I was making fun of Tilley Hats on Amazon.com with a friend and I "accidentally" ordered one. It was on sale. 30% off. Whatever excuse I can find. It arrives tomorrow. I'm taking the day off to walk around town and see what all the fuss is about...
This is how bad the heat stress has gotten ----unsupervised shopping insanity and the general destruction of my reputation as a fashion forward influencer on the web.
Photos tomorrow.
Blank space. discarded copy. Sadly self-censured. Taking all the fun out...
But the lead is: Tilly Hat + Kirk
Never thought I would read that! Have you been wandering around in the sunshine without one of your hats on?
ReplyDeleteNo, not yet. But I am covering one of my Leica SLs with the metallic, bright silver, material that you can use to recover appliances with. You buy it from Amazon in rolls. Tired of blistering my fingers to shoot photographs for you blog readers and am beginning to belief that the idea of suffering for your art is a crock.
ReplyDeleteIf I have enough material left over I may use it to make a tinfoil hat so our alien lizard overlords can't control my brain.
AR3A. Secret code for audio perfection.
It's all downhill from here on out I'm afraid. The adult diaper can't be far off. Like Clint Eastwood says in Unforgiven, we've all got it comin kid.
ReplyDeleteThe Billingham bag is in the post…
ReplyDelete"Anonymous Matt S said...
ReplyDeleteThe Billingham bag is in the post…"
first things first. I gotta get one of those photo vests. Goes with the Billingham and the Tilley.
Crsantin,
ReplyDeleteAdult Diapers? Well, I guess it all DEPENDS.
In some thriller novel many years ago, one of the characters said something like, "Shoot the guys in the photo vests first." The implication being that guys wear photo vests to conceal their EDCs.
ReplyDeleteSo I would actually go with the Billingham bag before a photo vest, as a matter of personal security. I, of course, have owned Billingham bags, because I have had several of every bag ever made; also, several of every jacket ever made, especially those that are superficially tactical, and have things like little tiny button pockets on their upper sleeves. I buy bags and jackets like Kirk buys lenses.
The Billinghams were heavy, though well-made. Speaking of well-made, I've discovered that the original Tilley company was bought out several years ago by something that resembles a hedge fund, and most of their hats are now made in China, not in Canada. O, Canada!
ReplyDeleteWhile you were on Amazon why didn't you just go all in and pick up a compass for the dash/windhsield of your Forester. You live in one of the few regions I know where navigation by compass might actually make sense.
And the adult diapers are referred to by those in the trade as Grampers.
Dearest John Abee, If you look carefully you'll see that the 2021 and newer Subaru Foresters have a digital compass built into the rear view mirror located in the top center of the front windshield. Why would I need another one? And if I did need another one couldn't I just use the digital compass built into my iPhone?
ReplyDeleteThe generic name in Texas is.... DEPENDS
How do I know? I had a parent who in memory care in his 90s. I spent a lot of time getting to know the milieu.
I guess it all DEPENDS.
Just curious what you mean when you say I love in a region where navigation by compass might actually make sense? Aren't North, South, East and West understood and utilized just about everywhere in the world? Why would Austin, Texas be any different? I don't get it.
But a Chinese made Tilley Hat. Now that's special. There's even a side pocket for storing your dentures when they get uncomfortable...
Currently looking for geriatric shoes to go with my soon to arrive Tilley Hat. Thinking along the lines of whatever the modern equivalent of Hush Puppy Loafers might be. I don't play golf so I probably won't go with white shoes. Although the spikes on the bottom of golf shoes are alluring....
ReplyDeleteYou'll need Tilley pants now. I think some come with zippers in the pockets to thwart pickpockets.
ReplyDeleteBut... but... I am still waiting to read about the speakers you bought in college. C'mon Kirk, don't make me wait - it is killin' me. It is not like there is anywhere else online I can turn to for such valuable info. Or is there?
ReplyDeleteKen
"Currently looking for geriatric shoes..."
