For my first post, I was requested to go over some hats. I love hats, especially late 1800's early 1900s headwear. I am going to go over some of the more modest style hats popular during that era! So first up

The Derby was an english invention in the 1840s. In England, a Derby is called a Bowler, but they are the same thing. These hats were quite popular with the working class and eventually the middle class businessmen. Contrary to popular belief, the Derby was the most popular hat in the American West. So much so that Lucius Beebe coined it, "The hat that won the West." Several western icons wore this hat including Bat Masterson, Butch Cassidy (below), and Billy the Kid.

Our next hat is one of my favorites, The Homberg (also spelled Homburg). It is simply a bowler hat with a center dent. The dent, however, adds a lot to the hat in terms of individual style. It became popular after Edward VII visited Bad Homburg in Germany. Since then, it became a staple of fine fashion during that era. Almost every gentleman during that time would own a Homberg for formal events.  Brad Pitt's character Jesse James wore a Homburg in the underrated film The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.

The final hat in our trilogy of tops brings to mind the Pioneering heart of the American West. The Stetson Open Road. The crown crease of the Open Road is your standard cowboy crease of today. Its called the Cattleman crease. This was a common crease at the turn of the century but it was usually the result of heavy handling and use. The Open Road unlike many cowboy hats today has a shorter brim: 2 3/4". This hat has been dubbed the Gentleman's Stetson and with good reason. It was the favorite hat of  President Lyndon Johnson among others. It is also popular with Texas law enforcement agencies.

Gentleman, until next time when I bring you more information about the sophisticated styles of yesteryear.