Does anyone wear their hats tipped back?

[rlk]

Hat Position and Lighting

Personally I find the shape of my head fights a position tilting back much beyond level and it would fly off my head with the slightest breeze. From the experience of having done some Stage Lighting and Professional Photography I can imagine that there was often a struggle between actors and lighting directors to push the hat up and back. Its a real challenge to fill in that shadow and see the persons eyes properly with artificial lighting and not put a horizontal line across the face. Its particularly true in interior scenes where much of the lighting is top down and it is often difficult to get a low position for fill light in front of the actor. Outdoors of course, shooting early and late avoids the problem of the sun being in a high position as well. As touched upon earlier, thats why hat positions tend to be higher in movies than real life.

 

[Pduck]

There is jaunty, and then there is cattywhampus!

I've noticed that I tilt my hat back when I go into a store and want to appear friendly and polite without actually taking my hat off.

I think that's why I like wearing my hat tipped back. It conveys a more open and friendly image.

By the way, what's "cattywhampus"?

 

[Warbaby]

Seriously Tipped Back

This photo of my father (on the right) was taken in the spring of 1941. He was, as you might surmise, a very cocky guy.

 

[handlebar bart]

This photo of my father (on the right) was taken in the spring of 1941. He was, as you might surmise, a very cocky guy.

Great photo. Must be Grandma in the doorway. :eusa_clap

 

[H.Johnson]

I do, and so did many of the men you see in period photographs. My father once warned me that you could tell if a man was trustworthy by whether you could see his forehead whan wearing a hat. Maybe it's a Bristish thing?

I don't buy the 'movie and photographs only' or lighting assumption, as there are many example of men wearing their hats like this in documentaries and photographs where they weren't being directed. Anyway, the wearing of hats low down may have been a plot device. In some 1930s British fictional films (The 39 Steps, for example) you can tell who are the 'baddies' - they wear their hats pulled down over their brows.

Maybe its the continuance of my father's influence, but I prefer to see a hat as worn in the photographs above. The practice has a radical effect on the size of hat that can be worn comfortably. I think (see another thread on hat sizes) that this may partially explain why we don't see many larger size vintage hats.

 

[WOMBAT]

do you mean like this


I do this when I am out in the hot sun to keep the sun out of my face

 

[Daoud]

I do, and so did many of the men you see in period photographs. My father once warned me that you could tell if a man was trustworthy by whether you could see his forehead whan wearing a hat. Maybe it's a Bristish thing?

I don't buy the 'movie and photographs only' or lighting assumption, as there are many example of men wearing their hats like this in documentaries and photographs where they weren't being directed. Anyway, the wearing of hats low down may have been a plot device. In some 1930s British fictional films (The 39 Steps, for example) you can tell who are the 'baddies' - they wear their hats pulled down over their brows.

Maybe its the continuance of my father's influence, but I prefer to see a hat as worn in the photographs above. The practice has a radical effect on the size of hat that can be worn comfortably. I think (see another thread on hat sizes) that this may partially explain why we don't see many larger size vintage hats.

That idea about hat size seemed ludicrous to me at first, but after considering it for a bit, I am very much of your way of thinking. I know that in just about all of the photos I have seen of my father and my uncle from the WWII era, their hats were tipped back, and, as you say, in other period photos it is the same. Somewhere in the post-war years the style of wearing hats cocked back gave way to the current style, both in the military and the civilian worlds. I know when I was in the Army in the 80s by regulation hats were to be worn pulled down low over the eyes, and I believe this is still the case. And, even in our off-duty time, whatever hats were worn were mostly worn low on the head......and not backwards or sideways, for that matter.

Your idea also is validated, in my opinion, by the presence of wind cords on older hats. I've never felt the need for one, because when it's windy I just pull my hat down a bit from its normal position and it will withstand gale-force winds.....but in bygone days seemingly hats were worn in a way that necessitated a retention system.....it's interesting, definitely.

 

[jlagman]

"Angles are attitudes."

I tried "brim swooping over my eyes" look and with my peacoat, I just look like the creepy "neighbourhood watch" guy. I agree that the tipped back look does convey a friendlier persona; in modern society, fedoras are mysterious enough as is. My only problem with the tipped back look usually occurs on a windy day.

