Helpful Tips When Selecting Your Felt Hat

 

               Did you ever wonder how a felt hat is made? Do you have questions on quality and functionality? Read ahead and you will learn a lot more about felt hats!

                Felt hats offer many different benefits. They are worn for many reasons including comfort, shelter and style.  Felt hats are made of animal fur, wool/cashmere or a blend of materials.  

                Beaver fur hats are the most luxurious felt hats available and they will withstand the rain and snow better than any other material. The amount of beaver fur used in making a hat is represented by an “X”. The larger the X value, the greater the amount of beaver fur used in the hat. Many 100X hats  are pure beaver hats but it must be stamped on the hat.

                Blended hats offer a mixture of quality and comfort while being less expensive. The materials used in a blended hat are generally rabbit pelt and wool. Rabbit fur is coarser than beaver fur, but still provides substantial durability over wool.

                Wool hats are made of natural material including cashmere or angora. A wool hat does not resist wet weather conditions very well yet they offer a lower price point and make a great starter hat.

Felt Hat Making Process-

1. Raw Material-

               The material is chosen for the hat and blended.

      2. Cone Body-

               The blended hat material is shaped into a cone loosely resembling a hat. This hat shape is large in size and somewhat flimsy.

      3. Hat Body-

               The cone body is shrunk and blocked to produce the finished hat body.

      4. Finishing Touches-

               The hat is stiffened, cut to size, sanded, powdered and the trim applied. At the end of the process the hat is ready for shaping according to the desired specifications.

               To help you get ready for felt hat season, we are giving away a free Bailey felt hat! To enter into the drawing tell us the reason(s) why you need a new felt hat in the commetns below. There will be one winner drawn on Friday, September 17th.

How to Measure for the Perfect Western Hat

            When you are measuring for your hat size, you will need a soft tape measure. Place the start of the tape at the middle of your forehead above the eyebrows. Wrap the tape around your head just above the ears. This will give you the head measurement in inches.

                The measurement in inches can be converted into a hat size for you.  The below chart that illustrates the conversion between inches and hat sizes. Take note that all manufacturers have different size points in hats. This is a generalized chart.

Measure around the widest part of your head or where you intend to wear the hat.

Head in cm

49

50

51

52

53

54

55

56

57

58

59

60

61

62

Head in Inches

19 1/8

19 1/2

19 7/8

20 1/4

20 3/4

21 1/8

21 1/2

21 7/8

22 1/4

22 5/8

23

23 1/2

23 7/8

24 1/4

Hat Size

6 1/8

6 1/4

6 3/8

6 1/2

6 5/8

6 3/4

6 7/8

7

7 1/8

7 1/4

7 3/8

7 1/2

7 5/8

7 3/4

               Next you can choose which crown measurement best fits you.  The hat crown is measured from the bottom of the hat band, located directly in the middle of the crease, to the middle dip of the crown. Changing the size to be either shorter or taller will depend of the stature of the person. Women tend to go shorter in crown height so the hat in not overwhelming in size. In general a crown measurement is 4 ½” and can be altered anywhere between 4” and 4 ¾”.

                                                                                                                                                                                

           Choosing the right size brim is determined by facial features. The brim size highlights and emphasizes facial features.   Generally brims measure 4” and depending on the persons facial structure can vary between 3 ¾” and 4 ¼”. The brim is measured from the bottom of the hat band to the edge of the brim. The measurement should be taken in the back of the hat at the flattest part.

Show Stopping Colors

                 As you are looking toward the upcoming show season and planning your outfit, you may find yourself wondering what colors to choose. In the show ring there is an array of colors and styles from which choose, and Rod’s has put together a simple guide for your convenience.

Brunette Horses – Bay, Black, White, Silver Gray or Blue Roan

         For your brunette horses you want a color that will pop! Try jeweled colors such as blue, purple or red. 

Red Horses – Sorrel, Chestnut, Red Roan or Dun

          Red Horses tend to clash with many colors. Neutral colors such as sand, caramel and chocolate tend to show      the best up against the redheads.

Neutral Horses- Buckskin, Palomino or Grulla

            Any color compliments these horses!

Things to Keep in Mind-

-Darker colors minimize and bright colors emphasize.

-Bright colors generally are categorized as “younger” looking colors.

-75% of people will be wearing black in the show ring. If you’re contemplating wearing a black blouse, make it stand out from the crowd!

Shedding Light on Western Fashion Faux Pau’s – Straw Hats

               We’ve all heard the rule of thumb; after Memorial Day and until Labor Day you should wear your straw hats. In the Western Fashion industry we live by this rule. However, it goes deeper than a western fashion faux pau’s.

                Starting in Baltimore, Maryland (The Straw Hat Capital of the World) the unofficial holiday of Straw Hat Day was born. Usually this day is May 15^th; however some say that the holiday is Memorial Day. Prior to the holiday you should put your felt hats away so they are not faded from the sun. Also, felt hats do not breath as well as straw hats. It is said that 75% of your body heat comes from your head, so staying cool in the hot summer months may be the difference in the hat you wear.

                Throughout history men have been policing the fashion of hats. According the Neil Steinberg’s book “Hatless jack”, men have been murdered in living memorial for wearing the wrong hat for the wrong season.  In Jacksonville Florida Mayor Van Swearingen in 1915 published a proclamation stating rules and consequences for men throughout the city who were not complying with his rules. You can view the proclamation by visiting the Ames Tribune Weekly Archives.

                In light of the upcoming holiday, Straw Hat Day, we would like to give you a new straw hat. To participate, please comment below stating why you need to replace your straw hat. We will be drawing the winner on Straw Hat Day, May 15^th, 2010. For those of you who do not win, we are giving away a free gift with purchase. For any Resistol Straw Hat purchase, you can get a free Resistol ball cap. To apply put item number #36524 in the comments box on the check out page. We hope everyone will celebrate straw hats and participate.

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