The Akubra International is by far the most comfortable hat i have ever had the pleasure of perching on top of my noggin…and I really like the way it looks on me as well :)

It certainly nice to get the odd nodd and complement from complete strangers about it as well…though nothing as cool as this broadside ballad from late 1800′s entitled “Where did you get that hat?”…

Where did you get that hat?
Where did you get that tile?
Isn’t it a nobby one, and just the proper style?
I should like to have one just the same as that!
Whe’er I go they shout, ‘Hello!
Where did you get that hat?’

Having a hat which is this comfortable means that it’s going to become something that will become a part of me as much as my R.M Wlliams boots are, so with an everyday wearer hat all i need now is to pick up a new hat brush (to keep it clean with) when City Hatters, the best hat store in Melbourne, get some more in stock.

Oh yeah…the “hat etiquette” thing takes a while to get used to…if i remember it at all that is ;)

Though since the hat is so good and i’m using it both on outdoor trips and around the city it raises a point…wearing it so frequently (especially in the city) brings one to the issue of hat etiquette…

From the Wikipedia entry on etiquette;

Etiquette, one aspect of decorum, is a code that governs the expectations of social behavior, according to the contemporary conventional norm within a society, social class, or group.

So..when is it OK to wear a hat inside??? On what occasion do you take your hat off and when are you meant to only lift your hat??? How do you hold a hat correctly when you take it off??? What do you do with your hat if you should happen to visit the opera??? All those questions and more…

Well…a quick search led me to this forum thread over at The Fedora Lounge.

From “Etiquette,” Emily Post, Funk & Wagnall’s Company, 1922 and 1927.

WHEN A GENTLEMAN TAKES OFF HIS HAT

A gentleman takes off his Hat and holds it in his hand when a lady enters the elevator in which he is a passenger, but he puts it back on again in the corridor. A public corridor is like the street, but an elevator is suggestive of a room, and a gentleman does not keep his Hat on in the presence of ladies in a house.

This is the rule in elevators in hotels, clubs and apartments. In office buildings and stores the elevator is considered as public a place as the corridor. What is more, the elevators in such business structures are usually so crowded that the only room for a man’s Hat is on his head.

When a gentleman stops to speak to a lady of his acquaintance in the street, he takes his Hat off with his left hand, leaving his right free to shake hands, or he takes it off with his right and transfers it to his left. If he has a stick, he puts his stick in his left hand, and gives her his right. If they walk ahead together, he puts his Hat on; but while he is standing in the street talking to her, he should remain Hatless. There is no rudeness greater than for him to stand talking to a lady with his Hat on, and a cigar or cigarette in his mouth.

WHEN A GENTLEMAN LIFTS HIS HAT

Lifting the Hat is a conventional gesture of politeness shown to strangers only, not to be confused with bowing, which is a gesture used to acquaintances and friends. In lifting his Hat, a gentleman merely lifts it slightly off his forehead and replaces it; he does not smile or bow, nor does he even look at the object of his courtesy. No gentleman ever subjects a lady to his scrutiny or his apparent observation.

If a lady drops her glove, a gentleman should pick it up, hurry ahead of her and on no account nudge her and offer the glove to her and say: “I think you dropped this!” The lady replies: “Thank you”. The gentleman should then lift his Hat and turn away.

If he passes a lady in a narrow space, so that he blocks her way or in any manner obtrudes upon her, he lifts his Hat as he passes.

If he is on a street car which is very crowded, when he wishes to leave it and a lady is directly in his way, he asks: “May I get through, please?” As she makes room for him to pass, he lifts his Hat and says: “Thank you!”

If he is in the company of a lady anywhere in public, he lifts his Hat to a man who offers her a seat, or who picks up something she has dropped or shows her any other civility.

He lifts his Hat if he asks a woman or an old gentleman a question, and always, if, when walking on the street with either a lady or another man, his companion bows to another person.

In other words, a gentleman lifts his Hat whenever he says “Excuse me, Thank you,” or speaks to or is spoken to by a lady, or by an older gentleman. And no gentleman ever keeps a pipe, cigar or cigarette in his mouth when he lifts his Hat, takes it off, or bows.

