All You Need to Know About Hat Etiquette

[suitedcboy]

I can't remember a negative comment about keeping a hat on except from my EX mother in law. I have had comments made in a tone of voice not indicative of praise, "I see you've been wearing your hat" , "hat hair" he he he he he, "you don't look normal without a hat on".

My etiquette is all about finding reasons to wear hats, not looking for reasons not to. "what's that noise, I'd run out in my skivvies with my gun, ooohhh I should wear a hat, is it the recent Stetson, the Vintage Silhouette, The Gannon, or the Adams? Recent Stetson just in case there's blood spatter"
It's not like any of us here has only one hat. One hat, I can't even imagine that. I'd be more comfortable with one Lays potato chip.

 

[Zombie_61]

...It's not like any of us here has only one hat. One hat, I can't even imagine that...

I could get on board with owning only one hat, but so far no one has created one that can change into whichever style, dimensions, and color I want at any given moment.

I actually caught flak from a good friend once for removing my hat (one of my flat caps, actually) as we were being seated at a local restaurant. She had seen me do it a number of times before, and apparently finally decided to ask why. I explained that it was a rule of hat etiquette to do so, but more importantly that I just didn't feel comfortable wearing it while I ate. She replied by saying, "Well, it's a stupid rule. It looks good on you, and you should wear it." Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

 

[andrew_AU]

I actually caught flak from a good friend once for removing my hat (one of my flat caps, actually) as we were being seated at a local restaurant. She had seen me do it a number of times before, and apparently finally decided to ask why. I explained that it was a rule of hat etiquette to do so, but more importantly that I just didn't feel comfortable wearing it while I ate. She replied by saying, "Well, it's a stupid rule. It looks good on you, and you should wear it." Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

I like your friend! Unless I'm in a very formal business lunch/dinner setting or dining at a friends home I will wear my hat when I'm eating.

I don't follow any hat 'rules' but I must admit my hat on/hat off conduct is very inconsistent. It really depends on how I feel in a situation.

Simply, if it feels right to wear a hat I do, otherwise I take it off.

 

[RJR]

I like your friend! Unless I'm in a very formal business lunch/dinner setting or dining at a friends home I will wear my hat when I'm eating.

I don't follow any hat 'rules' but I must admit my hat on/hat off conduct is very inconsistent. It really depends on how I feel in a situation.

Simply, if it feels right to wear a hat I do, otherwise I take it off.

+1

 

[scottyrocks]

If I'm in one of those situations where wearing a hat indoors is not an absolute no-no, and there is no good place to put it, I find that tilting it back a bit opens up my face a bit and takes a away the 'severity' of indoor hat wearing. Of course, YMMV.

 

[andrew_AU]

Of course, YMMV.

What's YMMV?

 

[BobHufford]

What's YMMV?

"Your Mileage May Vary"

 

[andrew_AU]

"Your Mileage May Vary"

Thanks Bob. That's not an expression that...um....gets much mileage...down under

 

[Frunobulax]

Thanks Bob. That's not an expression that...um....gets much mileage...down under

Well, "Your Kilometerage May Vary" just doesn't roll off the tongue. [emoji6]


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[Captain O]

Sorry, but no. If you enter a church, restaurant, Public Office building, business, or other edifices, you remove your hat. It is just good manners. I'm old Navy (Vietnam-era). I have definite standards of etiquette.

 

[Frunobulax]

Sorry, but no. If you enter a church, restaurant, Public Office building, business, or other edifices, you remove your hat. It is just good manners. I'm old Navy (Vietnam-era). I have definite standards of etiquette.

Well, according to the traditional rules of hat wearing, even that is not the case. Common areas of public buildings (lobbies, hallways): hat on. Non-public, more personal areas: hat off. Elevators: hat on, unless a lady enters (and it's not too crowded. On the street: hat on, unless you stop to speak with a lady who is not your wife, then hat off. Restaurants: hat off, unless dining al fresco or at a counter, then hat on. Of course, this was when a restaurant provided a place to put your hat, which is no longer the case.

As you can see, there were somewhat elaborate and esoteric rituals associated with how a "gentleman" handled his headware when hats were more common. That's all well and good, but the modern world does not make this easy. Many places, such as restaurants, offices, etc. no longer have a place to put your hat, making adaptation necessary. Therefore, newer and flexible rules need to be applied. We need to adapt with the times.




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[KarlCrow]

in December 2000 I walked into Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris wondering why everyone was looking at me funny. I was hungover, cold, sleet was falling, and I'd completely forgotten I was wearing a woolly hat under the hood of my coat. Remembered to pull my hood down only to leave the hat on.

I was nearly lynched by an usher when he spotted it. Quite rightly too I'd say, 'when in er Paris...' and all that.

 

[andrew_AU]

Sorry, but no. If you enter a church, restaurant, Public Office building, business, or other edifices, you remove your hat. It is just good manners. I'm old Navy (Vietnam-era). I have definite standards of etiquette.

