Aaron Hats - Aaron’s Hat Blog

On a day when it’s 95 degrees, it’s hardly a day to think about the fall hunting season but it’ll be here before you know it. Just today Aaron Hats added it’s new Hunting Hats category. In the Hunting Hats category you’ll find hats and caps in various camouflage patterns, plaids and blaze orange.

Many states don’t require blaze orange but many, including New Hampshire, strongly recommend it. My own first hunting experience taught me how important it can be to wear blaze orange. I was taken pheasant hunting by a friend on a morning that was very foggy, damp and a little cool. We split up. He took one side of the field and I the other side. At one point I looked across the field to look for my hunting buddy and all I could see was his blaze orange hat. It was actually kind of funny to see this blaze orange hat moving through the fog.

For those readers who enjoy hunting check out this great hunting blog. For those tree stand hunters you really need to consider buying a Gunslinger.

Happy hunting,

Aaron

There is no other hat style more classic, or classy, than the man’s fedora. In the 1920’s and 1930’s a man wouldn’t dare step outside his home without first putting on his fedora. In the premiere issue of Classic Style magazine, writer Glenn O’Brien states “A hat tells the world you’re a man. Boys wear caps, but it takes a man to wear a felt hat with a brim that runs all the way around it.” Boy, doesn’t that say something about today’s society.

According to the book Hatless Jack: “Not one man in 10,000,” declared a 1929 book on the psychology of dress, noting hats’ ubiquity with only slight exaggeration, “would risk being the butt of ridicule by failing to conform.” Today it seems like not conforming is the norm. Does that mean that not conforming is actually conforming?

Most people like to blame President Kennedy for the downfall of the hat but in actuality the peak year for men’s hat manufacture in the United States was 1903. You may not see every man and woman wearing a classic hat today but we certainly have many more choices than they did a century ago.

In today’s world of hat wearing we are seeing all age groups from teens to elderly men and all economic backgrounds eyeing and buying the classic fedora. The teens and 20 somethings are wearing their fedora with the brim snapped up all around, the elder man is wearing it with the front of the brim snapped down and the more fashion forward will wear the brim any way he wants…even snapped down on the side.

Enough of my hat ramblings for today. Take a look at some classic fedoras by Stetson.

Aaron

Just arriving this week is a cool little military style cap by Dorfman Pacific. Just like me it’s not that old but is a little worn out.

Available in three colors you can check it out at Aaron Hats.

What hat is most like you?

Aaron

A hat’s best friend sure isn’t a dog. I frequently get asked what can be done to extend the life of a hat. The number one accessory we recommend for people is a hat brush. The occasional brushing your give your hat will help to remove the dust and dirt that settles on a hat as you wear it or store it. With regular brushing you can keep that dust and dirt from settling into the fibers of the hat. The number two accessory we recommend (especially for felt hats) is a Hat Jack. This acts much like a shoe tree for your fine shoes. You place the Hat Jack in the hat when not being worn and it helps to retain the shape of the hat or even stretch it a little if the hat becomes too tight.

Both the hat brush, Hat Jack and other hat accessories can be found at Aaron Hats.

Get a hat on,

Aaron

Today I feel normal. Sounds strange doesn’t it? I’m in the store six days a week selling hats, filling orders, buying more inventory and don’t forget about all the paperwork that needs to get done. Thank goodness for the help of my loving wife. We both work hard but enjoy what we do. We feel very luck to be able to work together and enjoy each others company. My one day out of the store is usually spent doing errands and just trying to un-wind. Doing this for so long can turn it monotonous at times and make you forget that there’s more to life than work. Today I spent a good chunk of time outside staining the porch and deck on our house, listening to music and watching the red squirrels running around picking up pinecones. Tonight I think I’ll take my wife to get ice cream.

Today I feel normal.

Aaron

Continuing with the topic of employee benefits let’s take a look at some more benefits the employees of the John B. Stetson company enjoyed.