THE INFORMAL BOW

In bowing on the street, a gentleman should never takes his Hat off with a flourish, nor should he sweep it down to his knee; nor is it graceful to bow by pulling the Hat over the face as though examining the lining. The correct bow, when wearing a high Hat, or derby, is to lift it by holding the brim directly in front, take it off merely high enough to escape the head easily, bring it a few inches forward, the back somewhat up, the front down, and put in on again. To a very old lady or gentleman, to show adequate respect, a sweeping bow is sometimes made by a somewhat exaggerated circular motion downward to perhaps the level of the waist, so that the Hat’s position is upside down. If a man is wearing a soft Hat he takes it by the crown instead of the brim, lifts it slightly off his head and puts in on again.

AT THE OPERA, THE THEATER AND OTHER PUBLIC GATHERINGS

In walking about in the foyer of the opera house, a gentleman leaves his coat in the box or in his orchestra chair but he always wears his high Hat. The “collapsible” Hat is for use in the seats rather than in the boxes, but it can be worn perfectly well by a guest in the latter if he hasn’t a silk one.

As wikipedia says, it does come down to the “expectations of social behavior, according to the contemporary conventional norm”, but we haven’t become that uncouth as a society as to not follow, or believe in certain gentleman-like behaviour have we?? Then again…unfortunatley maybe we have :(

Now…if more men wore more (proper) hats more frequently…

:)

Lets rewind before I continue…

I got my first Akubra hat sometime in the mid 1980′s…it was a classic Akubra Snowy River hat which I managed to keep in my possession until around 1991 while touring around Australia with all sorts of bands. I’m pretty sure that it got really badly damaged during a huge storm up in Northern Queensland when it got squashed by a huge roadcase :(

Akubra link / Strand Hatters link

After heading up to Sydney in early 1992 I bought a black Akubra Fedora (with a blue feather) from Strand Hatters which I wore pretty much every day both in Australia and during a huge 12 country trip I did to Europe (photos). It was a brilliant and hardy hat and on my trip to Europe, it safely took me into an only recently unified Berlin, protected my head from the sun at an altitude of 3,000 meters on the Matterhorn and managed to survive nearly two weeks in an amazing Istanbul…that is until some shmuck stole it from my train carriage while I was chatting to two nice female Australian backpackers in the compartment next to mine on the train between Turkey and Greece…I really missed that hat, especially since I could never find one again :(

Akubra link

Since that time my “obsession” with Akubra hats has continued and over the last eight years have picked up a few more hats. Lets be honest…hats are one of those things where you can really have one for every occasion :)

In 2002 I wandered into Strand Hatters and picked up an Akubra Coober Pedy for my trip out to the desert country of NSW, SA and the NT (photos). It’s a nice wide brimmed hat which has served me well as my main off-roading hat and which I also just wore again during the trip out to the Blue Mountains and the Kanangra-Boyd Wilderness while in Sydney recently.

Akubra link / Strand Hatters link

In late 2004 I needed something a bit more formal for city wear, so it was back into Strand Hatters where I purchased a black Akubra Hampton. This is bit closer to a Fedora styled hat but has a very very short brim. It’s not uncomfortable and don’t mind its very English design, but it just don’t feel right so it tends to spend a lot of time on the shelf :(

Akubra link / Strand Hatters link

After returning to Melbourne (in late 2005), I picked up one of my old favourites in 2006, an Akubra Snowy River, from a Horseworld Saddlery store in Lilydale. I find the Snowy River to be a really comfortable hat ( I have pretty much had one non-stop since the mid 1980′s) with a classic look. It’s very easy to spot and was used widely in The Man from Snowy River movies.

Akubra link / Strand Hatters link

In early 2007, I wandered into City Hatters in Melbourne looking for a Fedora, and realised that they are only made to order now..so the closest that I could get that felt comfortable was the classic Akubra Stylemaster. The black Stylemaster that I got is a great looking traditional style hat with a design which really comes from the 1940′s and 1950′s…definitely a more formal hat than a Fedora though, and would go really well with a suit…if i ever had to wear one ;)

Akubra link / Strand Hatters link

Fast forward to March 2008, and i walk out of Strand Hatters with what I think has got to be one of the most comfortable hats that I have ever worn, an Akubra International. It’s a similar shape to a Fedora and the one I picked up is black and has a blue feather just like my old Fedora :)

