Published in L'Officiel Hommes Italia No. 6

     There’s an old yardstick to spotting a true gentleman. And that is to observe what he does when entering a house. If he takes his hat off, he is most likely a gentleman; if he fails to doff it, he is probably a charlatan; and if he has no hat in the first place, there is nothing of the gentleman about him. One would be hard pressed to judge a man’s character by this rule nowadays. In our modern age a man in a hat is a rare sight indeed. Whether the scarcity is due to the hat-less John F. Kennedy or the exponential increase in the casualness of society is irrelevant. For those possessing true style the hat has never left the head. 

    There is nothing more personal in a man’s wardrobe. It is an article of clothing which is not loaned. Jackets, shirts, ties, and even trousers might be lent to a friend in need, but a hat, never. It is too intimate an object, a personal bond exists that should not be broken. Even when some woman feels compelled to jokingly whisk away one’s hat to wear it themselves, your correspondent grits his teeth and squirms uncomfortably. 

      Hats add that extra bit of flair to any well dressed look. Being worn on top of the owner’s head, a hat is quite conspicuous and everyone will easily hear the message, hence the statement should be chosen methodically. Not all styles look good on every individual and each style’s overall effect will change dramatically from one wearer to the next. Hat sizes should also be thoroughly disregarded: there is no such thing as a correct size. The man of many hats will want each one to fit according to its particular style. One model might be worn low and loose, the next high and tight. The size is accurate when putting it on gives the feeling of coming home. And as a home is inhabited, so should a hat have that ‘lived in’ look; though not so worn that it looks as if you haven’t paid the rent in six months.  

      No other haberdashery offers such limitless interpretations. When one has the pleasure of visiting a higher-end hat store, the choices are awe-inspiring. Having selected a particular style, one can then proceed personalize it by bending, shaping and creasing. The direction of the brim, the particular rakish angle the hat sits on the head, its brim lowered or raised; infinite variations to express the chap’s character. Fred Astaire’s method was to “take a brand new hat and throw it up against the wall a few times to get that stiff squareness out of it.” Yet having such a strong streak of individuality does not preclude some general rules. A hat’s colour should complement the overcoat, suit or shoes. As it is prone to collecting grime and dust the hat should be gently brushed off after each wearing and stored in its own hat box when not in use.         

        A hat is “something that the average man covers his head with, the beggar passes around, the statesman throws into the ring and the politician talks through.” The following summer hats are anything but average and wearing them will make one stand high above the hatless masses. In some ways wearing a hat in the summer is a bit self-defeating as it serves to trap heat that would otherwise have been released through the head. However, the significant advantage of blocking the sun from one’s eyes while protecting the hair and scalp more than compensate. Not to mention the dashing figure you’ll cut. It’s akin to wearing a tie in the summer: that it is even less required makes wearing one all the more refined. 

       This baseball cap from GIVENCHY BY RICCARDO TISCI is a fashionable take on America’s only contribution to millinery. The increasing popularity of this hat was intertwined with the ascendancy of that most American sport, baseball. Its origins stretch back to the mid-1800s when the fan favorite Brooklyn Excelsiors wore an early, less structured version. The baseball hat as we know it appeared by the 1940s, quickly becoming a staple of American dress. The official hat of major league baseball is now fitted, the tacky adjustable plastic straps of the past eliminated. Baseball hats began their transition from jock chic to urban cool in the early 1980s with the birth of hip-hop. This piece from Tisci does away with the clutter that usually festoons baseball caps, leaving only the starkest of white. He has tastefully chosen to pair his caps with matching white sandals to create a balanced composition. This hat could easily be bookended by that other great American look: the sneaker (trainers). With white on the top and white on the bottom, we are reminded of two slices of Wonder Bread. You are a sandwich my friend, “dress” yourself.   

        Perhaps the most enduring of elegant summer hats is the Panama. What was once an indigenous accessory of Ecuador became an organized production export when Manuel Alfaro emigrated from Spain to the town of Monticristi in 1835. Panama became a true trading destination during the California gold rush in 1848, further increasing interest in the hat. Following the World’s Fair in 1855 Parisians were taken by its qualities and adopted it as a style staple. Panama hats are actually made in Ecuador, mostly in the towns of Monticristi and Cuenca. The confusion arose as the majority of buying, selling and exporting took place in Panama, which was geographically better suited to trade. American President Teddy Roosevelt also paid a visit to Panama in 1906 during the construction of the Panama Canal and returned wearing a hat which was made in Ecuador but was inevitably referred to as his “Panama hat.” 

       This MARNI BY BORSALINO Panama is a fedora style with a narrow brim and mustard coloured grosgrain hatband. It was presented with a white, loose-fitting button up shirt, black shorts with a series of horizontal white stripes, black socks and black lace up ankle high boots. The 100% straw Panama looks every bit appropriate with the nonchalant refinement and contrasting coloured look by MARNI. Fans of the fedora style Panama are legion. Public figures like Teddy Roosevelt, Prince Philip and Truman Capote; actors such as Bing Crosby, Marcello Mastrionni, Fred Astaire, Johnny Depp and Sean Connery. It also makes numerous appearances in film. Robert Redford in The Great Gatsby (1974); Gregory Peck in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962); Luchino Visconti’s The Innocent (1976) with Giancarlo Gianni looking especially raffish; Edward G. Robinson in Key Largo (1948); and Robert Mitchum, death dressed in Hawaiian shirt and Panama, in Cape Fear (1962), to name but a few.

