Hartford York Hats

There's More Hats Where This Came From

2007-09-18T19:08:00.000-07:00

This hat blog continues at The Hartford York Hat Blog. Join the party!

(and thanks for reading)

Steve Singer
CEO Hartford York

Hat Collections Make More Than Cents

2007-09-17T17:21:00.000-07:00

Frugal For Life blog owner, Donna C, talks about the The Value of Collecting in a recent post, saying that there is a kind of non-monetary value in collections that can be rather priceless. I'm sure the term 'sentimental value' springs to mind, but it needn't be a maudlin emotion.

If a collection of comic books, great art, or hats simply makes you happy (whether by the acquisition process and/or through actual use of the articles) then the collection is of value to you.

By the way, if you want to make an absolute killing on an old hat, place it in a classy box frame with black and white handbills, photos and other memorabilia-type papers scattered artistically round it. Sell it on ebay for a cool grand, send me my 30%, and we're even.

Thanks for reading,
Steve Singer, Hat Collector and
Very Frugal CEO of Hartford York

If you see your way out of bankruptcy, get free updates of this blog by email or RSS. Can't get much more frugal than free!

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The Fedora According to Biltmore

2007-09-13T18:46:00.000-07:00

In his article A Tip Of The Hat To the Classic Fedora, Marshall Ward of the Canadian publication, The Waterloo Chronicle, quotes Biltmore Hats president, Eric Lynes, as saying:

[The fedora represents] an era of classic styling that can be enjoyed today with the right attitude and appreciation of looking good or dressing up. The '50s had the Rat Pack guys and glamourous women like Marilyn Monroe, while today you have guys like Usher or Justin (Timberlake), and girls like Britney (Spears), Paris (Hilton) and Alicia Keys.

Lynes goes on to explain why he thinks people wear hats, saying that the very act of wearing a hat makes this statement: "I am confident and unafraid to be an individual--to be different."

I have often stated (almost verbatim) the same sentiments, but I must take exception to Mr. Lynes' doubt that "dress hats will ever become a widespread accessory again, as they were at the turn of the 20th century, [although] he does believe that men and women will continue the current trend of wearing hats as they increasingly realize the practical function and fashion enhancement they provide."

It's my belief that dress hats will indeed again become as ubiquitous as they once were, mainly due to the ever-increasing influence of mass media programming and the accompanying marketing--in all its forms--and to the fact that younger and highly impressionable children have become targeted.

In other words, little girls who are (still) fans of Britney Spears might well form a life-long love of hats. (Yes, I can find a silver lining in just about anything!)

Thanks for reading,
Steve Singer
CEO Hartford York

If you tried to read this post, get free updates by email or RSS. If you understood this post, you really need a little vacation.

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Hats Most Important - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

2007-09-12T19:03:00.000-07:00

Famed author of the Sherlock Holmes stories, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is quoted as having said:

It has long been an axiom of mine that the little things are infinitely the most important.

Elementary, perhaps - but it did strike me I've been echoing the same kind of sentiment for years now. Hats, currently viewed as accessories or non-essential wardrobe items, weren't always viewed as such. In fact, it wasn't long ago that properly dressed men and women wouldn't venture outside without a hat.

It's funny, then, how much of an impact a hat can have. The person who wears it either gains confidence or makes a statement; anyone seeing a passerby wearing a hat is at least aware of the hat, and makes a subconscious note of its existence or (in many cases) forms an instant and quite definite opinion.

Funny how such a small piece of clothing can become such a focal point.

By the way, did I tell you I'm thinking of writing a detective novel?

Thanks for reading,
Steve Singer
CEO Hartford York

If you have opinions on hats (except party hats with those stupid little rubber bands that pinch under your chin before snapping), please keep them to yourself, but do feel free to sign up for blog updates by email or RSS.

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September is National Hat Month

2007-09-05T17:38:00.000-07:00

I love September. Oh sure, lots of my affection for this month of color and cooler temps is because the entire country is celebrating the fact that it's National Hat Month. However, there are other reasons September is such a favorite time of year for me.

