Men's Hats in the United States: 1940-1955

Here is an image as well as an analysis of primary source material I did within my first week of grad school. A kind of warm up exercise of sorts for the semester, but a fun way to further explore my curiosity in regards to menswear, especially in New York City in the 1950s. I was tickled by all of the "attractive" marketing names for new acrylic fibers. Enjoy!

This photograph features an overall semi-casual look for men, and highlights one of the most popular hats of 1953, the homburg. / Photo credit: Donald Honeyman. In vogue for men: Tip sheet for men – The system-changing suit. 1953. Vogue, Mar 15, 136. 

Men's Hats in the United States 1940-1955

            So often in history has the First Lady of the United States been critiqued and copied for her choices in dress. In researching post-WW2 era men’s hats, I came across an interesting example of a Presidential influence on men’s fashionable headwear. The brief article, entitled “15% RISE FORSEEN IN FALL HAT SALES: Lee Will Offer Dacron, Vicuna and Camel’s Hair Blended With Fur, $12.50 to $20”, was originally published in the New York Times on April 1, 1953 in English for an American audience; the author is not identified. The text seems to be directed towards a primarily male audience, as indicated by the headline as well as the business meeting context reported on within the first paragraph. What appears to be simply a business blurb offers much factual information about the Frank H. Lee [Hat] Company, its business plans and the influence of a political figure on fashion in 1953.

            The author notes that the hat President Eisenhower wore for his inauguration, a homburg, is to be credited for the general rise in men’s hat sales that year as well as significant percentage growth in sales for the Frank H. Lee Company specifically. It is noted that because of the sudden popularity of the homburg, those in the hat business saw the “biggest gain in hat sales since the 1920s, the industry’s peak.” The article also touched on new fabric blends for the upcoming fall season, going in to detail about the company’s range of hats for boys and men. Vice President of sales and advertising, Emanuel A. Korchnoy, reported that Dacron, vicuna and camel’s hair were to be blended with fur; the main draw of the fall line. The company also highlighted their range of youth hats (in fourteen colors; casual and crushable). Noted lastly were three styles of homburgs to be offered up to the consumer; all were to be pre-shaped and included an offer for water repellent treatment. Mr. Lee credits the President’s style choice for the hat industry’s realization that they should be selling products their customers want, not what they think the customer should wear.

            The article is helpful in regards to the facts given but it also raises a number of questions. The Frank H. Lee Company is never defined (other than with the word “Danbury” given after its title at the beginning of the article) or given explanation of, nor was Mr. Lee himself. It is implied that the reader of the New York Times is familiar with the company as a major player in the hat industry. No other leading hat sellers are mentioned, raising the question, who was the Lee Company’s competition in New York and the greater United States in 1953? Why do they seem to be the spokesmen for Eisenhower’s fashionable hat choice? The article also implies that the reader is familiar with Dacron and vicuna fabrics and would be willing to pay $12.50-$20 for them. One wonders in what context this article was featured in the Times; was this a business blurb, directed towards a male audience, or, was this supposed to possibly catch the eye of young housewives, sisters or mothers?

            In order to fully grasp the article’s place in fashion history, I would first research The Frank H. Lee Company as well as other leading makers and sellers of men’s hats in 1952-3. I would also like to find press coverage of Eisenhower’s inauguration; was there truly considerable buzz surrounding his homburg? On a broader level, how often was men’s fashion influenced by Presidential attire? Are there statistics to support the supposed increase in hat sales mentioned by Mr. Lee? I would also want to know, were Dacron and vicuna fabrics innovative at this time in history and did they in fact sell as well in the fall of 1953 as the Lee Company estimated?

            Given the number of questions this article raises as well as the need for historical verification of facts, I view this piece as a jumping off point. It offers its reader the cultural context of Eisenhower’s homburg phenomenon and is one example of a company in 1953 cashing in on a public persona’s style choices, while adapting to its consumers’ desires. I think it would be an excellent piece to include in my research but of course would not be the main source or authority I would rely on.