Club Obi Wan

I was in the St. Louis airport last week, about to venture into 20-degree (F) weather so I suited up with my A-2 bomber jacket (too cold for the lamb Wested) and my Jaxon Iconoclast and stroll up to the rent-a-car counter. The guy looks up and immediately complimented me on my hat -- without using one "Indiana Jones" reference.

Let me tell you, as soon as I stepped out into that cold wind, I was glad to be wearing it. Fedoras, of course, offer no ear protection but they sure keep the rest of your head nice and toasty! Back in the 80s, I used a thicker felt one as my winter hat and will continue to do so whenever faced with cold weather.

Not that it happens much here in LA, but you get the point: fedoras not only look sharp, they're quite functional!

I completely agree; where I live it rains frequently, so there's added incentive to don the hat.

I often wonder why something so practical as hats with full brims went out of fashion...

We can blame it all on John Kennedy. He refused to wear one and he was ridiculously popular that everyone wanted to be like him. After he was elected, clothing store mannequins were actually given heads that were similar to his.

Doh wrote:I was in the St. Louis airport last week, about to venture into 20-degree (F) weather so I suited up with my A-2 bomber jacket (too cold for the lamb Wested) and my Jaxon Iconoclast and stroll up to the rent-a-car counter. The guy looks up and immediately complimented me on my hat -- without using one "Indiana Jones" reference.

Let me tell you, as soon as I stepped out into that cold wind, I was glad to be wearing it. Fedoras, of course, offer no ear protection but they sure keep the rest of your head nice and toasty! Back in the 80s, I used a thicker felt one as my winter hat and will continue to do so whenever faced with cold weather.

Not that it happens much here in LA, but you get the point: fedoras not only look sharp, they're quite functional!

Hi,

I live 10 minutes from the said airport. Our rental car people are nice. I'm not sure about the rest of the bunch

floatinjoe wrote:After he was elected, clothing store mannequins were actually given heads that were similar to his.

You mean with big missing bits that remain hidden in a big pickle jar next to the crate the Ark of the Covenant is in?

Whup! See ya in Hades.

Doh wrote:Not that it happens much here in LA, but you get the point: fedoras not only look sharp, they're quite functional!

No kidding, Doh! I love the look and so do a lot of other people, even though they might never wear a fedora...KC

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Snakewhip_Sable wrote: You mean with big missing bits that remain hidden in a big pickle jar next to the crate the Ark of the Covenant is in?

Whup! See ya in Hades.

Ha! Funny you should mention that; once had a conversation with friends speculating what else would be in that warehouse now, and Kennedy's missing parts came up.

Sick minds think alike.

floatinjoe-

That's interesting; Kennedy was a big factor in the decline of hat popularity? I hadn't heard that before. I don't suppose anyone has links to any good articles on the dissappearance of the hat from modern attire? I've been curious about this from an anthropological perspective, since it seems to be a relatively recent and abrupt change in dress, considering hats were pretty universally worn from the renaissance until the 60s...

There was some article - I believe Renderking Fisk has it on the Fedora Chronicles - about Kennedy being the first not to wear a hat for his Presidental Inaugeration, and that was the beginning of the end. Perhaps the guy on the grassy knoll worked at Borsilano. All the villains (not patsies) in that story wore fedoras, didn't they? Jack Ruby and the like? I'm only a Canadian speculating on foreign history though.

Jack Ruby didn't have anything to do with shooting Kennedy. Ruby shot Lee Harvey Oswald, the government's patsy for the assassination.

That's what they want you to believe.

Now... back to the hats.

I just got a good, "Nicehat."
"Thanks."
"It looks good."
At the liquor store. No IJ reference.

floatinjoe wrote:We can blame it all on John Kennedy. He refused to wear one and he was ridiculously popular that everyone wanted to be like him. After he was elected, clothing store mannequins were actually given heads that were similar to his.

Supposedly, when Clark Gable took off his shirt in "It Happened One Night" and he wasn't wearing an undershirt, sales of undershirts plummeted after that.

So let's look at the facts: Kennedy had an affair with Marilyn Monroe and soon after, died.
Gable's last movie was with Marilyn and soon after, died.

Fedoras and undershirts are no longer fashionable; ergo, the whole thing is Marilyn Monroe's fault.

Prof. Ed wrote:

Doh wrote:I was in the St. Louis airport last week, about to venture into 20-degree (F) weather so I suited up with my A-2 bomber jacket (too cold for the lamb Wested) and my Jaxon Iconoclast and stroll up to the rent-a-car counter. The guy looks up and immediately complimented me on my hat -- without using one "Indiana Jones" reference.

Let me tell you, as soon as I stepped out into that cold wind, I was glad to be wearing it. Fedoras, of course, offer no ear protection but they sure keep the rest of your head nice and toasty! Back in the 80s, I used a thicker felt one as my winter hat and will continue to do so whenever faced with cold weather.