I love that September 15th is Make a Hat Day (which, truth be told, is right up there with Collect Rocks Day). Of course, everyone knows about the 18th being observed as National PlayDoh Day with the always exciting Miniature Golf Day coming hard on its heels.

I've got plans--who doesn't?--for the 22nd (Elephant Appreciation Day), which takes me right into The First Day of Autumn and then The National Bluebird of Happiness Day. Honestly, I can hardly contain myself.

You must be able to guess how much I appreciate the fact that September 30th is the Anniversary of The Invention of the Safety Pin.

Gosh, September's grand. Exhausting, perhaps, but grand.

Thanks for reading,
Steve Singer
CEO Hartford York

If you're wondering which hat is best to wear on Elephant Appreciation Day, why not join our little Hat Appreciation Club with free blog updates by email or RSS? It's nearly painless.

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Hats Are So Much More Than Headwear

2007-09-04T08:38:00.000-07:00

There's a great article called Here and There: Papa's Straw Hat Was A Utility Tool that shows how much hats can be part of someone's life and even identity.

Evelyn Richardson writes about her father's faithful hat, the hat he used to not just to shade his face from the broiling sun as he worked in corn and tobacco and hay fields, but also as a cooling fan and even an egg and baby rabbit holder, and as an extension of his arms when herding cattle or shooing chickens.

She says

His straw hat wasn't much to look at. A new one became conditioned pretty quickly. The inside leather band was soaked with sweat and the discoloration oozed through to the outside. Dust settled in the greasy ring to make it even more noticeable. My mother gave orders for him not to lay it on the clean white counterpane.

No matter its condition, she still liked putting on her dad's hat and to this day, when she pictures him, "he has on his straw hat, pushed back with a little of his white upper forehead visible under the brim."

Thanks for the memories, Ms. Richardson.

And thanks for reading,
Steve Singer
CEO Hartford York

If you are dabbing your eyes (or blinking rapidly), you're obviously touched and should get free updates of this blog by email or RSS.

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Bring Back The Beret

2007-08-30T09:50:00.000-07:00

Bill Bonner of The Daily Reckoning has more unsolicited advice to offer: this time, he's counseling France, its government and entire tourism industry. His words of wisdom?

Put berets back on the heads of Frenchmen and you will give the nation’s largest industry a big boost.

Some pretty sound reasoning backs his byte. He's fighting against uniformity and for uniqueness and those unforgettable glimpses of local color that tourists and travelers yearn to see. Lose the interchangeability of the sights of so much of this modern world, vive la différence, and wear your beret, France.

Thanks for reading,
Steve Singer
CEO Hartford York

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Gentle With My Hat, Please, Officer

2007-08-29T08:36:00.000-07:00

Newsday.com reports that the Transportation Security Administration has issued a directive advising the nation's 43,000 airport screeners to scrutinize anyone wearing a head covering that might hide explosives (or monkeys) -- be it a cowboy hat, turban, baseball cap or beret.

Okay, I get the explosives bit and I'm all for it but I was completely unaware of the monkey-under-the-hat smuggling incident that apparently took place on a flight into LaGuardia Airport earlier this month. Now you know I've been wearing hats all my life and maybe it's just me, but it really never has occurred to me (until a moment ago) to use my headwear as a form of animal transport. Several immediate concerns comes to mind, and most of them involve extreme danger to either my hair or hat.

Also I do have some trouble thinking that a beret can hide anything larger than a ladybug.

However, if there's a market niche somewhere in this story just begging to be filled, I'm your man. I'll give this whole thing some considerable thought and get back to you.

In the meantime, my advice still stands. Your head belongs in your hat. Nowhere else and certainly nothing else.

Thanks for reading,
Steve Singer
CEO Hartford York

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Sequins on Your Trapper Hat

2007-08-24T18:55:00.000-07:00

On her blog, Style Bubble, Susie Bubble bemoans the fact that so much cold weather headwear is confined to simple hat shapes like berets and watch caps (beanies, she says, don't count), and she'd love to see other shapes.

Such as?

Well, top hats are mentioned (small and perched on the side of your head) as are bowlers (play up the Chaplin associations and wear with satin lapelled blazer, t-shirt but contrast with black skinnies), and then she touts the trapper, a great winter hat with the same silhouette as a trooper or bomber.

