Hat Wearers: You're Just Trying to Be Don Draper. Stop It.

[BanjoMerlin]

You folks do realize that these "authors" who are bashing hat wearers are probably more famous on TheFedoraLounge than anywhere else?

 

[Richard Warren]

I've never seen Mad Men but I would suspect that its intent is to bash America/capitalism/consumerism as represented by immoral ad executives. In the process however they inadvertently end up glamorizing what they set out to disparage.

In a way this is in fact similar to the James Bond phenomenon. In Casino Royale he is an effete loser who cannot deal with Cyphre and has to be rescued by Smersh. In other words, he represented post-war Britain/capitalism/colonialism (and not in a flattering way). The American public just could not understand the negatives and took him for a hero.

 

[Doctor Strange]

Mad Men has no such intent. It just wants to be outstanding television drama, and at that, it succeeds brilliantly.

I have been somewhat disturbed throughout this entire thread by people saying they've never seen the show, but attempting to ascribe all kinds of agendas to it.

Yes, Mad Men is about advertising, consumerism, and business/personal ethics. It's also about parenthood, personal growth, flawed/damaged/addictive personalities, and a variety of societal issues that are still applicable today. Many people assume that it's set in the sixties just for nostalgia value, and there is a germ of truth to that. But it really uses its early sixties setting in the same way that Star Trek uses its various alien societies: to let us view our own lives from some narrative distance, in order to show more clearly the complex issues of a wide spectrum of human experiences.

IMHO, it is the best (that is, most intelligent and nuanced) TV show of the century, and it deserves to be seen for its outstanding storytelling and observational accuity, not just for the cool clothes!

 

[Richard Warren]

I'm just not interested enough to actually watch such stuff. From this thread, however, it is apparent that the portrayal of Mr. Draper is not intended to be favorable (a "yuppie douchebag"). That he is intended to represent something larger than himself, and what that something larger is (what might a "yuppie douchebag" represent?), is indeed speculation on my part.

“Yet speculation is a fascinating thing, Sir Horatio,” to quote a Forester character from my childhood. It allows me to have an opinion on a television show (or anything else) without ever having to see it. Quite convenient and time saving to boot.

I still speculate that my speculation was accurate. In fact, your rejoinder does nothing but suggest to me that my speculation was right. You might as well have said that the show holds up a mirror to ills of (American) society. Is it possible it is set in the 60's because in the minds of some,that is when those ills are thought to have flourished in a more open and unashamed way?

I wish my speculation of this nature was not so frequently spot on, but there you are.

Really however my point was about how artistic intention is confounded by public reception.

I could make a similar point about the phrase "the right stuff" or "master of the universe" used by Wolfe, or whether Do Derek was really that good looking. This point was brought to mind by the James Bond reference. It is valid whether or not the Draper character has any larger meaning.

 

[Undertow]

True but why do people admire/want to emulate James Bond? He is a drinking, womanising misogynist too, who is only out for himself. And he kills people. Sometimes they possibly deserve it, sometimes not.

I think that it is possible to admire aspects of a character whilst disapproving of others. That's why we have anti-heros and that is why good fiction is complex and interesting and not just black and white.

However I've seen a few episodes of Mad Men and haven't seen that many hats in it...

Good point! And I think I would need to actually see the show to formulate any further discussion on my part as I have absolutely no experince with the show or the character. Thanks all for filing me in!

 

[swinggal]

Such a lame article. Why can't people accept that not everyone needs to be like everyone else in this world. I am me, I wear what I want and couldn't give a giant rats clack what people say.

The average person is too scared to do anything that isn't accepted in current fashion. I'm not trying to be different, I just like what I like (30s style) and to me good style is everlasting.

I have a male friend who used to laugh at my other male friends who have been wearing Fedoras for 10 years. The other day I went to his place and noticed a 60s style stingy brimmed Fedora hanging on his coat-rack. I said, 'What's this then?? A HAT!!!!" His reply was, "Well yeah, they are in fashion now so I can wear it and not look like a dork." I just shook my head.

Nuff said.

 

[CLShaeffer]

According to some pretty fancy sociology (Myers-Briggs typology stuff) around 75% of any given population tends to NEED rules and guidelines. Its how they orient themselves in the world and evaluate their place in it. Its not wrong, just not the only way to do things.

But sheer majority makes it easy for them to ~think~ its the only way to do things.

The rest of us can wear whatever we like on our heads regardless of what the everyone else is, or is not, wearing on theirs.

(For those of you who may be familiar with M&B typology, I realize that is a gross oversimplification and not precisely accurate. Fashion sheep are a pretty good example of it, though.)

 

[Mario]

"Well yeah, they are in fashion now so I can wear it and not look like a dork."

:eusa_doh: That hurts....

 

[Feraud]

I have a male friend who used to laugh at my other male friends who have been wearing Fedoras for 10 years. The other day I went to his place and noticed a 60s style stingy brimmed Fedora hanging on his coat-rack. I said, 'What's this then?? A HAT!!!!" His reply was, "Well yeah, they are in fashion now so I can wear it and not look like a dork." I just shook my head.

