Do you wear hats in shopping mall?

[Bebop]

I keep my hat on my head until it starts to get in the way or I have settled down to eat for a while. It took me a few years to break the military rules of when to remove your head gear but I did because I don't like holding my hat nor do I like putting it on a chair or hat rack at a restaurant. I no longer see it as polite to remove my hat.

I try to avoid going to malls. They make me nauseous.

 

[Ben]

Yes - I only take it off when the environment becomes intimate, such as when you are seated at a table in a restaurant, not when I go through the door, or while I wait to be seated. Its subjective - try the coat rule - if you would take off your coat, then take off your hat. Lightweight jackets make the rule more complicated, so you have to imagine 'IF it was a coat, would I take it (and my hat) off . . .

I like the coat rule. It has made my hat wearing life much easier. I just always think about winter coats, which is easy to do in Chicago.

 

[TaxMan1]

I still remember my Mom harping on me to not wear a hat "inside." That's a tough habit to break. Actually, I wish there were more Mom's like mine when I look around a restaurant and see all the ball caps!

 

[J. M. Stovall]

It's much more than just inside/outside. I know there have been threads about this, and Johnny already touched on some of these, but the rules of hat etiquette are as follows:

There are two degrees of politeness demonstrated by a gentleman wearing a hat:
1.Lifting or tipping it, which you generally do for strangers.
2.Taking it off, which you generally do for friends (or in some cases, as a sign of patriotism or reverence).
Both are done as a sign of respect toward the other and dignity toward oneself.

Indoors, a man should always remove his hat, (particularly in a home, church, school, court room or restaurant) except:
(1) in public buildings or public places such as railroad stations or post offices;
(2) in a general department store;
(3) or while seated at the "lunch counter" of a diner or cafe;
(4) in entrance halls and corridors of office buildings, or hotels;
(5) in elevators of public or office buildings, unless a woman is present;
(6) if carrying packages, parcels or bags and both hands are occupied upon entry.

A man takes off his hat outdoors (and indoors):
(1) when he is being introduced to someone, or when saying goodbye to a woman, elder, friend or ;
(2) as a greeting when passing someone he knows, particularly a lady, on the street (In some cases, tipping or lifting a hat and bowing slightly may be used as a substitute for removing a hat, as a passing gesture);
(3) while talking, particularly with a woman, an older man, or a clergyman;
(4) while the National Anthem is being played, or the American Flag is passing;
(5) at a funeral or in the presence of a passing funeral procession,
(6) when speaking to another of a virtuous woman or a dearly departed loved one.


If in doubt, it is best for a gentleman to remove his hat indoors as soon as practical.

 

[J.T.Marcus]

J.M., You covered a lot of bases. Thank-you.

 

[Cat In The Hat]

This is an interesting subject. I'm in my early 50s, so I was raised with all those etiquette rules. Personally, I don't think in today's world I need to worry about taking my hat off indoors. Now, if you're wearing a hat to feel "vintage" or you're trying to be Bogart.... well, do what keeps you in the 'era'.

To me, I'm wearing a hat because it keeps my head warm, or shades my eyes, or helps me hide my bald head, or maybe it makes me look better. But, like I said, in today's world of wear what you want.... I don't think some goofy etiquette rules from the 30s and 40s (or earlier) are something we need to worry about. But, if you do like to keep with that, I don't think it's a bad thing. I just wouldn't make it something I'd ever worry about or look down on someone if they kept their hat on anywhere.

In fact, watching the movie, "The Day The Earth Stood Still" last night, I noticed that all some of the men had their hats on indoors.

I guess it's part of your personality if you really care what people think or if you're willing to do what you want to do and screw "the rules". (Especially ones that don't make any sense.)

 

[Cat In The Hat]

It's much more than just inside/outside. I know there have been threads about this, and Johnny already touched on some of these, but the rules of hat etiquette are as follows:

There are two degrees of politeness demonstrated by a gentleman wearing a hat:
1.Lifting or tipping it, which you generally do for strangers.
2.Taking it off, which you generally do for friends (or in some cases, as a sign of patriotism or reverence).
Both are done as a sign of respect toward the other and dignity toward oneself.

Indoors, a man should always remove his hat, (particularly in a home, church, school, court room or restaurant) except:
(1) in public buildings or public places such as railroad stations or post offices;
(2) in a general department store;
(3) or while seated at the "lunch counter" of a diner or cafe;
(4) in entrance halls and corridors of office buildings, or hotels;
(5) in elevators of public or office buildings, unless a woman is present;
(6) if carrying packages, parcels or bags and both hands are occupied upon entry.