The trapper that caught Susie's eye was shiny: of it she said, I sort of secretly liked the clash of impractical sequins and the practical outdoors shape.

OK, the trooper pictured here doesn't have sequins, but the dainty embroidery and use of sinewy lambs wool to frame a pretty face is (doesn't always have to be mine) is, I think, completely beguiling for the same reason - the play between the delicacy of the trim, the practical durability of the leather, and the expected bite of cold temperatures.

Thanks for reading,
Steve Singer
CEO Hartford York

If you're shivering just reading this post (seems to happen frequently, by the way) get better soon, and then get free updates by email or RSS.

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Who Else Is Waiting For Fall Hats?

2007-08-22T17:42:00.000-07:00

Diana Bobar is waiting impatiently to wear her faux fur hat and--according to her blog entry--she's been waiting since July 26th!

I too am looking forward to putting on some tweed newsboys and walking hats this fall. I really don't know if I could happily live in a place like California where moderate weather year-round nearly erases seasonal contrasts. I mean, I'd be happy never to shovel again, of course - but to give up the glories of my Mink Trooper? I think not.

Thanks for understanding,
Steve Singer
CEO Hartford York

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Searching for Your Head Mate

2007-08-20T20:12:00.000-07:00

I don't want to depress anyone, but be prepared to weep at least a little when you read Miss(ed) Manners post, Love and Hat. This is one man's story of a life-long search for a hat, a seemingly impossible task for one with "pin straight asian baby hair" and "a cone shaped head."

I can't even imagine the loneliness of this guy's head, without the warm hug of a trooper on an earlobe-freezing night or the general sense of uber-satisfaction when admiring the reflection of your own happy self in your new dress western hat.

I'd start a support group, but I'm afraid it would too draining emotionally (and take away from my mirror time).

Oh, well. I hope he takes the advice I sent: Buy a top hat, cone head!

Thanks for reading,
Steve Singer, Sage
and CEO Hartford York

Please note that the advice given herein is to be acted upon immediately or later in life or at least never. To obtain further insightful hints and direct commands, you may sign up for free updates by email or RSS.

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If Your Friends Wear Hats, You Will Too

2007-08-19T21:00:00.000-07:00

Depression-era newspaper man and writer, Stanley Walker, once advised:

Associate with well-mannered persons and your manners will improve. Run around with decent folk and your own decent instincts will be strengthened.

Seems modern-day scientists have just caught up to his words of wisdom - a recent spate of headlines proclaim that your fat friends can make you obese, and thin ones can slim you down. It's important to note that "the study authors said they were not suggesting people should ditch their overweight friends, though people might want to consider expanding their social network to include more people with a healthy weight."

How does this tie in with hats? (Thanks for asking.)

Drop all your hat-less friends like the hot potatoes they really are, and come hang out with me!

No, seriously. Why not try an experiment? Start wearing lots of different hats, and see how long it takes for all your friends to take an interest in wearing hats too. Yes, you can change the world.

Thanks for reading,
Steve Singer
Global Domination Planner
and CEO Hartford York

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Top 3 Hat Misconceptions

2007-08-10T07:26:00.000-07:00

This little list won't change beliefs, but I'm determined to put it out there nonetheless. Fight me if you must.

1. Hats Are For Old People

I think this mistaken belief has been pretty well disproved by the young celebrities who are consistently photographed wearing hats of all shapes and styles. From Johnny Depp and the Olsen twins to Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake, fedoras, porkpies and cowboy hats have made a huge mainstream comeback.

Don't get me wrong: hats are for old people too. Willy Nelson just looks so much better in his western hats than bareheaded - and, although he'll never be a truly attractive fella, Billy Joel's new album cover shows him quite presentable in his stingy brim.

2. Regular People Don't Wear Hats

Look around next time you're at the beach, ball game or when you're going fishing. These are "regular people" activities, and it's likely that a large percentage of those around you are in hats. Once people are comfortable in summer hats and ball caps, it's just a matter of time before they graduate to a more sophisticated look and incorporate headwear into their work-a-day lives.

