Hello, I found this old derby/bowler hat amongst my grandmother’s things and was wondering if anyone could maybe tell me a little about it? I couldn’t find the label anywhere on line, but it appears to be two rearing horses underneath a lion. I believe it is felt but can’t be positive as I have yet to identify maker. If someone could maybe help me date it please? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Respectfully, K. Christensen
That is a great hat. It is a lady's riding hat, and judging by the construction and interior I might date it to the 1960s, possibly a tad earlier. Hard to say who the maker is, as the logo is rather generic. There were dozens, if not hundreds, of hat makers who had very similar logos or a version of yours. Although it is a lady's hat it was made by a hatter, not a milliner.
Thank you so much for the information! I spent hours looking through logos and you’ve saved me from looking through more. I’m not aware of her ever riding horses so perhaps there is more to her history than I know about! Thanks again for the information. You’ve been of tremendous help. Respectfully, K. Christensen
Just trying to educate myself... Though of course I see that it is indeed a derby/bowler hat, how did you determine that it is a ladies' hat and that is was for riding? What size is it? Looks like 7 1/8 or 7 1/4 or 7 1/2... I can't quite read the tag.
Women's riding hats have their own set of "rules" that set them apart from other women's hats. The sizing on them is the same as a man's hat. So a size 7 1/4 marked on the sweatband is correct for a lady's riding hat. Depending on the style and the age, they look much the same as a man's hat. True women's riding hats are made by a men's hatter, the same hatters that make men's hats. In older vintage and antique hats, the interiors are a bit different, usually with special types of linings and sweatbands that look like the inside of a mans hats but are different in a few ways. The reason I thought it was a woman's riding hat versus a man's hat is I thought that K had said it was her grandmother's hat. So I assumed, right or wrong, it was a woman's riding hat, not a mans hat. Yes, it is a hard felt, made of fur felt, not wool felt. K, what is the exact measurement of the inside sweatband? Ladies riding hats tend to have slightly wider bands than mans hats, but not always.
It looks like the band is 1 5/8 inch and the size is 7 1/8. Sorry for the delay in response. Again, thank you for your help in finding information on the hat.
