All You Need to Know About Hat Etiquette

[Retro Grouch]

Leave it in the car. Regards. Michaelson

Ding Ding Ding
We have a winner. :clap

I don't wear hats while dining. At the bar or at a table. If I'm worried about the hat getting goobers on it, then it stays in the car. But then again, I don't have any 'fine" hats.

Tom

 

[android]

Ding Ding Ding
We have a winner. :clap

I don't wear hats while dining. At the bar or at a table. If I'm worried about the hat getting goobers on it, then it stays in the car. But then again, I don't have any 'fine" hats.

Tom

First, I think it's a poor assumption to think that everyone is travelling by private car and that they would want to leave their hat in it.

Nonetheless, wearing a hat at a counter has always been acceptable.

The whole take you hat off indoors thing is a misrepresentation of what your mother taught you which was, "Take your hat off when you come inside." Well, when you were a kid, inside was about four places; home, somebody else's home, church or school. These were all places where you took off your hat. Children usually didn't go anyplace else until they were much older.

Once you were older and travelled into the real world, things got more complicated (Don't they always?) You learned the concept of private space vs. public space. Hats were always allowed in public spaces. This includes stations, lobbies, bars, hallways in buildings, commuter trains and other public transportation.

Private space is pretty much anyone can call their own or a place where you are going to take off your coat, sit down and relax. This means somebody else's office, lobby or home, a table at a restaurant and the above mentioned church and school. You would also remove your hat where you would take off an overcoat. This would mean while travelling by plane or train in an assigned seat.

This means I might walk right into my place of business and to my desk wearing a hat. A visitor (certainly a visitor selling something) would remove a hat as he entered the lobby as spoke to the receptionist. That's because it's my space and not his.

And then there's elevators. If a bunch of men are on an elevator, it's OK to keep your hat on. When a lady get's on, you're supposed to take it off. If the lady exits before you, you can put it back on. If you're carrying packages, you're exempt from this. Go figure.

 

[Michaelson]

It is not a real good idea to leave a valuable felt hat inside a car for any length of time. I'm surprised that you mentioned that form of storage Michaelson.

Sorry you live in such a crime ridden area, Biltmore. I have left mine in my car on occasion when going into a restaurant, and have done so all OVER the U.S. (Including cities all over Texas) for the past 30 years with absolutely no problems what so ever. I'M surprised you'd think this was a problem. Regards. Michaelson

 

[Biltmore Bob]

I'm not worried 'bout my hat beeing taken, M, I'm worried 'bout it shrinking.

 

[Michaelson]

A hat won't shrink in the 30 odd minutes you're in a restaurant. I wasn't talking about storing a hat there...Regards. Michaelson

 

[Retro Grouch]

First, I think it's a poor assumption to think that everyone is travelling by private car and that they would want to leave their hat in it.

Nonetheless, wearing a hat at a counter has always been acceptable.

Nope. Not making that assumption. My thought was to just think ahead. Many times a hat has rested on my knee during meals.

My personal preference is to not wear a hat while eating. Whether at a bar or not. Yes, my mother instilled in me to remove the lid when indoors. The thread below pretty much sums up my head gear etiquette. But thanks for the lesson, anyway.

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=1601

Tom

 

[Michaelson]

First, I think it's a poor assumption to think that everyone is travelling by private car and that they would want to leave their hat in it.

I think I'm going to walk away from this one, as folks are taking things WAY to literally this week regarding posts. I mean, looking at this reponse to my reply, even when left with a bit of 'tongue in cheek', it's as much a poor assumption that folks are travelling by public transportation, and surely won't leave a hat on the bus or train. The only OTHER option besides a private car is that they walked. Where are you going to leave a hat THEN? On the sidewalk? So, I guess a private car is still in the running, either yours or a friends....and if you can lock the vehicle, I STILL say (and practice) the deal of leaving it for the short period of time that I'm IN said restaurant if I'm with more than 2 people, as there is no place to put my hat it in a booth or table with the 4th person sitting there.

If I HAVE no choice, I place the hat brim up on the floor under my seat. I never wear my hat in an eating place if there's a location for me to place my hat within reach.

Ok, my opinion, for what it's worth.

Regards. Michaelson

 

[android]

My personal preference is to not wear a hat while eating. Whether at a bar or not.

That's my preference also. In fact, it feels downright strange to be eating while wearing a hat on the rare occassions that I have ended up doing so. Usually that's when it is too crowded to find a safe place to put it.

But my point was that it's not completely rude or improper.

 

[Michaelson]

You've also got to factor in the dirty look you get from your wife when you DO try and wear your hat while out eating. (grins) Ok, NOW I'm through.... Regards. Michaelson

 

[binkmeisterRick]

As long as you're not EATING out of your hat....

I hate it when you go to a resturant and there is no place to hang your hat whatsoever. I've been known to eat with my hat on my lap, covered by a napkin so I don't spill anything on it. I get frustrated when I balance my hat on the back of my chair and the waiter keeps knocking it to the floor when every time he goes by. :rage:

bink

 

[Michaelson]

The hooks are usually so small anymore, you can't hang a hat anyway, so I never even try! Regards. Michaelson

 

[ginobarracuda]

After reading everyone's opinions, I have alot to chew on (no pun intended).