3. Hats Go Out Of Style Too Quickly

Oh well, you got me there! I'm kidding of course--hats have been around as long as people, and styles haven't changed all that much. The cloche comes to mind as a modern spin on a medieval concept. For over a hundred years, we've had the cowboy and western hats in pretty much the same mode; the fedora and bowler haven't changed silhouettes, nor has the walking hat deviated from its roots.

If you've got a classic hat, well-made and cared for, it's timeless (sort of like me).

Thanks for reading,
Steve Singer
CEO Hartford York

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To Doff Or Not To Doff - That Is Today's Hat Question

2007-08-06T07:48:00.000-07:00

Russell Smith in his Globe and Mail article confirms a reader's dilemma when he says that "undefined spaces [like malls and sports arenas] blur the rules of hat-wearing."

In fact, Mr. Smith (author of Men's Style: The Thinking Man's Guide to Dress) makes only one definitive statement regarding a situation in which a man must remove his hat by declaring that "no hats are worn in restaurants, no matter the size of the room".

His own rule of when to remove his hat is vague but rather depends on the size of the public place he's in. A small boutique, where you'll likely wind up chatting with a clerk, is an example of a place where your hat should be removed upon entering. On the other hand, if you're browsing in a large department store, you can keep your fedora or panama in place "while bending over light fixtures or carpet swatches."

I agree with Mr. Smith's take on modern-day doffing situations; however, I have a bit of a quandary he doesn't seem to address even in his archives. When I do doff, I can't help but look at and admire extensively my hat in hand, often pointing out the weave or trim details to an interested maitre d' or confectionery shop owner. While these interludes are pure delight, I must say that I've missed quite a few meals and forgotten several purchases this way.

Thanks for reading,
Steve Singer
Famished CEO Hartford York

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Panama Hats Through the Ages

2007-08-03T18:35:00.000-07:00

Hilary Alexander of Britain's Telegraph, looks into (what she calls) the new fashion craze behind the Panama hat.

While she concedes that "Justin Timberlake, George Clooney, Pete Doherty and even, perish the thought, Britney Spears, may favour the [fedora]", the fashionable man at England's famed summer race meeting on the Duke of Richmond’s estate in West Sussex, will be seen in just one hat: The Panama.

Battered, borrowed or band-box fresh from cardboard tubes where they conveniently roll-up for traveling,the ubiquitous Panama is the hat of choice.

One event attendee confessed that his panama hat was "probably twenty or thirty years old". Despite the hat's age, Alexander says "it still looked smart."

So you see what a bargain the $10K Montecristi Panama is? Buy it today, and you'll still be looking good in 2037.

Cheers!

Thanks for reading,
Steve Singer
CEO Hartford York

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Indiana Jones Still Fits In His Hat

2007-07-31T05:20:00.000-07:00

Harrison Ford was in the thick jungle canopy of Hawaii for much of this past month, working on segments of the latest Indiana Jones movie (due for release in May 2008). The Hawaii locale doubles for a South American rainforest in the Indiana Jones storyline, and executive producer Kathleen Kennedy said the difficulty in finding old-growth jungle today "is a sad commentary on the world."

In a lighter vein, she went on to report that her 65-year old star was "reportedly suffering from some aches and pains" due to the fact that he "still handles his own leaps and falls during filming." Then she added:

I gotta say, he looks amazing, he looks fantastic in the outfit. When we first did the test, that was the first thing Harrison wanted to see was whether or not he still fit in the pants, and he did. And he still fit in the hat.

I never for a moment thought otherwise.

Thanks for reading,
Steve Singer
CEO Hartford York

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Hat Tricks

2007-07-30T08:47:00.000-07:00

Seems I was inadventently practicing a little of the artform known as chapeaugraphy the other day, when I was playing with a piece of fur felt.

A little background: in 1618, a Parisian street performer added to his tricks with a ring-shaped piece of felt, manipulating it to look like various types of hats atop a variety of characters. This was the start of a performance art that is still sometimes practiced today (by others besides myself, I mean).

I can't help but take this event as some sort of powerful sign. Either it's for me to expand my empire into show biz or to get out of hats altogether.

I'll let you know...

