Hats in the Belfry New Tammany Bowler Black, Grey, Navy, Brown, Pearl

I read all the reviews and comments and, frankly, I was scared I would receive a damaged/crushed hat that would be either too small or too large, especially since my hatsize was right on the edge of a large. I couldn't resist the fantastic price on this hat and decided to take a chance. I am so glad I did! I wear a size 7 3/8 hat (with shaved head) which is right on the limit of a Large according to their chart. I was tempted to buy an XL in anticipation of it not fitting but decided to listen to the chart and get what was recommended. I'm so happy I did. The Large fits PERFECTLY! Ok, it didn't fit perfectly out of the box as the hat is formed more round than my head, which is more oval. If I pushed in on the sides just a bit the hat fit perfectly. So I boiled some water and held the front and back of the hat over the steam for a few minutes and put it on and wore it until dry. It now conforms perfectly to my head as if an expensive hat maker tailor made it just for me. It's so comfortable that I forget I'm even wearing it. As to the concerns of getting a crushed hat from shipping, those fears were unfounded. The hat arrived in a box that was 3 or 4 inches taller than it needed to be and came with a dense foam ring around the outside of the hat to protect the brim and feather from getting crushed. THe hat was then placed in a clear bag to keep it clean and protected from moisture then sealed. A sheet of airbags were placed over the hat to take up all the remaining space in the box. Not a dent or scratch to be found anywhere on the hat. The feather is easily removed if you don't like it. Mine was ok...it's a feather and looks like a feather. I ordered the gray w/black band and I'm glad I did. It is darker than what you see in the photos and is a nice dark gray but still noticeably different from the pure black ribbon band. The inside sweatband is not leather as some claimed. It looks real from the face but if you fold it out to see the back it's just fake leather. Would have been nice if it was genuine leather as it would absorb some sweat that the plastic band tends to produce. As it is it lives up to the name "sweatband" as it does indeed make your head sweat. The liner is a nice black satin that doesn't bleed when you sweat in it. The "Hats in the Belfry" logo in the center is pretty sweet as well. The liner is just tacked to the hat behind the sweatband using glue. The body of the hat is nice and hard, as it should be and the brim is just perfectly sized and very sturdy with a perfect shape. One thing that really thrilled me with this hat is the profile. I've been looking at bowler/derby hats for one that wasn't flat on the bottom when viewed from the side. I'm a fan of Penny Dreadful and wanted a bowler that fit like the one worn by the character "Ethan" (played by Josh Hartnett). His has a sweet curve to the base when viewed from the side with the center being higher than the front and back. This bowler is just like the one he wears and I'm loving it. So much character to this hat. If you are thinking of getting this hat just do it! Follow the sizing chart and order the size accordingly. It seems they figured out how to properly package these beautiful hats without damaging them.

Was perfect for playing Hercule Poirot. (It came with a feather in the band, but I pulled it out easily.) The hat is solid and held up well to rehearsals and 4 performances. I will hang onto it for future plays or cosplays. Looked great!

The Bowler arrived in perfect condition. As some other reviews have stated, the hat is sized a little large. I used 4 sizing tapes and have a perfect fit! Great quality! I would definitely recommend "Hats in the Belfry" as a source for any hat purchase!

Very nice hat with a heavy, quality feel to it. The sizing based on the chart seems a bit off as I very consistently wear a 7 1/4 hat size, which, unfortunately, is right at the break between the medium and the large. I opted for the large, and it was way too big. No hassles exchanging for a medium which fits nicely, but would be large for anyone needing the lower end of the published size range. The shape is a bit more oval than round so it will take a little wear to conform to my more circular head. My biggest complaint is not for the manufacturer, but Amazon on their packaging. The first hat I received that I hat to return due to size was packaged loose in a large box and came through without damage. The second one was stuffed into a box that was too small and, as many others have noted, it was crushed. It recovered after steaming, but greater care should be taken on Amazon's part not to deliver damaged goods.

Good replacement bowler. It's quite stiff, but I was able to shape it to my liking with a bit of steam. It did arrive with a bit of a lump in the crown, but I'll steam that out later. Overall I would certainly recommend this over a couple of other brands on here I've tried which were so hard and thin you could knock on them. Others seem to be nothing more than basic theater/costume quality yet claiming to be a proper daily hat and they're simply not. I'll definitely have to try a couple of other hats from Hats in the Belfry such as their newsboy cap.

Fits well and cute

Hats in the Belfry Belfry Tammany Derby Hat with 4" crown (much nicer than the taller 5" crown derby hats) and curved up/narrow brow is a great looking hat and reasonably made for the price. However I have had two issues on two orders. The first hat arrived in a mailer cushioned envelope which was not marked 'handle with care' etc so the mailman shoved it in my normal size mailbox. So it got dented. The order was correct, but badly dented in two places. The one dent at crown popped out, but the brow was deformed. I have photos. Amazon was great however and was happy to assist in issuing a refund. I love love love the styling - nice narrow brow/brim, wide satin crown ribbon, elegantly simple feather detail make this a very gender neutral hat that looks good on a man or woman. So I decided to Hats in the Belfry once more - maybe the packaging issue was fluke. So I reordered another. I ordered a medium this time in same color as first as the Small is very tight (petite frame/head measures 21.5"). The second order I ordered the medium and same color as first - black. This order arrived in a box this time! But the order is wrong! They sent a medium luckily so I can try the fit, but they sent Navy! Uggh. I have a formal equestrian event coming up next week and worried I may not have my show attire pieces in time for the competition due to all these inconvenient bad shipments. Hats in the Belfry - help me out here with a quick ship Black Medium!!!! I can advertise for you during the ring event if you can help me out!! :) I need many colors for the show season!

Nice hat. Had a medium Scala that didn't go over my ears. This covers my ears. Attached a black jeweled feather pin. Now it's a lady's bowler. Might have to hold it down in a wind storm but I love bowler hats.