The two collections arrived without context. There was nothing to explain the thinking that put them in front of me shortly after I brushed the snow from my overcoat. Perhaps the publishers expected that I would enjoy a metaphorical respite from the cold. It just seemed strange, though I will admit that I saw a man wearing shorts beneath his parka yesterday. But polo shirts? Brrr. It can only be a sign that the seasons will be changing.
That said, I also spoke with Stephen Temkin of Toronto, the entrepreneur behind Leon Drexler, a newish hatmaker there, and we agreed that he would make me a brown Lord's Hat, a version of the homburg most recently popularized fifty years ago by Lord Anthony Eden (the hat-wearing gentleman in the photo). My friend Francesco was wearing a vintage homburg in the Milanese rain the other day and looked great. The challenge for Mr. Temkin of course is to finish the hat before the end of the season so that it can be worn once or twice before the straws come out.
And he does not seem to have much time. For the arrival of those catalogs surely meant that the end of winter is imminent.
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12 comments:
Sorry about the snow Will. Its been in the high 70's and low 80's in So.Cal going on almost 2 weeks now. Wore shorts the other day! Lots of Polos and ......no socks. Its great. I am sure we will get some more cold and rain before spring hits.
Surely you mean "Sir Anthony Eden, Lord Avon!"
Or even Anthony, 1st Earl of Eden KG!
Both technically more correct but less resonant of the hat.
Will, I thought you used a hat company out of Chicago -why the Candian maker?
Interesting coat on Sir Eden - 2 button front, both functional...
The Homburg is a very nice looking hat but unfortunately, like the silk hat and the bowler, it is essentially obsolete. With the best will in the world it's going to look rather costumey. If that's not a problem, fine, but that's the reality. On Eden's titles, although the son of a Baronet, he didn't inherit the title and only became "Sir Anthony" when he was made a Knight of the Garter in the early 50's. He became a peer and thus entitled to call himself Lord Avon after receiving the Earldom of Avon when he retired in 1956 from what what was a fairly disastrous premiership. He was a very sharp dresser though and usually favored single breasted suits with peak lapels and double breasted waistcoats (he's wearing one of these in the pic).
DC, part of the reason for ASW is to give visibility to worthy makers. And to write about them I must see their products for myself.
Will: fair point and I'm sorry if I sounded a bit like the Grinch. My concern is that it takes a little intestinal fortitude to wear a real hat in the first place and I worry that someone might get discouraged if they get to many glances.
Joe, a felt hat is much less conspicuous in a light rain or when it's snowing as many other men are wearing head coverings of some sort. Those tend to be the only occasions I wear one, and when driving an open topped car.
To your homburg point, I find that no-one knows what it is these days and so it gets placed into the same category as the fedora generally. Rather like the ascot, the associations have changed.
Will: you're maybe right that no one knows what it is...but. I'm a hat aficionado and have about ten including caps. My favorite is a Lock classic grey trilby with deep black band a bit like the ones FDR used to wear. But it gets far more vsisual comment than the common brown or grey Borsalino or racing trilbies which basically look more modern and largely pass without notice. BTW to your black and tan comments it looks great when worn with a tan cashmere chesterfield. topcoat.
Have you watched "Downton Abbey"? Some very nice curly brimmed homburgs to be seen.
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