Oh! DelMontico You Hatter You

It has always amazed me how one thing leads to another. Then, there again, it should not amaze me at all when given the quantum physics of our universe. But, it still does. This season will be my 48th season of being a dress hatter, yet, living in Texas, there is less of that and more Western hats. Now and then, a few kangol caps and driving caps (Tony Romo) appear. My beloved Borsalino Fur Felt Fedora has started to show up,too. The Harris Tweeds are not as populated (I have one for rainy and cold snowy days).

With the hot Texas summers, I should wear more straw but the 'ol baseball cap (Michigan block M) is my favorite followed by the plain GAP and The Arkansas Chapter of Trout Unlimited (my brother is a noted fly fisherman). With a Masters of Theology under his belt, my youngest brother and I held up my mom's funeral an extra day while the fly fishing theologian drove back from Alaska--actually he was already headed back and was in Watson Lake Yukon when he reported in with us. Later, we discovered he had stopped to fly fish a couple of hours in Yellowstone. So when he presented me with that Trout Unlimited  hat, I teared up! Mom is most likely still laughing about that one.

So, I have been working on building a portfolio of  straw hats worn in the Dallas area. It is influenced by the culture of Mexico since before the days of the Alamo. Saying it is a bit out of place would be totally inaccurate. It is apart of Texas history that sometimes gets overlooked. That is why it has appeared on my project list for sometime and from time-to-time, I actually do find some great hats being worn.

While trying to find the exact description of one hat I photographed this past weekend, I ended up on my hatter's website. Hence the 'how one thing leads to another' prior. I have been purchasing hats from Delmonico Hatters on Elm Street  in New Haven, Connecticut for years.  It is almost a foregone conclusion now, that a hat purchase is in the cards for me. It is also the first time that where those hats come from has been revealed. The last trip physically made there was in the early 80's. Since then, it's been on the web all the way.

Since 1865 when John B.Stetson started producing his hat in Philadelphia--yes, Stetson's got there start in the East and not here in the West--Hatco has made and licensed those famous hats in the modern era. DelMonico were chosen to be recognized this year as the 'Dress Hat Retailer of the Year'. Dress hats are non-Western style hats that are commonly known as Fedoras. My hat!

Although, the Australian writer poet, Akubra is know for that famous 'Snowy River' Australian hat. And the more famous Lucas Film Ltd licensing of the 'Indiana Jones' Fedora is more recognizable. I have one of those for casual wear, as well. It's a Fedora. What can I say?

Thanks to four gracious gentlemen for sharing their headwear with me so that I can share it with you!

Sombreros at Bachman Lake

Now that's a Sombrero near Mockingbird Station

Straw Palm Hat at White Rock Lake

DelMonico Hatters

Today Is National Ice Cream Day In A Month Of Refletions.

Every July, for a whole lot of years, I reflect back on the past year. What I reflect upon bears the weight of past mistakes as well as decisions from everything from finances and services that I purchase to answering questions like," am I driving enough miles to even keep and maintain an automobile"; especially, being in a city with a rail service as nice as Dallas'.

Overall, each year, my goal is to be a better person than the year before. Seldom, do victories get celebrated. It's just not in my makeup. Mom would tell me over the years that ,"there are those who will vigorously try to claim as their doings the things you do that others like, but they will also be the first to cast stones on you when you celebrate a victory or accomplishment." She was right.

There was a story today about Anderson Cooper selling not one, but both properties on St. George in Quioque, L.I., New York; one with an island, the other without. It glimmers with the words of my mother that I just described. Here's the comparison.

First, there is a "-ish" question of whether he actually lives in the Hampton's. So here you go. If you come in by the front door route he's on Moriches Bay. If you come in by the back door route, he's on Shinnecock Bay. Who actually cares. It's the tip of Long Island and it really doesn't matter one bit. People are so jealous they split hairs. The people with the money don't really care one way or the other and don't split hairs. Frankly, I like their way better. And, Anderson has three plums in his hat straight out the gate! He's a Vanderbilt by blood. His mother is a world renown fashion Queen, He's a Yale grad. Even if the rumors are true that he is a CIA operative in training as a news reporter, He looks like a CIA operative so what?

Many years ago I had a group of friends that lived on Long Island from the easterly borders of Queens to Southampton. The Syosset connection was a steel importer that I purchased from and sold to over the years. The Westbury connection was a warehouse operation, The Levittown connection was a 30 Rock Gems Dealer that taught me how to play cribbage and the Southampton connection was a Contractor Supply guy that shored up all the big-money houses in the Hampton's with steel beams into bedrock! The houses will still blow away in a Nor'easter or Hurricane but at least the foundation will still be there! The Riverhead connection trains dogs. All make up a composit of good as steel New York People over all.

Second, giving up the properties for  nearly 7 million would be hard especially if you loved the water and the trade currents that bring cool summer breezes. On the other hand, moving into the mountains into a Manse that while stately, isn't any thing close to what his grand father's father, railroad magnet Mr. Vanderbilt, built in the mountains in North Carolina. It still remains the largest house ever built in this country. The fact that his mother, Gloria Vanderbilt, has a fashion empire in addition to being an heiress, really does not factor into the debate. Anderson has a degree from one of the Ivy League schools. Yale, in fact. I've flow into New Haven, via Bridgeport via Boston Logan . In fact, I still buy my hats from a hat shop in New Haven that has been selling hats from the same store front for over 100 years. Then, I wake up and find myself down in the hold of a ship inspecting my shipment of steel from a European mill. It's all relative. But being in a house c.1906 in the mountains of Connecticut just east of the Appalachian Trail, appeal more to me than being at sea level or slightly above. It's still 100-miles from the city plus a few. You just trade one for the other. The point is, some would trade the other way. As it happens in Anderson's choice, I would have to go along with the mountain property over the sea shore. The crashing of waves gets old after a while. Wind blowing through the trees is music of the Austrian Philharmonic wind section.


Finally, I don't begrudge Anderson Cooper one thing. I see him as another human being that will now be voting in Connecticut or maybe still New York. After all, he lives in a fire house in the City, too! He simply has a few more options than most people and options are a good thing. So in between  here and the last paragraph, I scooped up a big bowl of  Death by Chocolate ice cream. It is National Ice Cream Day, don't forget, and I reflect on that every year as well. It makes no different if it's a Friendly's Ice Cream in New Haven or a Braum's Ice cream in Dallas. I like to reflect back on why I like ice cream every year, too.