hear me out...

Of course you order it in a size 57 or 7 1/8 or what have you - but what I mean is a hat that is just as proportionate as Harrison Ford's is...

I don't know about you guys but I have a very slender face and I look like an idiot in the Akubra Fed - it's a beautiful hat and I'm sure Harrison Ford would look fantastic in it - but for me it's just too big....

So after this long winded preface -

Have any of you ever thought of getting an Indy hat that is proportionate to your face the way it is with Harrison Fords?

For example - Say the height of Indy's actual hat is 5 1/2 inches and that is the same distance from his eyes to his mouth - Then if you measure from your eyes to your mouth and it's 4 1/2 inches thats how tall YOUR hat should be - Savvy?

Is this making sense?

Let me know what you guys think - I think this would be fantastic if we could find something like this or if perhaps Adventure built offered a service like this.

Cheers!

AJ

[The_Raiders]

Oh, I agree with this 100%! I've seen hats the look like big'ole boxes on peoples heads, and you can tell it just doesn't look natural like Harrisons does. One of the things I try to acheive the most is a hat in proportion with my face so I don't look like I have big'ole box o me.

Also, I know we all like our "screen accurate" hats... I do too, it's one of my biggest concerns with my hats obviously, but shouldn't we all try to add our own little "touch" to the bash, or brim to make the hat our own icon, not just exactly like Fords...don't get me wrong I want one that looks like Indy, but I'm talking about just those little tiny details you can add in when shaping or bashing you fedora.

[DR Ulloa]

I think this would be fantastic if we could find something like this or if perhaps Adventure built offered a service like this.

Steve and Marc are custom hatters. They can make the Raiders hat with any specs. Any custom hatter can do what you want him to do about crwon height and brim width. I think you are right about this, though. The Raiders hat doesn't look good on everyone. I think it suits my face shape. I could be wrong, but I think it complements me. A short crown and stingy brim makes me look rediculous. The Raiders specs are just about dead on for me.

Dave

[hanson]

I have noticed this with the US Kevlar helmets. It sometimes looks quite comical; especially when they get their sweat bands cocked off center and their helmet is to large. regards, H.

[The_Raiders]

The Raiders hat doesn't look good on everyone. I think it suits my face shape. I could be wrong, but I think it complements me. A short crown and stingy brim makes me look rediculous. The Raiders specs are just about dead on for me.

Dave

I agree with that also. I've tried The Raiders bash and specs and it just doesnt suit me, and as I've received some compliments with that bash, it also doesnt feel right to me. I think the TOD style fits me well, but I hate the taper, the KOTCS style seems to suit me really good, it's the most suitable style I think for me.

[Texas Raider]

This has been discussed over and over, and yes, to have a fedora look right on you, you HAVE to have it made in your dimensions. This is specifically why I have my hats made with a 2 5/8 in. front and back brim and a 2 3/8 in side brim, not to mention a shorter crown. I have a very thin profile and these dimensions, although they sound way off, look completely right on me. Put the hat on a normal persons head and it looks like something out of the 3 stooges, but on me it looks right-

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TR

[mooniteman]

So what's the next step - do we have to come up with a formula - like a marked picture of Indy to make our hats proportionate - anyone have some solid measurements we can apply to out own faces?


Moony

[Barcelona Jones]

Hi,

I wholly agree with the need of suiting the hat to your features.

If you need dimensions markedly different from the standard Indy ones, you will have to go custom, because you could trim the brim yourself, but not take off height. This can be easily done with other kinds of crease, like diamond or c-crown, but not with centerdent, which is the one you will want for the Indy style.

Then, if you choose a custom hatter, you can send him photos of you in several angles, with a hat on preferably, for he to make an assessment comparing with the measurements of the hat you wear in the photos.

This is what I did when ordering my hat from John Penman, and it came out fine.

The whole matter depends on your facial shape and dimensions; your height; and your own tastes, too.

Regards!

[Dr. Cooley]

Peters bros web site offers that service. There's a description on the front page recommendng what hat usually suits what face.

[binkmeisterRick]

Let me know what you guys think - I think this would be fantastic if we could find something like this or if perhaps Adventure built offered a service like this.