Again taken from the book “Stetson Hats and the John B. Stetson Company 1865-1970”:

“At the 1920 (Christmas) party, workers received ten percent of their annual salaries as bonuses. Turkeys were given to married men, hats to bachelors, and gloves and candies for the women employed by the firm. Also included among the gifts were 425 shares in the Stetson Building and Loan Association, 75 shares of common stock, and 5 life insurance polices worth $5,000 each. The total value in gifts given that year was $525,000.”

and

“All of these efforts strengthened the bonds between Stetson and his employees, creating a loyal, efficient work force, and ensuring stability among a traditionally wandering community. Stetson’s programs were continued by his successor, J. Howell Cummings (company president from 1906-1928).”

I don’t know about you but I can’t help but admire a man who took such a personal interest in his employees and gave them things that no other employer was doing at the time.

Cheers to John B. Stetson.

Aaron

What does a convertible, going on safari and a bald head have in common? They’re all a good reason to wear a hat…and that’s no joke. I’ve talked about sun protection previously in this blog but it certainly is worth repeating.

If your doctor told you that you were going to get cancer in ten years but you could prevent it, would you take the recommended steps? Skin cancer is the most preventable form of cancer and yet over one million, that’s 1,000,000, people in the USA are diagnosed with skin cancer every year.

You can buy a hat by Tilley Endurables or Sunday Afternoons that have certified UV protection but if that style isn’t for you wear any hat you like. That’s right, any hat you like because any hat will provide more protection than no hat.

Practice safe sun.

Aaron

This may seem like a stretch for some people but have you ever considered that you owe your current employee benefits to John B Stetson and the Stetson Hat Company of a hundred years ago?

According to the book “Stetson Hats and the John B. Stetson Company, 1865-1970”:

“He (John B. Stetson) took a paternalistic interest in the welfare of his employees, initiating a variety of company services from health care, education, and recreation, to banking, housing and religious services. Stetson was motivated by deep Baptist religious convictions, a strong philanthropic conscience, and a certainty that satisfied workers would be more productive. Employee benefits reduced labor turnover, attracted a higher caliber work force, and therefore increased the company’s profits.”

and

“As the years passed, new services and programs continued to be added by Stetson. One of the most significant was the Union Mission Hospital, founded in 1887. Built next to the factory at 1745 North 4^th Street, this facility was built in part because of Stetson’s own preoccupation with health and from his habit of referring sick employees to his own personal physician.”

These are just a couple of examples of today’s “employee benefits” initiated by John B. Stetson in the late 19^th and early 20^th century. Over the next few days we’ll explore what other benefits Mr. Stetson bestowed upon his employees.

‘Til next time, keep your chin up and your hat on.

Aaron

I often get asked what my first hat was or what event as a child got me hooked on hats. Honestly, I don’t know or at least can’t remember. There was a great little hat shop in the city I grew up in and started visiting in my early teen years. I eventually bought a Stetson fur felt western hat but can’t say for sure if it was my first hat. In my early 20’s I had a Greek Fisherman’s cap and bought a Kangol Carrimac cap when I was in France and even though they’re both still made today I don’t currently own them.

Here’s a sampling of some of my current hats (the ones in rotation for regular wear):

-Stetson Diamond Jim – my favorite western hat

- Dobbs Naples – always get great comments at summer weddings

- Tilley T5 – great for hiking or yard work

- Kangol 504 Ventair – my favorite summer cap (got it in 4 colors)

- Dobbs Nugget – shown here but since discontinued by Dobbs

So what got you into hats?

Aaron…yes I have a hat on.

What a day for a hat! It’s been raining off and on for a few days but today has been non-stop rain. What I don’t understand is why some people would rather wear a newspaper on their head instead of a nice rain hat. Let’s see…newspaper, rain hat, newspaper, rain hat. Yeah, I’ll take the rain hat.

Keepin’ it dry.

Aaron