      The process of making a Panama hat is incredibly labour intensive. Thin dental floss-sized strips of straw are derived from the toquilla plant. They are boiled, dried and bleached. The strips are then painstakingly woven together. Lower quality hats are bleached with peroxide which only weakens the fibers and creates an artificially bright white that is lacking in sophistication. This Colonial Panama from BORSALINO retains its beautiful ivory patina from a sulfur smoke bleaching process. The particular richness of a hat is determined by its fineness of weave, straightness of rows and overall consistency. The finer the weave, the more time is required and hence, the finer the hat. Super fino models can take up to six months to construct but the final jewel is incredibly light, soft and luxurious to the touch, a perfection of millinery. A traditional black grosgrain hatband completes the object d’art. The Colonial Panama was favored by Franklin D. Roosevelt, Brazilian aviation pioneer Alberto Santos-Dumont and Winston Churchill. A terrific Colonial Panama also makes an appearance on Peter O’ Toole’s head in 1997’s film The Last Emperor. 

       SALVATORE FERRAGAMO’s 100% straw number offers an interesting variation to the classic Panama. The frayed brim and more casual brown grosgrain band serve to accentuate the natural elegance of the material itself. It has a coarser weave which is perfectly fitting for its more rural feel. This hat led the show, a resounding affirmation to the power of hats to command attention. Combined with a coarse weave jacket, its sleeves casually pushed up, a square-bottom shirt and full cut trousers—all in a natural safari beige colour—and finished with a pair of espadrille sandals, one feels that summer is already conquered. Famed British explorer Ernest Shackleton wore a hat very similar to this one, its brim beaten and warped, showing the amount of wear you would expect from a doomed explorer. On the other end of the spectrum is Andre 3000, who has been seen wearing a jaunty, battered, coarse weave hat around town. 

      Another adaption of the sun-hat is seen here with this D&G short brimmed fedora. It is also hand woven in Ecuador in a very coarse weave, which in this case helps to accent the horizontal red and white striped pattern. This is a perfect choice to offer a bit of sun protection while you are engaged in the important task of lifting a double Mai Tai from a prone position without jostling your toothpick umbrella or spilling any of the precious elixir. D&G’s multi-coloured bohemian printed t-shirt and silken, scarf-print shorts are the perfect accompaniment to this flamboyant hat, which is pushed far back on the head with nonchalant flair. Again, we could easily see our stylish friend Andre 3000 taking to this creation like a duck to water. 

      Our next summer hat is a bit of a departure from the previous examples but is just as deserving to be included in the pantheon of classics. PRADA’s version of the newsboy cap is made of lightweight cotton with an olive and orange fancy check and double stripe blue overtone graph check. The positions which it can sit on the head are vast and PRADA shows many of them: brim to the front and tilted, backwards, sideways, low on the forehead, hanging off the back of the head, &c. This particular hat was worn sideways with the crown raised. When joined by the baby blue short sleeve, front yoke printed shirt and yellow and black neckerchief, it creates a striking look. The newsboy hat has a short, stiff brim and a soft rounded crown that tends to be less constructed than its cousin, the flat cap. The crown can be permanently stitched to the brim, snapped into place or not attached at all. Commonly made of tweed or heavier wools, the hat is often worn by David Beckham. He tends to wear his pulled down low on the forehead to perhaps provide a bit of privacy. The actor Donald Sutherland is another aficionado. With his newsboy hat, a pair of high-waisted double pleat wool trousers, knitted wool tie and Burberry overcoat he’s ready for a stroll along the Fair Isle’s shores. In 1973 Robert Redford in The Sting sported a very sharp newsboy hat which nicely balanced his rather loud single breasted, high peak lapel maroon pin-stripe suit. Six years earlier Warren Beatty had his time to swagger about in a newsboy hat in Bonnie and Clyde. 

       Our last hat of the evening is perhaps the one with the most baggage to unpack. Certainly this hat far surpasses all the others in the sheer number of associations and motley groups that have worn it throughout its nearly 600 year history. Its origins can be traced back to Northern England and Southern Italy. An act of the British Parliament in 1571 required, under the penalty of fine, that all men wear wool composition hats every Sunday and holiday. It was a tidy way for the government to stimulate the local textile industry. This act was repealed a quarter century later giving ample time for the flat cap to be thoroughly incorporated into British society. It was very much worn by the working class throughout the 1800s but finer cloth versions were fashionable alternatives for the well-to-do while on the golf course, on the hunt or in the country. It was established as a more casual choice for all and the low ticket price allowed one to collect a variety of colors and styles. Irish-Americans still wear it as a badge of ethnic pride and it saw sub-culture appeal with skinheads adopting it. Hip hop fashion also recognized the attraction of the flat cap, the Kangol brand being especially instrumental in its revitalization in the 1990s. Today the field is wide open and the style has universal attraction.   

        DOLCE & GABBANA make many allusions in summer 2012. The fisherman and other working class occupations are suggested. Yet a laid back Italian attitude pervades throughout the collection. Men of note who wore the flat cap include Edward the Prince of Wales, always the style setter, who brought it from the golf course to the city. Justin Timberlake with his boy next door charms, is also a fan. As is Brian Johnson, lead singer of ACDC, who keeps the working class spirit alive by forever having it affixed to his head. Representing the silver spoon set is Robert Redford in The Great Gatsby, who wore a high quality cotton version in pristine white, thus proving that the flat cap holds appeal to all stations.

        We are merely scratching the surface of available choices with our preceding hats. Every one of the examined models will project confidence and élan; no one better than the other. If care is taken to match the specific hat with the individual’s personality and the particular situation in which it will be worn, then masterful strokes of sartorial gusto can be attained. Guaranteed.