Hello pork pie hat

The temperature zoomed from the mid 70's to low 90's F (or from 16 to 34 C) on the weekend. My sons are thrilled at the reappearance of lovelies in summer dresses.

While they were admiring floaty little frocks, I noticed the prevalence of
summery straw hats on men. The utilitarian baseball cap has been replaced, at least on those who pay some attention to style, by the sharp yet relaxed pork pie.

I love its retro reference (the original appeared in a Bowery Boys movie in the 1930's) and
casual scale. Shown above, a Brixton Drifter stingy brim. The pork pie, worn with a tee or short sleeved sports shirt, lends a quirky, polished air, unlike a ball cap, which always looks like a giveaway.

Local fellas also like the straw fedora, with it's pinched, higher crown and rakish brim.

Girls borrow fedoras to accessorise a sun dress or jeans.
(Photo f
rom Scott Schuman's The Sartorialist blog.)

Shops have stocked stacks of men's straw, priced from $50 to $175.

What a change from 15 years ago, when my husband traveled to
JJ Hat Center and Kelly Christy in NYC for a good summer hats! He wore a burnt-orange straw Christy Belmont fedora (shown below in natural) to Sunday brunch- cool!



If you love hats, Christy's site will delight. Lots of chic straw for women, and you can call Kelly, a marvelous milliner, to order by mail.

Comments

Susan B said…
Oh, I so wish the men around here would lose the baseball caps (especially those worn backwards!) in favor of a nice straw porkpie or fedora.
Those gals look so cute in the straw pork pie hat. It helps that they are models. Not so cute on my big head. Actually, I can't even find hats that fit my head. When my husband needs a baseball hat stretched out he gives it to me. I ought to rent myself out as a hat stretcher.
~Tessa~Scoffs said…
I love men in "real" hats. My husband has a "Gregory Peck" shaped face and thus needs a wide brim, which he feels ridiculous in. Sigh. Myself, I love a cloche.
Duchesse said…
Deja Pseu: Wonder if men donèt know how bad this looks
Belette: If you crave hats, there are milliners to be discovered in Paris!
Tessa: I am posting two of Kelly Christy chic cloches for you!
Anonymous said…
I bought my husband one of those straw pork pie hats and every time he leaves the house I say hopefully "you forgot your hat".

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