Vintage Fedora from Bates the Hatter....

[Lafont]

Continuation of what I was posting past few days regarding exquisite Bates fedora I purchased yesterday. Submitting a few photos for those who always ask.[ATTACHMENT=2939]Bates fedora - 6.2012 496.JPG (152k. JPG file)[/ATTACHMENT][ATTACHMENT=2940]Bates fedora - 6.2012 495.JPG (151k. JPG file)[/ATTACHMENT][ATTACHMENT=2941]Bates fedora - 6.2012 497.JPG (76k. JPG file)[/ATTACHMENT][ATTACHMENT=2942]Bates fedora - 6.2012 498.JPG (150k. JPG file)[/ATTACHMENT][ATTACHMENT=2943]Bates fedora - 6.2012 499.JPG (146k. JPG file)[/ATTACHMENT][ATTACHMENT=2944]Bates fedora - 6.2012 500.JPG (144k. JPG file)[/ATTACHMENT]

A few questions, as usual: Can this hat be called a trilby? I'm confused as to how that style is defined. Flusser, for example, says a trilby has a wide brim, while others, such as Lock & Co., refers to their trilbies as having narrow brims. This has a 2" (or 5 cm) brim. Every source states the brown trilby is standard for wearing at horse-related activites in the UK and they're often shown kind of rumpled up, but that doesn't really define the style at all.

What information can one discern from the label with the numbers I show here? Year hat produced? Model name? For anyone who can't read it, the tag inside the leather sweatband says: 69ISH 4/81 NO 2 GREY S/32998 The "S" sort of looks like an American dollar sign.

I see a great deal about Lock & Co. but not so much regarding nearby Bates. Do any of you prefer the merchandise of Bates or shopping there, and why? How would you compare the products of each? It appears there are far, far more Lock hats out there than Bates; e.g. there are Lock hats on eBay and I don't see a single Bates hat at the moment.

The hat is unlined, as you can see with the logo on the felt. Does that help in dermining its model name? Does that make it a hat that's supposed to be considered more informal (or Bates' websites calls some of it's styles: "Outdoors?" Hat looks pretty dressy, to me.

Condition is excellent. Wasn't this a steal?? I almost lost it; saw hat Sat. at one of our best vintage shops and when I went back yesterday it had already been packed to take to a show today. That was a close one, as this is exactly the sort of thing I'm always searching for and hardly ever come across - in Cleveland or anywhere else.

Incidentally, please don't tell me to consult Fedora Lounge. I like to look at it but they don't let me post or even "search." I've got a user name and password and it welcomes me in but they tell me I don't have an acceptable Internet agreement I don't have a private connection) to have the privilege of fully participating. I keep getting: http://www.thefedoralounge.com/search.php?do=process But we don't need to get into that here. I'd appreciated responses to my inquiries here. Thanks!

 

[FlyingMonkey]

Perhaps these threads would be better combined into a single one on 'Hats' - that would be rather more useful for people searching for information too.

 

[Lafont]

Don't agree. Such a thread would get unwieldy very quickly.

 

[KObalto]

Well you could at least keep it to one thread per hat. http://www.styleforum.net/t/302996/lock-fedora

 

[Lafont]

Well, last thread had "Lock" in title. This one correctly labels hat "Bates."

 

[KObalto]

Did you consider editing the title of your first thread?

 

[Lafont]

Could we please get back on topic? Thank you.

 

[cptjeff]

Trilby is an alternate term some people use to refer to a subtype of what most people call a fedora. Most people use it to refer to narrow brimmed hats, Flusser is off on this one. Best to ignore that one and just use fedora, which this certainly qualifies as. Really, the only difference is that trilby also refers to cut and sew fabric hats, where fedora doesn't include those in the definition.

As for specific info, apart from the gray, those all look like internal codes. If it fits, wear it.

 

[mr monty]



Could we please get back on topic? Thank you.

I would request info from the hats folks over at the Fedora Lounge

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/forumdisplay.php?3-Hats&s=99d5a5fcc1aaf373555f380e09705591

 

[Lafont]

Thanks but, as I wrote this a.m., those folks don't let me post.

I just came across this on Fedora Lounge:

"...Thank you! It was a little difficult getting registered because I didn't know you had to have a non-yahoo/gmail/etc. email, but I'm having lots of fun learning about these old clothes and things"....

It think that's the gist of it; moderator once told me if I had a Yahoo e-mail address I wouldn't be allowed to participate, even though I can log in with a user name and password.

 

[williamson]

I would be surprised if Bates actually called the hat a fedora. The word "fedora" has only been in common use in the UK since the 1980s at the earliest.
In general, USA Fedora = UK Trilby, whatever the size of the brim.

 

[Lafont]

This is an interesting twist. I've certainly heard the word much of my lifetime and thought it was used many decades ago - actually for women's hats of that style, as well:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fedora

I suppose it may have been more of an American word? I see the play was American.

 

[dopey]

This would be a good question to ask on the Fedora Lounge. They know a lot about hats over there and would be glad to answer your questions.

 

[Lafont]

Sure, I'd love to but, as I've written here, they don't let me post on that site even though I can log in.

 

[dopey]



Sure, I'd love to but, as I've written here, they don't let me post on that site even though I can log in.

That's too bad, because they might be able to help you with questions about your Lock hat. Maybe you can ask your question there without having to make a new thread.