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Fur Felt Safari Hat

In 1985 the Fur Felt Safari Hat replaced the Bushman’s Hat. Priced at $56 it was no longer made by Akubra but was made in the USA. It was a regular item that defined the Safari look until Spring 1988. The hats appear a lot on the current market, a testament to their popularity, quality and long lasting value.

From the catalogue: “The point of owning a fur felt hat is to use it over a lifetime–as the years go by, it grows softer and softer, takes on more and more of your personality. After all, a well-worn hat becomes a part of you–as traveled, as idiosyncratic as you are. The trouble with most hats is that just about the time they’re really gaining character, they start to lose their strength–and consequently their shape. Fur felt will outlast wool felt–maybe even outlast you. At the very least, your fur felt hat will still be sitting rackishly on your head when your old favorite jeans have long since gone to denim heaven.”

Fur Felt Safari Hat (1985-1988)

The hats are sized by 1/8ths.
The Banana Republic hat artwork is printed inside the crown on the lining.
The Banana Republic Hat Box

About The Author

Robyn Adams
Robyn's fascination with Banana Republic began in 1984 when her Alaskan adventurer father began buying the clothing and giving her the catalogs. She loved the clothes and as an artist she was drawn to the illustrations. She went on to study illustration at art college in BR's hometown of San Francisco and worked for years as a background artist for animation. She is now based in Oakland, CA as a graphic designer and illustrator with Secret Fan Base . She's been collecting and archiving at Abandoned Republic since 2011.

3 Comments

  • Calvin James Wetzel on July 10, 2021

    The USA made safari hat was made by Beaver Brand hat company (1860-2012). See The Fedora Lounge, on the internet.

  • Martín Román Chávez on January 24, 2022

    Hi! I recently bought a Bailey’s vintage hat. I was searching for some info about this hat, but there’s no information about the model and the brand. The only brand which has this mode is banana republic. The Bailey’s hat has “Tundra” as a model and also the “genuine fur felt” is exactly as the “Safari hat” from 1985. Help please

    Bye

  • Calvin James Wetzel on August 4, 2022

    I just received my 2nd Banana Republic Safari hat, made by Beaver Brand hat Co. and noted a color difference, one is khaki tan, and the 2nd is dark khaki. In the catalog they are listed as khaki, khaki tan, and dark khaki. The Safari khaki tan is not as light as the Akubra made Bushmans hat in light tan.

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