I found this early 1900's Stetson on Poshmark. I'm certain that the seller had no idea what this was, but I know a bargain when I see one! It was a bit moth eaten and worn, but that's never a negative! I grabbed it. I was able to parlay it into some cash and another more marketable Stetson, which I decorated, burned and sold. If it was closer to my size, I would have kept it, but it was huge on my pea head.
Beginning with my old basic wool top hat that I wore to host Steam Punk events at our theatre, I decided to decorate it for one of my husband's Doors tribute shows. The leather patch on the side says, "Strange Days Have Found Us'"
I have a little thing for open crown hats. They remind me of Jimi Hendrix and my 70's hippie roots. Here are two examples of how I change plain hats into something a little more interesting...in my humble opinion.