Not that it happens much here in LA, but you get the point: fedoras not only look sharp, they're quite functional!

Hi,

I live 10 minutes from the said airport. Our rental car people are nice. I'm not sure about the rest of the bunch

Hey, Prof.

I grew up there, but got tired of the cold weather (the summers there ain't much fun, either) but I can take the humidity over the cold any day. I really don't miss the ritual of having to put on layers of clothing and then waiting for your car to warm up... just to turn the heat back down after driving for awhile.

But, yeah, the car rental people ARE always nice. Stay warm!

Thanks, my friend. It is COLD today! Rain tomorrow.
Ol' St. Lou...as you remember, has the distinction of being the third most dangerous city in the country and " if you don't like the weather today, it will change in a few minutes".

Someday you can tell me where you grew up, etc. Heck, I probably taught you

Take care,

Prof. Ed

I just read that "3rd most dangerous" stat -- what's up with that? Is it based on murders, or overall crime? I certainly have no fear when I visit.

I do remember in the early '80s, St. Louis had the distinction of the Car Bomb Capital in the country; there was a gang war at the time involving the Leisure Family. In fact, my sister-in-law actually heard one of the guys get blown up in south STL!

Read all about it:
http://www.crimelibrary.com/gangsters_o ... uis/9.html

(Anyway, I grew up in U. City and graduated from Webster in '86. No explosions.)

Doh wrote:Supposedly, when Clark Gable took off his shirt in "It Happened One Night" and he wasn't wearing an undershirt, sales of undershirts plummeted after that.

I think it was Brando who managed to bring the undershirt back. I'm not sure, but I know the industry worked at getting a famous actor to wear one to bring them back.

floatinjoe wrote:

Doh wrote:Supposedly, when Clark Gable took off his shirt in "It Happened One Night" and he wasn't wearing an undershirt, sales of undershirts plummeted after that.

I think it was Brando who managed to bring the undershirt back. I'm not sure, but I know the industry worked at getting a famous actor to wear one to bring them back.

You're right. It was "A Streetcar Named Desire.
"
It's amazing that media can affect people so. Can you imagine seeing one character in a film, then molding your entire look around them? Nonsense! 8-[

Hemingway,

I couldn't remember if it was Streetcar Named Desire or for some reason I was thinking it could have been On The Waterfront. I should have just said Streetcar.

Mike

floatinjoe wrote:Hemingway,

I couldn't remember if it was Streetcar Named Desire or for some reason I was thinking it could have been On The Waterfront. I should have just said Streetcar.

Mike

When in doubt, say "Streetcar."
Clark Cable took undershirts away in "It Happened One Night" and Brando brings them back in "Streetcar."
JFK took hats away.... someone, someone, someone....

It's always good to get compliments on your hat and better yet to be an individual.

Recently one of the guys at my office left for Norway (where his girlfriend lives), his last comment to me was "Keep wearin' the hat." There are a number of people at work who think my AB is a great looking hat. They're right.

Last friday I went to pick up my son at school. I was wearing a button down shirt and my Akubra deluxe. When I entered the schoolyard I saw two people I know. The guy comments in a sincere way, "nice hat, you remind me of a Texas lawyer." I have no idea what he meant!!
The lady redeemed the situation. She corrects him with, "no. He looks like Harrison Ford!". That was better..

That Texas lawyer comment had my wife and I cracking up! I assumed he was thinking brimmed hat = cowboy? Could it be my piercing intellect that struck him as 'lawyer-like'? hahahaha..

I was in the elevator on my way to work the other day when a gentleman complimented me on my hat. He told me a friend of his was looking for one just like it. The door opened and I managed to tell him Fedora's web address before exiting the elevator.

bink

Antone wrote:That's interesting; Kennedy was a big factor in the decline of hat popularity? I hadn't heard that before. I don't suppose anyone has links to any good articles on the dissappearance of the hat from modern attire? I've been curious about this from an anthropological perspective, since it seems to be a relatively recent and abrupt change in dress, considering hats were pretty universally worn from the renaissance until the 60s...

Snakewhip_Sable wrote:There was some article - I believe Renderking Fisk has it on the Fedora Chronicles - about Kennedy being the first not to wear a hat for his Presidental Inaugeration, and that was the beginning of the end. Perhaps the guy on the grassy knoll worked at Borsilano. All the villains (not patsies) in that story wore fedoras, didn't they? Jack Ruby and the like? I'm only a Canadian speculating on foreign history though.

Funnily enough, Kennedy did wear a top hat at his inauguration, although it is much more common for people to remember him not wearing a hat. This information comes from the book, Hatless Jack, which is about hats, Kennedy, and the popular, but incorrect assumption that Kennedy caused the decline in the popularity of wearing hats.

