Homburg or Coke/Bowler Hat

[Luca]

As I have mentioned elsewhere, in the past 3-4 months I have seen at least 2 gents wearing bowlers in London. They may have been guardsmen or judges but then again may not (no Guards tie, not in or around the inns of court, just well-dressed men on the Tube). There are still many parts of the world where a trilby or a fedora draw stares of disbelief -- indeed anything but a baseball cap or a beanie.

[hectorm]

There are still many parts of the world where a trilby or a fedora draw stares of disbelief -- indeed anything but a baseball cap or a beanie.

But is the disbelief a reaction to a supposed anachronism from the wearer´s part or is it due to a lack of context in his dress? Fortunately I see less of the former reason and more of the latter. When the trilby/fedora comes along a well-tailored overcoat (and some wrinkles on the face) the stares change from disbelief to approval. Recognizing lack of context also tells you of some sartorial knowledge or at least, of some good taste.

[Luca]

There are still many parts of the world where a trilby or a fedora draw stares of disbelief -- indeed anything but a baseball cap or a beanie.

But is the disbelief a reaction to a supposed anachronism from the wearer´s part or is it due to a lack of context in his dress?

Of course it msut depend on the situation. I am merely saying that (to use your parameters) a man in a nice suit / shoes /tie wearign a fine fedora or trilby outside of a (very) few major city centres or specific events/locales in developed countries will draw stares (personal experience) no less than a man wearing a homburg or bowler in London.

[hectorm]

..., in the past 3-4 months I have seen at least 2 gents wearing bowlers in London. They may have been guardsmen or judges but then again may not (no Guards tie, not in or around the inns of court, just well-dressed men on the Tube).

Here´s a link to a most interesting conference on the topic of the bowler hat.
http://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and-e ... bowler-hat

[Frederic Leighton]

[lgcintra]

Most elegant outfit, Federico. Wonderful lapel roll. Beautiful homburg. They all suit you exceedingly well.
Cheers
Luis

[Luca]

I shan't pretend to emulate Leighton's distinction, but here's a reasonably recent Homburg situation.

[Screaminmarlon]

Hat off to Federico and Luca (no pun intended).
beautiful coat and great outfit

[hectorm]

Very nice hats!
May I respectfully suggest a possible improvement after Michael´s advice (in case you´re not following it already):
https://vimeo.com/8792003
What works for a Fedora, in this case, works for a Homburg

[couch]

Both are indeed nice. FL, is that a vintage homburg? It is quite stunning, and I agree with Luis that you wear it very, very well.

[Luca]

Very nice hats!
May I respectfully suggest a possible improvement after Michael´s advice (in case you´re not following it already):
https://vimeo.com/8792003
What works for a Fedora, in this case, works for a Homburg

thanks for the advice. The stance in the picture reflects the movement, etc. I did try the "lateral-forward tip" as a matter of course (I always do, with my Trilbys). It might just be me but I've found that, with that higher-crowned, slightly broader-brimmed, generally more formal Homburg anything but "level-level" wears looks rather odd.

[Frederic Leighton]

Dear Luis, Luca, Screaminmarlon, Hectorm and Couch,

Thank you all for the kind words! Also, thank you, Luca, for joining in and sharing this photo of your outfit. Very charismatic! I know what you mean by "level-level": I used to wear vintage homburg hats and find it difficult to follow Michael's advice. I came across his video two years ago and it inspired me to hone my 'instinctive' hat-wearing skills.

The difficulty of wearing homburg hats from the RTW or the vintage markets -- large brims and squarish crowns, which hardly work for my small built anyway -- persuaded me to go bespoke. Being totally happy with size and shape of the hat is the first step towards wearing it frequently and enjoying it. It's not like I will need many homburg hats anyway!

The whole experience of having a hat made for me proved extremely enjoyable and informative, exactly the way it is for all other items of wardrobe. There is a huge number of parameters to discuss and finely tune, plus you have access to quality fur and cones.

[Luca]

Innnntereeeesting.....

May I ask where you commissioned your fine headpiece?

[AndyM]

I join with Luca, please share with us the source of your very fine hat! (And I agree that it suits you and you wear it well!)

[hectorm]

It might just be me but I've found that, with that higher-crowned, slightly broader-brimmed, generally more formal Homburg anything but "level-level" wears looks rather odd.

Maybe you´re right but not necessarily. Maybe it´s just the right amount of tilt or just only one tilt at a time. A few examples.
https://iconicallyrare.files.wordpress. ... 07/fe3.jpg
http://s23.photobucket.com/user/thunder ... 7.jpg.html
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/03/ ... 33x503.jpg