The Shadow Costume Help

[Hirogen]

For Halloween next year I am planning a Shadow costume. I picked up a ring off ebay (that I am not too happy with but it is all that is available right now) and now I am looking for a hat. I found this website that states the brim of the hat is 16"?!? How can that be, that would be an enourmous hat!

Nuno Miranda's Original Film Props Collection: The Shadow (1994) The Shadow Costume

I want my hat to resemble the Alec baldwin version. At most, that brim looks to be 7 or 8" to me but I am no expert on hats.

I found a website (hatcrafters) that sells two decent hats (#238 and #44)but I am not sure how tall to make the crown or how wide the Baldwin Shadow hat really is or which of those hats would match the best. Any help would be appreciated!

 

[Drewid]

The Shadow wears a black slouch hat so the #44 is probably a better match than #238 (even though that one is called The Shadow. I think what that site meant was that the hat from the movie was 16" wide in total.

You should also be able to find the right hat at a haberdashery. The band on either of the hats from hatcraft isn't movie correct. That one from the movie looks to have one that is about 1.5" to 2".

 

[Crusaderman2004]

Hirogen, I've been working on the shadow for the last month and a half and actually ordered 238 from hatcrafters. I talked to Linda there and specifically asked the measurements. The crown is 5.5 in tall and the standard brim is 3.5 in. I custom ordered the hat with a 4 in brim and as big a ribbon as possible, which was 1.5 in tall. You'll notice that Baldwin's hat has a taller than normal crown and a big brim as well as a bigger ribbon. I believe the site you looked on states the circumference of the brim, not the width.

What might be helpful to you is that I can give a quick review of 238. 4 inches was too big. Don't go higher than 3.5 inches, I would say even 3.25 inches is good enough. Also if you can get the crown about .5 to an inch shorter than the standard 5.5 inches. The hat I got essentially looks like a flattened out cowboy hat with a fedora style crown, partially because of the 4 inch brim. It's also stiff as heck. Definitely a costume hat, not a high
quality one. Just so you know the I debated between the same two styles too, but went with 238 because the movie hat is more fedora style, but the slouch is closer to the comics. Either really fits. At this point I'm pretty happy with what I got but will probably upgrade to a better custom hat down the road.

Hope this helped! I love the Shadow and hope my costume turns out okay for Halloween. I've never done a true build like this and am excited to show it off soon. Can't wait to see yours when done!

 

[Hirogen]

Hey thanks for the responses! Crusaderman, thanks for chiming in. I am disappointed that the hats from the website are very stiff. If I am paying over $70+ for it I expect it to be somewhat decent. Now, I am not sure what to do.

 

[filfoster]

Any comments or thoughts about the Shadow suit from Baron Boutique?

 

[Drewid]

It's really hard to get a good idea on how that one looks. I did see the pictures of their model wearing it and, to me, the lines look close but a little off. I think you could find someone locally who could use a pattern and make one custom tailored to you for cheaper than what they are asking.

 

[Crusaderman2004]

I agree with Drewid. The Baron's one looks good, but for that prices you better get something spot-on to the movie and really good quality. 800 bucks is a lot for a coat!
Hirogen, check your PM's I'll get back to you on some of your questions soon.

 

[Looch]

As for the hat, to change it in any way, simply hold it over a steam kettle and reshape it. It will keep it's new shape when dry. And just so you can put it into perspective, $70 for a hat this big is an amazing price! I wear regular hats and they start at around $135, for a standard fedora. I did a Shadow costume last year and used one of those spanish flat-top/flat-brim jobs, and changed it's shape with steam. I had the limited edition ring that came out when the movie did, but lost it to a burglar! Recreated it with a cheap jewel and some Fimo! Good luck-put up pics!