I'll look into it for you.

Clayton researched Betty's dishes a while back and came up with the right answer, and no doubt he will with this... but I would like to venture a guess that Don's hat was made by Dobbs...I have a keepsake--- a very similar hat that was one of my dad's hats ("fedora" type) he actually wore in the 1960's--- it even has the little red feather in the hat band like Don wore when he was mailing the book.
Just a guess...

I like your guess !!- funny I just got done looking at a Dobbs "jettsetter" and I think you are right
cant wait to see what Clayton says

Thanks guys
too cool

I understand they use authentic Vintage Clothing and Acessories for all episodes. My guess is it's a true vintage Dobbs mens fedora. It probally came in its original hat box, thats why it looks so good.

I understand they use authentic Vintage Clothing and Acessories for all episodes. My guess is it's a true vintage Dobbs mens fedora. It probally came in its original hat box, thats why it looks so good.

There are a few vintage Dobbs mens' hats on Ebay right now. One (the dark brown one with a red feather) is identical to the one I have of my Dad's.
I think it has over 9 bids on it at present. You can see from the pics what fine workmanship goes into them.

I meant to say above "the black one with a red feather" (referring to the one like my Dad's hat that's on Ebay now)
The brown one I have of my Dad's is a muted mini plaid wool hat---also Dobbs.
I think he really liked Dobbs because almost all his hats (my brother had some and I have some) were Dobbs hats.

Did anyone notice how out of place Don looked in California with his hat on? I don't think there was anyone else in the episode that wore a hat.

It reminded me how less into formal dress California is when compared to the east coast. Look particularly at the difference between the generations, as well. Don wore a hat into town, yet Pete did not.

When my family moved to California, my father was ready to continue his normal dressing habits, but I don't recall him getting as dressed up after our move west (post-1960). I'm still wondering if it was all due to weather, style, or the open 'laissez faire' attitude of the young Californian.

SCfan... My Dad was a Stetson man....:-)
I plan to do some research to find out the differences between the two brands....

when did wearing those hats go out of style. i'm assuming mid-late sixties. i'm 37 and i remember growing up and seeing pictures of frank sinatra, i'm a big fan of his by the way, and always thinking that he made wearing those hats look pretty cool.

samg, I believe JFK had a lot to do with hats becoming uncool...he never wore them and I remember their popularity waning due to his influence. My dad was a man with his own personal style, however, and wore hats (although they became progressively sportier in style) well into his later years...kinda like Frankie (Sinatra) !

Noticed the ones on eBay - nice .. I am a 7 3/8 so I just haven't found one to fit yet.That one, I think is too small and there is a brown one too (also too small for me ),so sad.
I guess I don't pay attention to what is in style but make my own. As long as you can feel confident in what you wear no matter how out of place you might seem you will always fit in - thats called "carrying it off "

Maybe Don's attire in California was deliberate - to show the contrast between the east and west coasts. Maybe a straw hat would have made him less conspicuous. At least the hat would have protected him from the sun's damaging rays. If only Don had something to protect him from his newly-found "friends."

dan, just saw a tan (camel?) hat on Ebay that's the 7 3/8 size you mentioned...don't know if that's a color you'd want...
There's also a 7 7/8 (probably too big) that's a darker color...both are Dobbs I believe. That one that's like my dad's that's up for auction has a few bids already! I couldn't handle selling my dad's hats, too many memories (they are 6 7/8 incidentally, which appears to be a pretty popular size on Ebay I notice)
My dad was one that "made his own style" too! Good luck finding a "Don fedora" !

The Don Draper sense of style was still around in the early 60's (here in Seattle). It was how my dad dressed to go to work, and he always looked so nice with a hat on. Of course it rains a little more here so hats made sense.

I remember John Kennedy making news by choosing not to wear a hat at his January inauguration. It had been customary to wear a top hat I believe.

Thanks for all your comments guys I am settling on a Scala mainly because I found one that is extremely economical and in my size and gray but I would have rather had the Dobbs but could not find quite the style I wanted on Ebay, I can find a new Dobbs but would prefer not to spend $200 right now on a hat maybe later

I have a sneaking suspicion some or most of the hats are Biltmore hats. There is a scene in season two where you get a 40% view of the inside of Don's hat and you can distinctly see a scripted "B" beginning the name. Also remember, Biltmore produced the Dobbs hats back in the 60's, as well as Stetson at an earlier time.

Dobbs would be the best bet. I am sure S/C would have had a dress code requiring men to have hats. This probably ended around 1965.

The hat appears to be a Resistol 990 Beaver XXX with Kitten Finish. I have one. Found it brand new in a box in perfect shape a couple of months ago.

It seems we didn't receive an official reply as to the hat Draper wears.

John Kennedy wore many different hats depending on the occasion. I recall reading that he briefly donned a full Indian feather headdress but took it off so quickly the reporters didn't have time to take a picture. Remember, in those days cameras were manually focused and used flashbulbs.

The Los Angles episode, I'm sorry to say, was not true to real life. Every adult male wore suits and hats at the time. Those that didn't wear suits and hats pushed brooms for a living and even those who pushed brooms would have a Sunday suit and tie.

Also, middle class men didn't just take off their shirt and tie to work in the yard. They wore a khaki colored pants and shirt (not dockers) which had an almost military look which was apt since just about every male of that generation had been in World War 2.

I can't pinpoint exactly when men stopped wearing hats but it was in the mid 1960s and it was abrupt. If I had to bet on it, it was just after the Watt's riots.

It wasn't because it was a new trend to stop wearing hats. My father was in his mid-fifties and one day he just hung up his hat and never wore it again.

Unfortunately, hair oil continued for several years after that until someone in advertising came up with the slogan "The Wethead is Dead."

Hairspray for men didn't catch on but Vitalis pretty much disappeared.