Akubra link

The International is part of the Akubra Lifestyle Collection, which is designed so that you can store it flat in a bag and when you take it out it re-forms back to its original shape. Now i’m not one for squishing hats in a bag, but if i ever have to do it, i’ll make sure and post the results. This is defiantly a less formal hat which suits itself to everyday wear…so if you see someone walking around Melbourne, hanging out in the Upper Yarra Valley, exploring in the bush, standing on top of a mountain or sitting behind the steering wheel of Land Rover Discovery wearing a black hat that looks like the one above but with a blue feather on the left hand side (if you were wearing it)…it’s probably me ;)

So…to end…the Akubra brand has been around since 1912 (the hat making business that became Akubra, actually started in Hobart in 1874) and they have been making hats non-stop since that time and even though I only bought my first Akubra a little over 23 years ago, the thought has never crossed my mind about buying a “real” hat from another brand (for either outdoor expedition or urban adventure use) and I can be pretty sure in saying that any hats that I purchase in the future will no doubt be made by Akubra :)

So the next time you feel like buying a hat, support some great local Australian businesses and buy and Akubra made hat from either Strand Hatters in Sydney or City Hatters in Melbourne.

Note: Strand Hatters are located in the Strand Arcade at 412 George Street, Sydney and City Hatters are located next to the main entrance to Flinders Street Station at 211 Flinders St, Melbourne. Check out this link for a map of both locations.

Lets start with layers…its all about the layers is what they keep telling us, so on Friday night and Monday morning i bought some layers from the Paddy Pallin store in Ringwood (Victoria).

First up a nice mid layer jacket made by The North Face called a Blackhawk Windwall (AUD $99.95 at the clearance store) with the following spec:

• Award-winning jacket with abrasion and wind-resistant Polartec® hardface front and softer, fleece back.
  WindWall™ fabric with hardface application wind permeability rated at 20 CFM
• Brushed collar lining
• Left Napoleon chest pocket with reinforced zipper
• Two hand pockets and Hem cinchcord

Quite interested to see how this goes as a mid layer because it certainly does feel a bit thicker than what i would normally use…but it did have a good feel about it when i tried it on.

Next up…the last thing i need is to be carting around a heavy weight water proof jacket in summer so i picked up a water proof top layer jacket made by Berghaus which is called a “Blade Jacket” (AUD $129.95 at the clearance price and normally $149.95).

• Berghaus 2.5 layer Aquafoil fabric.
• Full length zip with double storm flap.
• Fold down/tab down mountain sports hood.
• Two external venting pockets.
• Narrow venting pit zips.
• Inner security pocket.
• Hem drawcord.

Now this one felt really comfortable on top of the Blackhawk mid layer jacket…really comfortable. I tried on similar Macpac and North Face jackets and they didn’t feel anywhere near as right as the Blade, so hopefully it performs well when i need it the most.

Mmmm…convertible pants….who doesn’t need a good couple of pairs of convertible pants? A mainstay of any trip…one minute you are wearing pants…and then like magic you’re wearing shorts…brilliant :)

So…on what is obviously my life quest that appears to want to me to own every piece of clothing ever made by The North Face, on Friday night i stopped at the huge Anaconda store in Bayswater (Victoria) to pick up a pair of Gondwana pants and somehow walked out with a pair of The North Face Meridian Convertible Pants (AUD $99.95).

• Abrasion-resistant nylon fabric
• Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) 30+
• Three-quarter elastic waist with drawcord, zip fly and belt loops
• Utility side pockets
• Front slash pockets
• Pant legs zip off at mid-thigh
• Rear stow pocket
• Patch pocket with zip
• Quick drying
• Internal passport pocket at waistband
• Lightweight and packable
• Roll-up cuffs feature
• Crotch gusset
• Fabric is treated with a DWR finish

I’ve been wearing these today, both indoors and outdoors in around 27 degree celsius heat and they feel pretty good.

Finally…and i think this one is great..a grabbed a new hat (you can never have enough hats as my Akubra collection proves) in the legionnaire hat style which i have never really thought much of before. I found it in Paddy Pallin and its made by an Australian company called Frillneck and I think its called an Urban Turban (AUD $29.95). Its specs are pretty bare (it is a legionnaire hat after all) but i do know that the one I got is made out of  polyester micromesh and has a UPF rating of 50+.

The hat feels quite comfortable and certainly won’t blow away in a strong breeze but the best bit about it is that because of its design (with strategic points on the hat being equipped with velcro), you can quickly shape this hat into a heap of different styles. You do look a bit like Sir Edmund Hillary, but it does work really well.

Anyway..reviews will come as i get to wear this stuff in the great outdoors…next on the list is a new day/overnight pack ;)