A man takes off his hat outdoors (and indoors):
(1) when he is being introduced to someone, or when saying goodbye to a woman, elder, friend or ;
(2) as a greeting when passing someone he knows, particularly a lady, on the street (In some cases, tipping or lifting a hat and bowing slightly may be used as a substitute for removing a hat, as a passing gesture);
(3) while talking, particularly with a woman, an older man, or a clergyman;
(4) while the National Anthem is being played, or the American Flag is passing;
(5) at a funeral or in the presence of a passing funeral procession,
(6) when speaking to another of a virtuous woman or a dearly departed loved one.


If in doubt, it is best for a gentleman to remove his hat indoors as soon as practical.

Yeah.... I'll print this list up and keep it in my pocket until I can memorize it.

Like I said, it's cool if you want to do that, but I don't see the need for it in today's society. I may do some of those if the situation is really a high class affair, but, honestly, how much of that do we actually see today? It's unfortunate, but even wearing a tie or jacket is pretty much a rarity.

I really don't equate what's on my head with "respect". I'd rather have people slow down so I can merge onto the freeway. There are hundreds of different ways I can show real respect to someone rather than if I've got my hat on or off.

 

[Mid-fogey]

These are the rules...

It's much more than just inside/outside. I know there have been threads about this, and Johnny already touched on some of these, but the rules of hat etiquette are as follows:

There are two degrees of politeness demonstrated by a gentleman wearing a hat:
1.Lifting or tipping it, which you generally do for strangers.
2.Taking it off, which you generally do for friends (or in some cases, as a sign of patriotism or reverence).
Both are done as a sign of respect toward the other and dignity toward oneself.

Indoors, a man should always remove his hat, (particularly in a home, church, school, court room or restaurant) except:
(1) in public buildings or public places such as railroad stations or post offices;
(2) in a general department store;
(3) or while seated at the "lunch counter" of a diner or cafe;
(4) in entrance halls and corridors of office buildings, or hotels;
(5) in elevators of public or office buildings, unless a woman is present;
(6) if carrying packages, parcels or bags and both hands are occupied upon entry.

A man takes off his hat outdoors (and indoors):
(1) when he is being introduced to someone, or when saying goodbye to a woman, elder, friend or ;
(2) as a greeting when passing someone he knows, particularly a lady, on the street (In some cases, tipping or lifting a hat and bowing slightly may be used as a substitute for removing a hat, as a passing gesture);
(3) while talking, particularly with a woman, an older man, or a clergyman;
(4) while the National Anthem is being played, or the American Flag is passing;
(5) at a funeral or in the presence of a passing funeral procession,
(6) when speaking to another of a virtuous woman or a dearly departed loved one.


If in doubt, it is best for a gentleman to remove his hat indoors as soon as practical.

...I learned. The key to hat wear or removal is showing or withholding respect. Inside or outside are not the deciding factors. The reason many people are confused are that the services began to teach a simplified inside outside rule. Since in uniform it is rarely wrong to be uncovered inside (unless you are on duty), you are nearly always OK if you take it off inside and wear it outside.

On the way to lunch the other day, a group of us were going down the hall of our our building and I put my hat on. One of my guys said: "why do you have your hat on in the building"? I replied: "Oh. Do you think the building will be offended"?

 

[John in Covina]

I wear my hat almost all the time.
The exceptions.
-When I am in someone else's house.
-In Church (except for those religions that require the head to be covered)
-Sitting down to eat at a table. If I am eating on a bar, or on a picnic, I leave it on.
-In an elevator with a woman present
-when addressing a woman I don't know. Usually a cashier.
-when in some ones private shop. (not a mall, but a mom and pop shop)
-when entering work.
-When a prayer is being said (except for those religions that require the head to be covered)
These guidelines also apply to sunglasses as well.
When talking to women, especially ones I do not know, just lifting the hat off the head and returning it immediately does the job. Also gets a smile as well.
Johnny

**************
I wish people were that polite when it comes to CELL PHONES!

 

[duggap]

I would never have thought about going to the mall just to sport a hat. But, I just got my new VS Custom from Art and I was thinking of doing just that. That hat looks that good. And, heck no, I ain't taking it off.

 

[L HATLEY]

take you Hat off

What was the line from the Movie "Smokey and The Bandit"
that Burt Renolds said to Salley Fields, about taking his hat off ?

 

[HamletJSD]

Good call on sunglasses, too, whomever that was ... I often use a modified "sunglasses rule" in an attempt to remember removing my hat. I try to remove (or at the very least tip) it when first meeting someone or starting a conversation, but it usually goes back on my head pretty quickly as the conversation grows long.

As stated many-a-time on this forum, though, the present nonchalant attitude towards hats often means there is no good (i.e. safe) place to store said removed hat. There is, of course, no "hat/coat check" in any mall I know of.

So I say leave it on if you feel comfortable with it on. But what do I know lol