Hat etiquette for *today*

[QMcK]

Was there ever a "hats off indoors" rule? It would seem odd to remove one's hat in a train station or in a shop, wouldn't it? What are you supposed to do with your hat? Surely - even if it's serving no purpose on your head - it's easier, more convenient and less affected to leave it on your head so you don't have to carry it. This excludes homes and churches, where a (man's) hat should always be removed.

I don't believe I am required to remove my hat in any shop and then have to carry it with me. Has that ever even been a requirement? Except when talking to a lady in any of these places. Though I think it would look affected for someone my age (22) to remove his hat when talking to a lady, so I wouldn't do it now. Perhaps I would tip my hat, but I think this would look odd as well.

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Oh - I would also remove my hat when sitting in a restaurant.

 

[Midwest Boater]

I wear a hat 24/7 .... Yes even when sleeping. I like the top of my head covered at all times and feel quite embarssed when I'm caught bare headed ... Especailly in front of the ladies

so funny i just posted http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showpost.php?p=944764&postcount=22 then i read your post.:eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[John in Covina]

Was there ever a "hats off indoors" rule? It would seem odd to remove one's hat in a train station or in a shop, wouldn't it? What are you supposed to do with your hat? Surely - even if it's serving no purpose on your head - it's easier, more convenient and less affected to leave it on your head so you don't have to carry it. This excludes homes and churches, where a (man's) hat should always be removed.

I don't believe I am required to remove my hat in any shop and then have to carry it with me. Has that ever even been a requirement? Except when talking to a lady in any of these places. Though I think it would look affected for someone my age (22) to remove his hat when talking to a lady, so I wouldn't do it now. Perhaps I would tip my hat, but I think this would look odd as well.
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Oh - I would also remove my hat when sitting in a restaurant.

There are differences between public and private places. An indoor mall or train station you could leave it on.

 

[Belegnole]

Was there ever a "hats off indoors" rule?

The simple answer is yes there was such a rule and there is still such a rule. However most have not been informed of it and most are not in a position where they are forced to abide by the rule. The military still follows hat etiquette today and hopefully will into the future. The rest of us will do as we please and the fact that we even talk about it means to me that we are attempting to be polite. Now that is something I can't see as bad even when we don't follow the letter of the decades (or is it centuries) old rule....

 

[scaber]

Wearing your hat inside

For me depends on where inside I am. I usually leave my hat on in a store or other public place if I have no where to place my hat. In a home, office, workplace or theater I almost always remove my hat.

 

[scaber]

I have a question in regards to the flag and the national anthem. Should foreigners remove their hats for another country's anthem and flag? Eg non-Americans remove theirs for the American flag/anthem and vice-versa.

I'm don't think that flag code specifically refers to your actions regarding other nations flags. At a hockey game I always pay respect to the Canadian National Anthem. One time during a game some guy kept yelling, "f**k Canada" during the Anthem. Not one of America's finest. Unless they are your enemy I always think it is a safe bet to show respect for other nations and cultures. Even in WWII, captured officers were shown an appropriate level of respect.

 

[scaber]

Was there ever a "hats off indoors" rule? It would seem odd to remove one's hat in a train station or in a shop, wouldn't it? What are you supposed to do with your hat? Surely - even if it's serving no purpose on your head - it's easier, more convenient and less affected to leave it on your head so you don't have to carry it. This excludes homes and churches, where a (man's) hat should always be removed.

I don't believe I am required to remove my hat in any shop and then have to carry it with me. Has that ever even been a requirement? Except when talking to a lady in any of these places. Though I think it would look affected for someone my age (22) to remove his hat when talking to a lady, so I wouldn't do it now. Perhaps I would tip my hat, but I think this would look odd as well.

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Oh - I would also remove my hat when sitting in a restaurant.

I think that the ladies would love the show of respect. I guess that is assuming that they are respectful ladies.

 

[QMcK]

I was thinking all afternoon that I should have said that leaving the hat on your head inside does serve a purpose: it leaves your hands free (or at least means you have one fewer thing to carry). If you were to take your hat off in shops, why not just leave it in the car or at home?

There are differences between public and private places. An indoor mall or train station you could leave it on.

That's what I thought, too. And I was a bit surprised to "hear" people talking about a "hats off indoors rule". However, I am quite prepared to accept there was/is such a rule.

For me depends on where inside I am. I usually leave my hat on in a store or other public place if I have no where to place my hat. In a home, office, workplace or theater I almost always remove my hat.

I think that's probably the most sensible course of action today.

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Um - I don't know many ladies. I suppose a gentleman should give a woman the benefit of the doubt, however. It may be appropriate for older ladies, but women my age would probably think I was falling over myself to show false respect, or something similar.

 

[Edward]

I took my hat off but only hold it over my heart with my right hand for my national anthem.

I may be wrong, but in my experience, the hand-on-heart thnig is peculiar to the USA anyhow. [huh]

Exactly! :eusa_clap Short cut every two weeks.

Bah, are you a boy or a girl, sonny? Cause you sure look like a girl with that long hair....

Edward "all off bar the eyebrows, every other day" Marlowe lol

I love it, a radio announcer making a visual statement!lol lol
Obviously pre-headphone days 'coz you'g need a pretty stingy lid to fit a pair of cans on your ears!

Isn't that what they really invented deerstalkers for?

 

[Wolfwood]

I may be wrong, but in my experience, the hand-on-heart thnig is peculiar to the USA anyhow. [huh]

You are correct there. I don't know if Americans stand up to listen to the anthem there as well when it plays on radio or tv, but both actions would be very over-the-top (and humorous) if done on this side of the Atlantic.