Adventurebilt does this where possible. In fact, I've seen Steve on numerous occasions tell a customer to send the hat back to him when a customer posts pictures wearing the hat and the proportions don't look right to him.

When hats were a necessary and everyday piece of wardrobe, you'd walk into a hat shop and the hatter would match a hat with shape, bash, crown, and brim specs to your face. Nowadays, you buy a hat online or in a basic shop where all they want to do is sell a hat, regardless of how it looks on you. You can still find hatters who will make sure your hat looks right on you, but they are all probably custom hatters and few and far between.

[Russian Raider]

Well i am a lucky one that looks good with Raiders bash, but isnt the bash deside it all? You can bash it to your own specs that looks good on YOU ?

[Chewbacca Jones]

So what's the next step - do we have to come up with a formula - like a marked picture of Indy to make our hats proportionate - anyone have some solid measurements we can apply to out own faces?


Moony

Any custom hatter that won't alter the standard measurements on a hat isn't a custom hatter. AB, PB, Penman; all custom hatters. When I first ordered from Steve, he was very happy when I told him I wanted a hat right for me, not for Harrison Ford.

As for a "formula," there are some standard basic rules, but as a full-time hat person, I've seen pretty much every "rule" shattered into a million pieces. The best thing to do, if you don't already know what looks good on you, is to send photos of yourself to the Steve, Marc, or whoever and get their opinion. There is no substitute for making a judgement on a case-by-case basis, with professional help.

Also, those who have been wearing hats a while can tell you that finding the perfect specs for you is a learning experience that takes time, trial and error. That's why so many start with cheap hats and work their way up. It hurts less if a $50 hat looks silly on you than a $300 one!

[Barcelona Jones]

Well i am a lucky one that looks good with Raiders bash, but isnt the bash deside it all? You can bash it to your own specs that looks good on YOU ?

Hi, as I have said in my last post, you can re-crease (re-bash) the hat to suit your face and/or your taste, but if what you want is an Indy hat (and this is what we are talking here, mostly), then you want a centerdent; and a centerdent is not a good crease to take off height, because the crown sides remain at whatever height they had, unless you make a very deep dent- and it would not look right (and would probably touch the top of your head, besides).

With a c-crown or a diamond you can reduce height easily, an inch or more, specially if you make a "dome" (a telescopic-like crown) too, but then this is not an Indy hat.

Regards!

[Barcelona Jones]

Hi again,

I subscribe everything said by Chewbacca Jones. Up to now I have custom hats by two artisans, Art Fawcett of Vintage Silohuettes for my non-Indy fedora hats) and John Penman of Penman Hats (for my Indy hat). With both I sent photos and asked for advice/assessment. The hats came out very well.

Ditto to the bit about one having to learn by trial and error what hats suits him best, or what hats one likes best. Which is because it pays to trust a professional: you are less likely to commit mistakes.

Regards!

[Zombie Jones]

Also, I know we all like our "screen accurate" hats... I do too, it's one of my biggest concerns with my hats obviously, but shouldn't we all try to add our own little "touch" to the bash, or brim to make the hat our own icon, not just exactly like Fords...don't get me wrong I want one that looks like Indy, but I'm talking about just those little tiny details you can add in when shaping or bashing you fedora.

I completely agree with this. A person could wear one of the actual hats Ford wore in Raiders, but if it's not right for that person it would look just as ridiculous as someone who's 6'5" tall and weighs 245 lbs., but insists on wearing Harrison Ford's jacket, shirt, and pant sizes because they're screen accurate. Emulate Indy's look as close as you can, but make it your own.

[The_Raiders]

I completely agree with this. A person could wear one of the actual hats Ford wore in Raiders, but if it's not right for that person it would look just as ridiculous as someone who's 6'5" tall and weighs 245 lbs., but insists on wearing Harrison Ford's jacket, shirt, and pant sizes because they're screen accurate. Emulate Indy's look as close as you can, but make it your own.

That's exacly what I was trying to say! I have a KOTCS bash, but my hat I think has a sliiight taper to it, I don't like the taper but as much as I hate it it looks good on me, and looks more natural. And I've just done little things to my general gear that makes it suit me, not just screen accurate to Harrisons.