History White "Street Rod" gatsby hats - circa 1978

Anyone remember these from the late 1970's. White gatsby-like hats with a button front. Usually had a automotive logo on the front. Back in the "Street is Neat" days everybody had one, usually filled with buttons and pins....anyone know what I'm talking about, or where to get one nowadays?

 

Ya I remember. I still have mine, had a blue oval Ford logo on the front and a bunch of pins. I don't think I'll ever wear it again but I'll keep it forever. I still have a club jacket from the 60's and the club plaque. I put the plaque on my tudor.

 

You mean like this one:



This is around 1977 and God, I can't believe I was that skinny!

What a dork!

 

My dad calls them "Roadster Caps" I don't know why though..

 

2 reasons why they were known as "roadster caps" One, the sports car guys and the LA Roadster guys would use them to keep their hair in place while cruzin' (usually backwards) but more importantly, Jay Orberg of the Mr. Roadster Company was selling them at all the rod runs, literally coast to coast. In Tulsa in '76, Jay was selling them as fast as his wife could sew the patches them on in the back of their booth.

Ahh them waz da days............

 

Are we talking Stroker McGurk hats?

 

Also known as "Stroker hats", after Stroker McGurk.

 

I have a pic of my dad in the 20s with a similiar one, only in leather.

 

I'm sure a haberdasher would know them by a different name.

 

Yeah, thats what I thought,.... you young guys, sheesh!

 

Keep in mind, Stroker was drawn by Tom Medley, real tight with the LA Roadster guys, may have been a member at one time, hence the "look" morphed from real life to the comics.

 

My dad called em "doggin caps"?

 

hell yeah....I wore one in high school,still got one some where...used to buy them for $1.99......have a sorce for new ones??

 

Spot the white cap:



Here's where you might find a good rendition of the old style caps. http://www.hatsinthebelfry.com/page/H/CTGY/newsboy-caps

A personal favourite: http://www.hatsinthebelfry.com/page/H/PROD/newsboy-caps/3852-white

A cheaper alternative: http://www.black-plate.com/online_store.html

 

Go online, google, Hats In The Belfry, they call them 'big apple ' or 'paper boy hats'

 

There were called newsboy hats and the big ones are called the big apple. I still wear them.

 

I had a brown leather one that I wore forever until my dog chewed it up. The tweed ones were for the MG TD set.

If we are talking fad street rod hats don't forget the straw cowboy hats that all of us wannabe urban cowboys were buying at the street rod shows. There was a big market in fancy hat bands and feathers for them. Check your 70s/80s photos to see how many of them show up in the background.

 

Why'd he call them that? (see my pic)

 

outside the car world they go by Paddy caps or Flat caps.. in socal you can get them at most surplus stores that sell clothes as well as vintage clothing shops. you just have to look around a bit... im sure Atlanta will have places that carry the style hat you want.

 

A small leather version is popular among metal workers.

 

Try Newsboy Cap on Ebay there are a lot but mostly stylish ones.

 

my kid just turned 18,he's got about 4 or 5 different ones he wears. i was always told they were called "GO TO HELL " hats. i guess when somebody said somethin about it,thats what you told em

 

The cowboy hat fad hit the population at large though, the Stroker/Roadster/NewsBoy caps were particular to the StreetRod subculture. The cap in the Hats in the Belfry ad are nice, but it was the cheapie knockoff on the other link I remember so well from those days...I had one, so did my dad and brother.

Like this one?:

 

Stroker Hats is what we called them. I still have two - one plain (w/buttons) one with a Chevrolet patch. Both bought in '73.

Rod

 

Here you go...scroll about half way down the page.
http://www.parts123.com/parts123/yb.dll?Parta~PartSort~A0~~~~~A160~A141

 

No I said metalworkers, that guy's obviously a woodworker. And either an airline pilot or nazi judging by his hat.

 

You can order them from Old Dog Street Rods in St. Louis, online too.

 

still got mine but not so white anymore

 

I had a tan swede one in my Healey days, as always thought of myself as Jackie Stewart or Colin Chapman I guess. The "stroker" hats I remember looked just like it, and were more or less a cotton golf hat.

I also thought the other hats, like the news boys, were just for the guys with Superfly Cars, and I didn't have big enough headlights! Gary

http://www.dadshats.com/ivycap.html