One only hears the Finnish anthem on the Independence Day and at international sports events, which means that there aren't that many occasions where I have to remove my hat for it (especially since I don't attend sports events and rarely go outside to watch any independence day parades either)...

Therefore, the occasions when I do remove my hat are:

- when in private homes or small specialty shops (supermarkets and malls are excluded)

Of course, sometimes the only possible place to keep your hat is on your head - such as when I'm carrying our toddler and, for example, a bag of groceries at the same time and I have no other place to carry my hat than my head.

 

[gtdean48]

I may be wrong, but in my experience, the hand-on-heart thnig is peculiar to the USA anyhow. [huh]

Yep, that is a civilian "salute". I respect other countries' flags = hat off, but I salute mine = right hand & hat over heart.

 

[Sam Craig]

Use some common sense

There are some great observations here.

I believe you can use common sense most of the time.

For instance, if you are wallking through a crowded mall or discount store, leave your hat on your head or wear a hat with a bonnet string so you can hang it down your back.

When you sit down at a coffee shop, go into a church, sit at someone's office desck, go in to see your banker, stand up for the National Anthem, or enter someone's home ... doff the lid.

John Wayne's father once gave him a list of 10 rules to live by. As an adult ... working in Hollywood ... he said he only changed one of those rules.

His father said, never intentionally insult anyone.

Duke lived his professional life with the admonition ... never insult anyone ACCIDENTALLY!

We should follow the same principal with our greatest wardrobe statement ... out hats.

 

[Dr Doran]

One time during a game some guy kept yelling, "f**k Canada" during the Anthem. .

DURING their anthem?

That is insane.

I'm not Canadian (my mother was, though) and I think even I would beat the guy into a red mess.

 

[Dr Doran]

You are correct there. I don't know if Americans stand up to listen to the anthem there as well when it plays on radio or tv,

I do not stand when it plays on radio or TV but certainly if I am present in real life.

- when in private homes or small specialty shops (supermarkets and malls are excluded)

A very sensible distinction.

Of course, sometimes the only possible place to keep your hat is on your head - such as when I'm carrying our toddler and, for example, a bag of groceries at the same time and I have no other place to carry my hat than my head.

Right, same here.

 

[QMcK]

I don't think that holding your hat over your heart is just a USA thing. I think it is good manners for us to remove a hat and hold it over the heart during the New Zealand National Anthem or the British National Anthem (which is also an official national anthem of New Zealand). I'd remove my hat for any other national anthem (unless I want to show disrespect for that nation).

I assumed, really. I can't remember having been told.

 

[donnc]

Oh - I would also remove my hat when sitting in a restaurant.

At an outside table, or inside only? I think one would just as likely remove one's hat at an outside table, assuming clement weather suited to dining outside in the first place. I'm sure anyone can think of other outdoors situations where a hat would be out of place on your head.

The issue is not strictly defined by indoors vs. out. The exceptions where hats are commonly worn indoors - train station, whatever - don't just come from expedience. Whatever social threshold it is where we lose the hat, those places are clearly outside it, and have always been. Indoors vs. out is just a convenient proxy for that threshold.

As for "hat hair" ... surely our fathers found some way to cope with that.

 

[The Good]

I remove my hat when:

1. Inside church
2. Inside others private homes
3. Inside office buildings
4. Inside the classroom (I'm a college student)
5. Inside of a restaurant (most often if it's not considered fast food)

I leave it on when:

1. Inside my own home (sometimes, not always, I'm wearing it right now for instance)
2. Walking outside
3. Walking inside of a larger public building such as a mall, store, library, airport, etc...
4. And finally, when I am just going inside of a building, room, or house for just a couple of minutes. It's been a part of etiquette since the Golden Era to simply leave it on if you're only going to be there for a moment, I believe, such as just delivering a package, for instance.


How am I doing, folks? Am I properly following the etiquette of hat wearing, or am I taking too many personal liberties here?

 

[John in Covina]

I prefer taking my hat off when eating inside, but only if there is a safe and clean place for me to put it down. If not Hats On!

 

[The Good]

I prefer taking my hat off when eating inside, but only if there is a safe and clean place for me to put it down. If not Hats On!

Right, that's my philosophy. If I cannot find a good place to keep my hat, and safe at that, then I'd rather just keep it on the head in the meantime.

 

[QMcK]

At an outside table, or inside only? I think one would just as likely remove one's hat at an outside table, assuming clement weather suited to dining outside in the first place. I'm sure anyone can think of other outdoors situations where a hat would be out of place on your head.

The issue is not strictly defined by indoors vs. out. The exceptions where hats are commonly worn indoors - train station, whatever - don't just come from expedience. Whatever social threshold it is where we lose the hat, those places are clearly outside it, and have always been. Indoors vs. out is just a convenient proxy for that threshold.

As for "hat hair" ... surely our fathers found some way to cope with that.

If you're going to wear hats regularly, you should probably get a short haircut. At the moment, my hair is quite short. A bit on the thick side and below the tops of my ears. I find that quickly running my fingers through it will remove hat-induced untidiness.

I told a lie (didn't mean to - honest) - I wouldn't take my hat off unless there was a safe place to put it. The safety of my hat is more important to me than being polite. But, most likely, I just wouldn't wear my hat to a restaurant - I'd leave it at home or in the car. As for outside tables: I'd probably leave it on.

I almost certainly wouldn't take off my hat in a cafe or a fast food joint. I don't think this would be rude.