Thanks for reading,
Steve Singer
CEO Hartford York

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Stupid Hat Laws

2007-07-27T09:00:00.000-07:00

I love reading stupid laws, and when they involve hats - well, you can guess how hard I giggle.

Allow me to share:

An ordinance in Lawrence, Kansas, forbids anyone to carry bees in his hat while on the city streets.

Now this is a GOOD LAW if there is an enormous bee-keeping industry in the area, and the bee-keepers tend to walk around town swapping bees (which they transport--for reasons only know to them--in their bee-keeping hats)AND if these bees just happen to be killer-bees.

As an aside, I heard about Lawrence, Kansas before. A man who lived there introduced himself to me as "Lawrence Lawrence of Lawrence Kansas". (true story)

Here's another:

In Owensboro, Kentucky, it is illegal for a woman to buy a new hat without her husband trying it on first.

Men, let me tell you. There's no shame in wearing your wife's hat. And feel free to carry her purse. It's when you get to the pantyhose that my eyebrows leap off the page.

Thanks for reading,
Steve Singer, Da Man
and CEO Hartford York

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Should Women Remove Unisex Hats for National Anthem?

2007-07-25T02:30:00.000-07:00

Short answer: no.

But that's just my opinion, and the debate simmers in stadiums across the country.

Men, of course, are required by federal law to remove their hats during the national anthem (unless they're in uniform). Look it up: U.S. Code, Title 36, Section 30. Nothing there about women.

One editorial on the subject concludes: "However, if you're wearing some sort of unisex hat, like a baseball cap or a cowboy hat, I think the proper thing for a lady to do is take her hat off and hold it over the heart until it's time to play ball."

I don't agree. Men still tend to go by general rules of doffing their hats or at least momentarily touching them in greeting. This polite gesture was never incorporated by the female hat-wearer. Similarly, women did not follow suit when men almost always removed their hats upon entering a building (the usual reason now given is that women's hats were deemed part of the actual outfit, intricately secured by pins, and should only be removed when the lady's coiffure could be repaired).

The reason behind the behaviors don't really matter here. What matters is the hundreds of years of tradition behind who takes off what, where and when.

Thus, the suggestion that women remove their hats, unisex or otherwise, during the playing of the national anthem is simply a nonsensical imposition of a long-standing male tradition upon today's woman.

(and I'll tell ya right here and now, my little lady won't stand for it, and I can't either!)

Thanks for reading,
Steve Singer, Uber Feminist
CEO Hartford York

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Hat Safety

2007-07-24T08:25:00.000-07:00

It seems that hats are pretty safe items of wardrobe--I mean, when's the last time you injured yourself tripping over your hat?

However, not all pieces of clothing have such an outstanding safety record. Each year, according to GullibleInfo.com, more than 20,000 serious injuries occur as the result of untied shoelaces. And, please. Everybody raise your hand if your back's ever gone out when you've bent over to tie your shoes.

It's not just shoelaces and shoes, of course. I can't even count the times I've nearly strangled myself, trying to adjust my tie (gosh, I miss my clip-ons....)

Resolved: Hats are teddy bears for grown-ups.

Thanks for reading,
Steve Singer
CEO Hartford York

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It's Official: Straw Fedora is the Summer Status Symbol

2007-07-23T09:19:00.000-07:00

It's got to be official - it's in the New York Times! A compilation snapshot of that city's hat-wearing frenzy is captured in Cats in the Hats, Bill Cunningham's On The Street segment of Fashion & Style.

The photo caption reads:

The straw fedora, with its rakish snap brim, is the summer status symbol. The hats have the traditional headband of patterned fabric or solid-color grosgrain ribbon. There are even a few vintage Panama hats being worn around the city.

Very nice to see how many ladies are wearing the unisex hat. I like the composition of the picture too--lots of energy and vibrancy with all the colors and straw weave patterns.

(And I thought for sure this year's summer status symbol was my pre-publication copy of the last Harry Potter manuscript, Deathly Hallows) HA!

Thanks for reading,
Steve Singer
CEO Hartford York

If you're reading Harry Potter and wearing a straw fedora, then you're so ahead of the game you can get free updates of this blog by email or RSS.