ReplyDeleteGo for Crocs - they won't get ruined when the diaper gets overfilled or loose.. ;)
Kind regards
Peter
P.S.
Hey - you started it... ;P
The Tilly hats aren't that bad. You have put me off wearing mine because I always follow any advice from photo bloggers.
ReplyDeleteTilley Hat Eaten by Elephant. Three Times.
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteI am a (lurking)follower of your blog from Finland. I just have to write a post now, because I don't understand the fuss about Tilley hats. I used a Tilley hat for about 30 years. The use was very heavy; I'm a biologist who works a lot in the field (you can see me with the hat on my profile picture here: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mikael-Von-Numers.
In the end it was worn out anyway. Inside the hat you can read: guaranteed for life (replaced if it ever wears out). This is indeed true. I got a new identical hat for free. This one should last another thirty years. Unfortunately, I will hardly last as long :-)
Best regards
Mikael
I bought a Tilley hat many years ago under similar circumstances. I think mine was 40% off. It's a pretty good hat but not my favorite.
ReplyDeleteTilley hats are only cool if you're caught wearing one driving a Range Rover. Trying desperately to guide this thread to cars.
ReplyDeleteI'm planning to wear my new Tilley Hat when I take my car in for maintenance. Does that count?
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, I might match it up with a pair of Crocs.
ReplyDeleteSure, the Tilley is not nearly as fashionable as REI’s Havana (which is a fantastic-looking hat) but it’s far more practical. (I own both.) If it’s windy, rainy, or I’m traveling, I take the Tilley. I don’t think you’ll regret the purchase!
ReplyDeleteWhat's a Tilley Hat???
ReplyDeleteHi Roger. It's basically a cotton canvas bucket hat. The company, Tilley, has been around for a long time and has a life time warranty for their hats. Useless to me as I will no doubt lose the hat long before it wears out. I have resisted ever buying them because it always seemed like that middle-aged man surrender. The point at which you just don't care what anybody thinks about what you wear or why. Like George Costanza on the Seinfeld show where he gives up on life and starts wearing sweat pants everywhere.
ReplyDeleteI also think the Tilley Hats are very, very expensive for what they really are. But, I'm not one to judge (too harshly) until I've at least tried one myself to see if there is some charm, feature or miraculous comfort that I've missed. My experimental hat is supposed to arrive this afternoon. I would not have made the attempt except that this particular hat was on sale.
Owning one probably won't change anyone's life for the better or for the worse. Some people wear stuff I wouldn't be caught dead in but the Tilley Hats are not nearly that bad. My review will be up shortly.
Kirk -
ReplyDeleteYes we all have digital compasses these days but they lack the panache of that big honking compass on the dash or windshield that just screams "I'm old and prepared for anything." Or ... having it in the line of sight has a bit of "heads up display" cool going on. Or none of the above.
Depends goes back to the Kimberly Clark days, but I think they sold the brand. P&G's competing brand was Attends and they were made on the same lines as their Pampers disosable diapers - hence Grampers. Haven't actually bought any of these yet but our time is coming and too quickly.
Re the refernece to areas where a compass might have value, I was not thinking of Austin in particular but thinking of wide open spaces with extended open runs and relatively infrequent turns. Navigating rural expanses and particularly those with spotty cel coverage occaisionally brings the value of a compass front and center. Saved my bacon on a few "exciting" adventures.
Tilley hats are more expensive than the disposable bucket hats but they aren't really expensive in the world of headwear. Checked out Bolsanaro? A nice medium brim felt will run you around $400 to more than $700. One of their Bolsanaro-branded Panama straw Montecristis will set you back over $2500. Speaking of hand woven Panamas, you can spend over $5000 for one of the very top of the line Montecristi Supreme Cavalier fedoras.
ReplyDeleteAnd for that amount of money you don't even get a big name brand tag on the hat band to advertise your wealth, class, cool. Or your decadence.
Way out of my league.
ReplyDelete