Blustery Days Ahead

[Phil]

I have what I believe to be the good fortune to live in a great city. But it has one drawback: Winters here are very cold.

I love fedoras, and other proper hats. But they don't provide enough warmth when the temperature plummets and they tend to blow off when the wind off Lake Ontario howls. They also don't protect the ears, which is a must in this climate. Neither does the structured beret I sport from late October to November.

So, can any of the fine stylists on this site suggest some alternatives to solve this dilemma? I believe that I have tried everything, but you all are a resourceful lot and I'm hoping you can point me to something I've not yet considered.

Thanks in advance.

[drnobes]

Greetings from a fellow (currently displaced) Canadian. There are many more qualified gentleman on this site who may have better advice, but have you tried a Deerstalker? There is an example of one here.
The ear flaps fold down, offering ear protection and the tie insures that it won't fly off in the wind.

Traditionally it's a country hat, not suited for city wear, however the cold climate might warrent an exception.

Regards
Matthew

[TVD]

My father used to wear seal fur caps before they became morally unacceptable. He now sports tweed caps and frozen ears.

I have seen rather splendid fur hats on old Russian pictures, but the problem would be how to match them with a coat. A fur-less collar would be too small to appear balanced, and a furred one would have to match the fur of the headgear exactly. Complex and costly.

Female fashion made these things much easier. My late grandmother had matching sets of fox scarves (effectively a stuffed fox wrapped round your neck like a collar), hats and muffs in the three different natural colours available. Very versatile.

[Phil]

Yes, gentlemen, you've hit upon my problem. Can a man get both warmth and style and not look out of place in an urban setting?

I've tried on a couple of fur numbers but they don't go well with my overcoats and tend to make me look a bit too Northwoods. The ladies have the pom pom fur hats that look so good on them. But I'm still left, literally, out in the cold.

[TVD]

A midnight blue herringbone coat can be made with an astrachan shawl collar. This would facilitate the use for Astrachan on an elegant town cap. A similar coat is illustrated on the DB coat thread (http://thelondonlounge.net/gl/forum/vie ... c&start=30), although the cut may be chosen in a somewhat more contemporary style.

One sees the occasional example in dark blue or mid grey, but mostly around Mayfair and St James's. Regional sightings are rare. Remember a few populating the streets of Oxford.

Maybe one of the Russian members could shed light on traditional fur dress codes there. English winters are just far too warm. Also, there may be hatters left in St Moritz or one of the other Swiss resorts, who could assist. I always find that fur is still very popular there, whereas it has all but disappeared in Britain and Germany.

[dopey]

I think what you are looking for, or at least what I would want, is a Persian Lamb “Ambassador” hat.

Here is a link to an example: http://cgi.ebay.com/MENS-GENUINE-PERSIA ... otohosting

This is an ebay link, so I don’t know how long it will last. I also don’t mean to vouch for this exact model or seller. I am just trying to give you an idea. I know many versions also have ear flaps you can drop down.

I should note that you don’t need a fur collar on your overcoat to wear one of these.

[alden]

Its not something one would suggest for everyday wear, but in a pinch you can raise the collar of your overcoat (if it is cut in a way to do so) and thus shelter your ears. Having done so the Fedora or Tweed cap (in extreme wind conditions) will take care of the rest.

[ThomasG]

Living in Chicago , I too have had to address the winter headwear dilemma . The elegant fedora simply can not stand up to 20+ m.p.h. winds . Add sub-feezing temperatures and your ears turn blue . On these occasions sartorial concessions must be made . My solution is a driving cap with fold down ear flaps . Properly fitted , the cap will sustain winds of 40+ m.p.h. I also recommend fur lined ear flaps for added warmth and comfort . Good Luck


http://www.mens-hats.com/IBS/SimpleCat/ ... 78877.html

[Guest]

Here are some suggestions:

http://www.jameslock.co.uk/prod2.taf?gr ... 1943059A0E

http://www.jameslock.co.uk/prod2.taf?gr ... 1943059A0E

http://www.jameslock.co.uk/prod2.taf?gr ... 1943059A0E

http://www.jameslock.co.uk/prod2.taf?gr ... 1943059A0E

http://www.jameslock.co.uk/prod2.taf?gr ... 1943059A0E

[Phil]

I knew I could count on the people in this forum to show me some things I hadn't seen before, or to which I had not given proper consideration. Those are excellent suggestions and I thank you all.

[Will]

I have an old muskrat hat that I wore when I lived in Chicago. It did the trick on those minus fifty degree wind chill days and then some - should you happen to stand inside for more than a moment without removing it your head will begin to sweat.

[Trilby]

Following on from drnobes's suggestion of a deerstalker, does anyone actually use the ear flaps? They are obviously there for a purpose -- but since the hat already verges on the edge of being costume, it would look even stranger to let down the ear flaps and tie them under one's chin.

I have a battered old deerstalker that I wear on occasion, but I cannot imagine wearing it with the ear flaps down.

[drnobes]

Following on from drnobes's suggestion of a deerstalker, does anyone actually use the ear flaps? They are obviously there for a purpose -- but since the hat already verges on the edge of being costume, it would look even stranger to let down the ear flaps and tie them under one's chin.

I have a battered old deerstalker that I wear on occasion, but I cannot imagine wearing it with the ear flaps down.

I have, on occasion, worn mine with flaps down. Without a doubt it looks silly, however, at the time, the extreme cold justified it.

You have correctly identified the major trouble with the deerstalker though. When I wear mine, all I get is "elementary my dear Watson" and the like.

[erasmus]

Phil, I too love fedoras and used to live in Chicago, which has its fair share of wintery bluster as well. For winter hats, it's a balancing game between warmth and style. If you don't need the ultimate in warmth, consider the Filson cover cloth packer hats, which are fedora-style. They have fairly discreet folding wool earflaps to provide an extra measure of warmth over regular fedoras.

http://www.filson.com/15I.HTM
http://www.filson.com/1415I.HTM

In addition, here are some alternate sources of fur hats in the US:

http://www.jjhatcenter.com/product.asp?cat=105
http://www.bencrafthats.com/product.asp?cat=347