Gatsby Fedora
Fitzgerald never revealed exactly what sort of hat Gatsby wore. But we know Gatsby, so we know his hat would have been elegant, distinctive, stylish, expensive, the envy of all who didn’t have one just like it. Well, envy no more; I give you—The Gatsby.
My Gatsby Fedora is a totally custom design. To make one requires two completely different blocks, an unreasonable amount of individual hand-work, and a couple of personal trade secrets. To wear one requires simply that you have a good head on your shoulders.
The Gatsby has a slightly taller crown, wider brim, wider ribbon, deeper “dimples” than my Classic Fedora. The top of the crown has a distinctive center crease.
The Gatsby is especially appropriate when driving your Bugatti to the club, drinking rum beneath a slowly turning ceiling fan, doing anything with palm trees nearby, or just looking like a man who looks great in a Panama hat.
The Gatsby in the top two photos is size 73⁄8. Crown is 43⁄4 inches tall. Brim is 27⁄8 inches wide. $1000.
That’s Bruce in His Custom Gatsby
Bruce comes over Friday afternoons to help me guard the lake.
My back yard borders a decent sized lake. It makes for a nice view, framed by two palms and a mango tree. I would hate to lose it. So Friday afternoons Bruce and I sit out back and watch the lake to make sure no one steals it. We also make sure several cold beers were not brewed and bottled in vain. Clearly, we are Men of Conscience.
Bruce’s custom Gatsby is a long oval. Half way between 71⁄4 and 73⁄8. The ribbon is Jamaica Brown.
Ya gotta love it. That’s my buddy Bruce sitting in the backyard wearing a red T-shirt and his custom Gatsby. The man looks like he could be sitting in the Director’s chair of a multi-jillion-dollar movie set. (I’m glad he wasn’t. He’s easier to talk to when he’s in the back yard.)
Should you have your hat custom-made? Look at Bruce. When the man defines the hat, the hat defines the man. © BBB
PRICES Why One Panama Hat Costs More than Another
PREMIUM
$500, $600, $700, $850, $1000, $1500
SUPER-PREMIUM
$2000, $2500, $3000, $3500, $5000
RARE TREASURES very limited availability A $25,000 hat? Really? How Fine Are the Finest?
$7500 to $25,000
BRIM
2 5⁄8 to 3 1⁄8 inches
CROWN
4 3⁄4 to 5 1⁄4 inches
SIZES details
21
7⁄8
to 25
1⁄4
inches
(54 to 64 cm)
SWEATBAND see choices
Standard sweatband for this style is un-dyed fine leather.
RIBBON see choices
Standard ribbon for this style is 1 1⁄2 inch black.
Gatsby Fedora Order Now
Web work by
Pipsqueak Productions, LLC
Text and photos © 1988-2010, B. Brent Black. All rights reserved.