I don't often walk into a Church, but I accept that is the custom and yes it would be inappropriate to wear a hat in a Church. Come to think of it I would not wear my hat if I was in an RSL either (not sure if you have them in the USA but in Australia we have the Returned and Services League (RSL) which is an association that supports returned and serving members of our Defence Forces - my family and I often go there for a family dinner - great food, good company and it's a modest way to support our service men and women, and their families. I would NEVER wear a hat inside an RSL - it would feel disrespectful to do so and it's probably against the rules anyway.

As I said in an earlier post, I would not go out of my way to offend anyone, ever.

But I respectfully disagree regarding other buildings. I accept that it was once common practice to remove a hat indoors but I don't believe that to be the case anymore.

But I respect your right to wear your hat when and where you are comfortable. And I trust (hope) that you respect my right to chose when and where I wear my hat.

 

[Frunobulax]

I don't often walk into a Church, but I accept that is the custom and yes it would be inappropriate to wear a hat in a Church. Come to think of it I would not wear my hat if I was in an RSL either (not sure if you have them in the USA but in Australia we have the Returned and Services League (RSL) which is an association that supports returned and serving members of our Defence Forces - my family and I often go there for a family dinner - great food, good company and it's a modest way to support our service men and women, and their families. I would NEVER wear a hat inside an RSL - it would feel disrespectful to do so and it's probably against the rules anyway.

As I said in an earlier post, I would not go out of my way to offend anyone, ever.

But I respectfully disagree regarding other buildings. I accept that it was once common practice to remove a hat indoors but I don't believe that to be the case anymore.

But I respect your right to wear your hat when and where you are comfortable. And I trust (hope) that you respect my right to chose when and where I wear my hat.

Church and entering someone's home aside, the only thing that really bothers me is going to a restaurant and seeing men sitting at the dinner table with a hat on, usually a ball cap these days. To me, that's disrespectful and flat bad manners. Everything else is pretty flexible in my book.

But for myself, I think the rules are kind of fun.


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[Redfokker]

Church and entering someone's home aside, the only thing that really bothers me is going to a restaurant and seeing men sitting at the dinner table with a hat on, usually a ball cap these days. To me, that's disrespectful and flat bad manners. Everything else is pretty flexible in my book.

But for myself, I think the rules are kind of fun.


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+1 Bringing civility back to society one fine hat at a time!

 

[Bob Roberts]

Really...? I hang at a lot of hip, cool and trendy restaurants, night clubs, bars and music venues. Some serve food and some dont. Hat "rules" and hat "etiquette" is a laughable non concern.

 

[suitedcboy]

"I don't often walk into a Church, but I accept that is the custom and yes it would be inappropriate to wear a hat in a Church"
Hats in church is a part of Cowboy Churches. The pastor preaches sermon in a hat. You take your hat off during prayers.
I know this is an exception but in my area it is a huge exception. Sorry, but I know of no fedora wearing churches. I guess you could go to cowboy church and keep your fedora on. You might be asked to leave, I don't know. "sorry sir but we don't cotton to folks wearing city hats in this church"

 

[Frunobulax]

Really...? I hang at a lot of hip, cool and trendy restaurants, night clubs, bars and music venues. Some serve food and some dont. Hat "rules" and hat "etiquette" is a laughable non concern.

Yeah, really. Bars, clubs and music venues are one thing, but I find it disrespectful to wear a hat at the dinner table.

But then I'm not terribly hip, cool, or trendy I suppose.


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[Bob Roberts]

Yeah, really. Bars, clubs and music venues are one thing, but I find it disrespectful to wear a hat at the dinner table.

But then I'm not terribly hip, cool, or trendy I suppose.


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The places and yes, type of restaurants I'm refering to are the type where we can all sit down at our table and eat our dinners or apps or just pick at different times and get up, socialize and mingle with different friends at different tables, at different times. Or walk over to the bar or dance floor. We are not chained to one "dinner table" table at a four star restaurant (where jacket and ties are required) having a formal 5 course meal.

 

[Frunobulax]

The places and yes, type of restaurants I'm refering to are the type where we can all sit down at our table and eat our dinners or apps or just pick at different times and get up, socialize and mingle with different friends at different tables at different times. We are not chained to one "dinner table" table at a four star restaurant (where jacket and ties are required) having a formal 5 course meal.

Well, I'm not referring to only 5 star restaurants, either. Heck, I think you should remove your hat at the Golden Corral. You seem to be talking about something a bit different, I don't know. Maybe if you're getting up and socializing between your salad and entree, it's a different atmosphere. That's fine. But if you go to a restaurant, the host or hostess seats you, and you order dinner, I personally think it's good manners to uncover your head. No, I'm not going to sit there and admonish you if you don't, but I will maintain my opinion. Unless, of course, you come to my house and sit at my dinner table. Then you're taking your damn hat off or I'll serve you nothing but Cheerios.

You can leave the bird on your shoulder, though. That's cool.


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