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Hat Passion

2007-07-19T07:57:00.000-07:00

It's interesting how people tend to either love or hate hats; you don't find too many people who say they can take 'em or leave 'em.

Take, for example, the blog entry at Melissavina called A Theory on Hats, which opens up with the "theory that the standard hat wearer (particularly the female hat wearer) is slightly crazy. . .over-dramatic, and slightly unaware of social graces".

Wow.

However, after wearing a hat herself and having "walked a mile in the moccasins of the hat wearer", the writer admits her "horizons were broadened", and she has changed her crazy people hat theory completely. She now theorizes that people who wear hats can be divided into two groups.

I'm not sure which of the two groups I fit: the first ("trying to make a bold accessory statement, buck the system, feel their originality oats") or the second (hiding a bad home perm job).

To tell the truth, I sort of liked the first theory.

Thanks for reading,
Steve Singer
CEO Hartford York

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Illegal In My Hat

2007-07-17T09:16:00.000-07:00

I'm a little bummed today. You see, I just found out that unicycles are explicitly banned from using bike lanes in 17 states.

Doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason behind this blatant incursion on the rights of this here individual. As a matter of fact, I think personal freedom of expression (like unicyclying in my totally classic boater hat) may well be defined as an inalienable right under the Constitution and Bill of Rights.

Good golly, Miss Molly! Here I was looking forward to a wee sunny day excursion on my unicycle (for which I always have my boater at hand), and now find out I may face jail time.

Ah, well. Maybe I'll just wear my bucket hat and go fishin'. Of course, it's probably illegal to be as good as I am at that sport.

Thanks for reading,
Steve Singer, Unicyclist,
Freedom Fighter and
Fisherman Extraordinaire
(oh yeah, and
CEO Hartford York)

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categories: straw hats summer hats panama hats straw fedora hats straw fedoras winter hats fedoras cowboy hats leather hats Kangol hats Borsalino hats Scala hats Stetson hats Wigens hats fur hats fall hats autumn hats hats for winter wool caps hats women's hats men's hats fashion humor

Dad Wore Hats - A Picture in Words

2007-07-16T08:05:00.000-07:00

There's a very short, quite wonderful poem called Dad Wore Hats on a blog I happened upon. Please read it - the pictures painted by these words are quite real, intimate and evocative.

On that blog's reader comments, someone said it reminded him of U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins' tribute called "The Death of the Hat". In my opinion, both bring images magically to life, but "Dad" is sweetly reminiscent, while "Death" is a mournful dirge.

All I know is that, after I read both, I rushed off to listen to the brilliant Eric Bibb do his "Panama Hat".

Thanks for reading,
Steve Singer
CEO Hartford York

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categories: straw hats summer hats panama hats straw fedora hats straw fedoras winter hats fedoras cowboy hats leather hats Kangol hats Borsalino hats Scala hats Stetson hats Wigens hats fur hats fall hats autumn hats hats for winter wool caps hats women's hats men's hats fashion humor

How Much Do You Love Your Hat?

2007-07-15T04:32:00.000-07:00

I'm not one to doubt the claims made at GullibleInfo.com, such as:

One in 264 parents say they love their pets more than their children.

(As a matter of fact, I think some of those parents might have been lying.)

Anyway, the statement made me wonder as to the importance of hats to those who love them. More important than socks, surely. Slightly above ties and watches, I'd hazard to guess. Food? (Depends if there's dessert).

And what about how women rate the importance of their hats vis-a-vis men? Do men love their hats more than women love theirs, or is it vice versa? Do men love hats more than they love women?

*gasp*

Is it possible that women love their hats more than they love ME? (I mean, men--more than they love MEN.)

Perfectly understandable, and all that, but still. I think I need a bit of a lie down now. With me hat.

Thanks for reading,
Steve Singer
CEO Hartford York

If you are getting your priorities straight right now because of this post, free updates by email or RSS are available to further disrupt your life.

categories: straw hats summer hats panama hats straw fedora hats straw fedoras winter hats fedoras cowboy hats leather hats Kangol hats Borsalino hats Scala hats Stetson hats Wigens hats fur hats fall hats autumn hats hats for winter wool caps hats women's hats men's hats fashion humor