 

[rlk]

I do, and so did many of the men you see in period photographs. My father once warned me that you could tell if a man was trustworthy by whether you could see his forehead whan wearing a hat. Maybe it's a Bristish thing?

I don't buy the 'movie and photographs only' or lighting assumption, as there are many example of men wearing their hats like this in documentaries and photographs where they weren't being directed. Anyway, the wearing of hats low down may have been a plot device. In some 1930s British fictional films (The 39 Steps, for example) you can tell who are the 'baddies' - they wear their hats pulled down over their brows.

Maybe its the continuance of my father's influence, but I prefer to see a hat as worn in the photographs above. The practice has a radical effect on the size of hat that can be worn comfortably. I think (see another thread on hat sizes) that this may partially explain why we don't see many larger size vintage hats.

I think we may be confusing attitude and altitude.
A smaller hat size will raise the level of the hat and that may well be a contributor to older hats being smaller. Tilting back, at least for my skull , would require a larger size and either a cord, tape or glue. One definitely can't pull a smaller hat down to the brow without causing the falling hat problem in reverse.

Your idea also is validated, in my opinion, by the presence of wind cords on older hats. I've never felt the need for one, because when it's windy I just pull my hat down a bit from its normal position and it will withstand gale-force winds.....but in bygone days seemingly hats were worn in a way that necessitated a retention system.....it's interesting, definitely.

The wind cord does nothing to keep the hat on your head, only preventing it from parting company with you. A chin strap would be more useful.

 

[Daoud]

Thank you for clarifying that! Ha, ha- just joking! Actually, I am pretty well hip to the fact that wind cords do not hold one's hat on one's head.

Speaking of clarity, how about this-"a smaller size......may well be a contributor to older hats being smaller." Thanks for enlightening us.

 

[rlk]

Speaking of clarity, how about this-"a smaller size......may well be a contributor to older hats being smaller." Thanks for enlightening us.

The rather obvious implication is wearing hats higher(as opposed to tilting) as a style choice results in smaller sizes being purchased. I could have put it better.

I'm trying to make a point regarding the argument of the thread not score points.

 

[Ghostsoldier]

When I tip mine back, the wife says I'm "wearing it like a girl"... ....but, I tip it back when I'm in a relaxed mood; most of the time, it sits level, 2 fingers above the eyebrow, all-business....
Rob

 

[Fugues]

I agree with Ghostsoldier. I wear my hat back when I am relaxed. Last night I was playing games and had it tipped back. It made it breezy on my head

The rest of the time I wear it at a tilt to the left and forward.

 

[Diamondback]

Well, when I wore fedoras (albeit cheapo modern knockoff ones--hey, I was stuck dealing with slob relatives) in junior-high to early college, I usually kept them tilted as far to one end or the other as my glasses would let me, because of the combination of high winds and my own fast movement, forward with a headwind and back for tailwind.

 

[avedwards]

forward with a headwind and back for tailwind.

I find that with the hat permanently pulled down low I don't have to worry about wind too much, as the upturn in the back (on most fedoras I have seen other than safari brims) makes it hard for wind to catch it, and the forward tilt stops it blowing off with a headwind.

 

[Mr. 'H']

When I think of an actor who wore his hat tilted back, I immediately think of Robert Mitchum.

That's Mitchum in The Big Steal looking slim and tanned after coming off the honor farm following his 1948 pot bust!

Great little movie.

 

[hatflick1]

In almost every movie he's been in, from The Electric Horseman to Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Robert Redford has worn his hat tilted back.

http://www.imdb.com/media/rm2676984320/tt0087781

An example from The Natural.

 

[shortbow]

The only time I wear mine forward is in bright sun or inclement weather. I just find it more comfortable up and back.

 

[Viola]

I wear my hats generally cocked well to the side, generally but not exclusively the left.

 

[Raging Hat On]

Most times I wear a hat level on my head. Lately, I've been wearing a fedora when I shoot pool, so naturally it must be worn tilted back so the brim does not obstruct my vision when down on a shot. I'm liking this new style.

If you want to look more serious, then level it is; to look intimidating, lower it even more; to look more laid-back and accessible, tilt it back.

Be careful not to tilt too far back, as then it starts to look "costumey"