Antone, this book is just what you are looking for. It's chock full of anthropological info regarding the rise and decline of the hat.

Regards,
SJ

There are pictures of him with the hat on at the inauguration, and quite a few pictures showing him holding the top hat or having it on his seat. So he did in fact wear one.

ShanghaiJack wrote: Funnily enough, Kennedy did wear a top hat at his inauguration, although it is much more common for people to remember him not wearing a hat. This information comes from the book, Hatless Jack, which is about hats, Kennedy, and the popular, but incorrect assumption that Kennedy caused the decline in the popularity of wearing hats.

Antone, this book is just what you are looking for. It's chock full of anthropological info regarding the rise and decline of the hat.

Regards,
SJ

Thanks SJ, I'll have to find a copy. Know the author offhand?

On topic though, I was just walking back from downtown wearing my Raiders-ish Fed deluxe and got a "love your hat!" gasp from one of the local college girls. A few weeks ago I ran into one of my students at the theatre while I was wearing the same hat, and she exclaimed "You look so cool!" without a trace of irony. It's nice when people appreciate your sense of fashion.

Antone

I saw a guy wearing a Dorfman Indy outside of work today, who had a really neat brim shape to his hat. I stopped him, and complimented him on his choice of hats. He seemed like he was really unwilling to talk to me! He had this look on his face, like: "Okay, what do you want? Can I go now?" His girlfriend talked to me for a bit, and I told her I was an Indy fan, so that's why I had asked, and she was nice.

The guy's reactions during the entire enounter were just staggering. It looked like he was completely disinterested, and was wondering why in the Sam Hill the conversation was even going on in the first place.

I ended up saying: "Ok, sheesh! Sorry to have bothered you. Just wanted to tell you that you had a nice hat."

His girlfriend tried to make up for it, and she said something, but I didn't hear it. I had started walking back into my store by then.

What is it with some people? Now I feel like some kind of dip stick.

There's nowt so strange as folk Strider
He acted like a dipstick, not you. Who knows what he had on his mind though? I've alienated a few people in my time due to being focused on some terrible personal troubles, and I just couldn't be bothered with anything else at the time....Even so if someone complimented me on my hat I'd be happy
Don't let it put you off complimenting folk. Most of 'em like it.

Jeff.

Snakewhip_Sable wrote:There was some article - I believe Renderking Fisk has it on the Fedora Chronicles - about Kennedy being the first not to wear a hat for his Presidental Inaugeration, and that was the beginning of the end.

Here's the artilce I hosted for the insightful and brilliant Robert T. West.

http://thefedorachronicles.com/Guest/west.html

Can't say how much I appreciate him letting me host that article.

But wait... there's more!

Senator Jack writes about how casual wear has ruined fine dining...

Timothy J. Steiner writes in about his observation about the current trends in Men's style and the off chance that maybe fedora's may be back in style: Or that maybe they never left.

I wrote about this earlier.

I’m at the promise Keepers Convention in Long Island, and I’m dressed wearing the same clothes as I’m seen wearing in one of my pix on The FC side, and these guys are talking about someone who’s dressed just like “That Guy…”

And I hear them getting closer and one of they guys said: “You look like that guy who runs that website with those “Traditionalists Rants.” Imagine his surprise when I turn around and it was me he was talking about.

No longer am I “That Guy who dresses like Indiana Jones,” I’m now the news/political junky who runs “that website” with fedoras.

I also wrote that with out a fedora, I feel nude from the neck up. Which sounds funny, but it’s true. I think there’s something magical about a fedora that embodies both the style of a by-gone era while at the same time embraces the adventure, hope and optimism of the future. If we’re not exploring the tunnels of an abandoned underground temple or hunting for biblical artifacts, then were taking a few steps each day into the future. It’s a future that can be and is becoming just as dangerous as a rope bridge that you’re sharing with a bunch of thuggies or an airstrip you currently occupy with a flying wing and a fight hungry mechanic.

I personally think that they’re essential. And since it took a “John Kennedy” or a “John Lennon” to make fedora’s and traditional syles pase`, then it’s going to take a a “John Kennedy” or a “John Lennon” to bring them back.

The story I've read recently seems to point more at Robert Kennedy to be the blame than Jack in the 'society going hatless' theory. The two men planned on wearing homburgs to the inauguration in honor of their father, (who wore homburgs all the time), but as they were walking out to the car, Robert told Jack they looked like a couple of Irish thugs, and after laughing about it, decided to leave the hats. Jack picked up the top hat becuase of protocol, and that was the end of wearing hats for the Kennedy clan....all due to a casual statement made by Robert to Jack that morning.

Ok, we need to swing this BACK to Indy gear relationship. This is more suited for the Fedora Lounge than here.

Regards! Michaelson