I've found this week that if I wear a hat when I sit and eat at the counter of my favorite (read: close enough from home to walk to and then I don't have to do the dishes), one of two things happen:
1) people look, but sit a few seats away, which gives me space and solitude which is nice after a day dealing with complaining computers and users.
2) The people who do end up sitting close by usually comment about the hat and then we sometimes strike up longer conversations that had ranged from Star Trek to carburator re-building!
So far, all have been very likable fellows. I'm down in Los Angeles harbor and this restaurant is just across the street from it, so there are alot of longshoremen that come in...

Oh...and all the waitresses think the hats are very classy so they stop by more often to give me my java re-fills :coffee:

So I guess overall since I've started wearing a hat for the past month, I've met a better class of people... and discovered this site... those are all considered "good things" :clap

cheers!

 

[gandydancer]

First, I think it's a poor assumption to think that everyone is travelling by private car and that they would want to leave their hat in it.

Nonetheless, wearing a hat at a counter has always been acceptable.

The whole take you hat off indoors thing is a misrepresentation of what your mother taught you which was, "Take your hat off when you come inside." Well, when you were a kid, inside was about four places; home, somebody else's home, church or school. These were all places where you took off your hat. Children usually didn't go anyplace else until they were much older.

Once you were older and travelled into the real world, things got more complicated (Don't they always?) You learned the concept of private space vs. public space. Hats were always allowed in public spaces. This includes stations, lobbies, bars, hallways in buildings, commuter trains and other public transportation.

Private space is pretty much anyone can call their own or a place where you are going to take off your coat, sit down and relax. This means somebody else's office, lobby or home, a table at a restaurant and the above mentioned church and school. You would also remove your hat where you would take off an overcoat. This would mean while travelling by plane or train in an assigned seat.

This means I might walk right into my place of business and to my desk wearing a hat. A visitor (certainly a visitor selling something) would remove a hat as he entered the lobby as spoke to the receptionist. That's because it's my space and not his.

And then there's elevators. If a bunch of men are on an elevator, it's OK to keep your hat on. When a lady get's on, you're supposed to take it off. If the lady exits before you, you can put it back on. If you're carrying packages, you're exempt from this. Go figure.

Pretty accurate.

There are two keywords to keep in mind about removing your hat. "Dwelling", or anything resembling a dwelling like a hotel room, or a sit down restaurant. And "respect", you remove your hat when talking to a lady, when talking to your boss, at a funral, or when they play the national athem, etc. It is not hard to figure out if you keep those two words in mind.

BTW the dwelling rule did not originally apply to caps (it came about because of 6-1/2 foot ceilings and top hats), but the respect rule did. So actually those kids who wear their baseball caps inside are not wrong. But when they do not remove it talking to an elder they should be slapped down (elderly grin). Another exception was if you were wearing a uniform AND were under arms (openly carrying a weapon) you did not remove your headgear, ever.

This is my fist post on your interesting forum. Found it due to my long time interest in hats.

 

[android]

I was in the Navy and someone on watch wore a cover the whole time indoors or out. The services very different though. In the Navy, you never salute uncovered, but they do in the Army and Air Force (I think.)

We also never wore covers on the flight deck, but the Army helocopter pilots would fly in on cross country flights and hop out and put on a garrison cap. We would then inform them that this was a US Navy flight deck and ask them to remove and secure their cover. Plane captains loved this because it was one of their few chances in life to actually tell an officer what to do.

 

[matei]

When I was in the army, we wouldn't salute w/o headgear unless we were reporting to the CO in his office.

The only time we wouldn't salute while wearing headgear was when we were out in the field - except for when you wanted to play with a new LT...

You would salute him - he would be a newbie and return it - and then say "sniper check". I guess the mentality was that any sniper would rather take out an officer than a working man.

They didn't find this too amusing.

 

[SHARPETOYS]

You've also got to factor in the dirty look you get from your wife when you DO try and wear your hat while out eating. (grins) Ok, NOW I'm through.... Regards. Michaelson

Here you go, just the thing you need!!



http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=60188&item=6749224100&rd=1

 

[Pyroxene]

Come down to Texas where eating with your hat is perfectly acceptable even at the counter.

I talked about this the other day. There used to be hat/jacket racks on the walls all around the inside of restaurants. I don't see why this went away. Instead, they hang useless knick knacks on the wall and your are forced to hang your jacket on the back of a chair.

I say is there is a comment card fill it out or let management know something so simple can go a long way.

Pyro.

 

[Mycroft]

"Texas, its like a whole 'nother country," I am just playing.

 

[Mycroft]

Technicly, you were at one time. I also am wondering how would I store a hat if I went to a small party or private home?

 

[Biltmore Bob]

I just wear mine. Sorry if it offends anyone.