I like hats, particularly in hot or cold weather, but am picky when it comes to the style.
Baseball caps will not do because they turn me into a poor imitation of Jonathan Winters playing a coach. A Western hat along with my thick glasses produces a version of Nerd Cowboy.
I bought a fine Panama hat by mail several years back but underestimated the size of its crown. The result was that instead of a dashing South American rogue I resembled an Amish farmer.
Another problem is head size. Several years ago while in London, I popped into Burberry to check on hats. A very small man, so impeccably dressed that I wanted to put him on a mantel, took one look and explained that they didn't have what I was looking for. Since they did have some smallish hats, that may have been Polite British for: "Sorry sir. We don't carry hats for pumpkin heads."
It has been a challenge. This week I plan to explore a hat store. My hopes are up but I'll have to see if they have a Pumpkin Head section.
I've reached the age where I wear 'em anyway, but I wore ball caps at sea for decades, so it's not much of a leap for me. My dad and his dad always wore hats, and my maternal grandfather always wore something like this classic: http://www.stetson.com/hats/open-road-felt, but I've worn a Stetson Mallory with more of a western flavor and a pinch front for about 20 years. I recently picked up a Woolrich that I like. Both hats are wool, keep out the water, and keep my head warm when the cold winds blow.
ReplyDeleteLarry,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tips. I'll check them out.
Michael