Nuff said.

Your pal just doesn't realize how dorky he actually is with that attitude.

 

[Undertow]

Your pal just doesn't realize how dorky he actually is with that attitude.

Exactly. It's kinda cute and sad at the same time. Maybe some day he'll mature? [huh]

 

[Feraud]

^ It's possible. Most people are resistant to new ideas. The guy may one day do a search of fedoras and end up here.

 

[Tiller]

Bah Bah Bah

Look at all the white sheep bah at the black sheep! We are the wrong color they say, we are being ourselves we say, yet they don't seem to understand that princaple. Why would anyone choose to not be white like the majority! Because we aren't like the majority we respond. They bah because we want to be different! Oh well. Let them bah. Wait till they see the blue sheep lol.

We are poor little lambs, who have lost our way, bah, bah, bah .

Thankfuly white sheep like the noted author are trying to help us out....lol

 

[donnc]

However I've seen a few episodes of Mad Men and haven't seen that many hats in it...

The lady of the house watched it with some friends a couple weeks ago (first show of the season?) As "mad men" has now become even more common in EBay hat titles than "wow", I predicted that she would see hats. But, no - if she did, she wasn't aware of it.

But obviously there are hats, or every 10th EBay ad wouldn't be a "mad men hat", and we wouldn't have a 4 page discussion about it. I guess a hat on TV really gets people going.

 

[gtdean48]

The one guy that wore a hat the most in the last episode got called "old fashion" in 1964....think it was just for his commercial ideas???? [huh]

 

[Not-Bogart13]

While I admit that I do not watch the show, I am amused by how much Mad Men is referred to as causing the resurgence of fedoras (and vintage style, but more on that later). Thus far, I have not seen any photos or clips from the show (except maybe the first episode) that has shown a man in a hat. Certainly, the most prevalent imagery from the show does not involve hat wearing. Quite frankly, I don't even know why the show comes up at all as concerns fedoras.

I also think it's pretty clear to anyone who has been paying attention that the "rise of vintage style popularity" was well on the way before Mad Men appeared. I submit that the show has been spawned from trends which it has been credited for starting. It's success may be spreading the phenomenon, but like the Draper emulators out there, Mad Men only seeks to capitalize on what's hot.

"Not that there's anything wrong with that."

 

[Michaelshane]

 

[MattJH]

Don't lose sight that The Fedora Lounge and its collective interests are a fairly isolated and occasionally regulated/censored microcosm, where people of similar interests finally get to talk to others who harbor the same. That's why this place exists. Because, otherwise, our threads would look much more like this one from Something Awful's forums, which is a fairly accurate representation of what most average folk think about men wearing fedoras. I don't intend to discourage anyone (I wear hats in the colder months!), but it's just unrealistic to believe that you aren't leaving a wake of (some) people thinking that you look silly, outdated, or affected when they see you wearing a piece of clothing that went out of fashion 60 years ago. Reading some of these replies, I get the impression that some here think that they're the strange ones. No, no. It's you. And me. And us. Ridicule is inevitable, particularly on the Internet.

Personally speaking, the only way I've ever felt comfortable wearing a hat is if it's casual. No suits, no noir-anything, no brylcreem in my hair, no oxblood cordovans or whatever. Jeans, shirt, hat. That's me, and that's comfortable. I do whatever I can to fit the hat within a 2010 context, rather than fitting my entire self into a 1940's one. Am I judging those who do? Absolutely not! What's comfortable for me may not be comfortable for you. But I am saying that the more you adhere to old customs, etiquette (oh God, the etiquette, I could go on for days about the etiquette), the phrasings and sayings and postures, the more you distinctly distance yourself from our current cultures and, as such, the more of a target you are because the easiest thing to ridicule is the thing that is different.

Does that make it okay? No. Is it unavoidable, eternal human nature that you'll just have to live with, because you've made your bed? Ab-so-lute-ly. Grow a handlebar mustache, slap on a boater hat, and ride your pennyfarthing down to the closest bar and see how many people treat you like they'd treat anyone else. They won't, because you've so vehemently rejected their collectively similar culture on a very carnal level; appearance.

If I offended anyone in this post, I didn't mean to! I'm just trying to offer some outside-the-microcosm observations. Sometimes I think I might be the only one here that wears Nike sneakers and baseball caps regularly and listens to current music and pays attention to current fashions and never really watched any black and white "hat movies." I don't exactly fit here, I just like the conversations and people.

 

[Undertow]

Grow a handlebar mustache, slap on a boater hat, and ride your pennyfarthing down to the closest bar and see how many people treat you like they'd treat anyone else.

I have! And I will! And I shall! Thank you, good day! lol

I'm just kidding...well, I do have a handle bar mustache which has taken on a life of its own.

And I've been known to wear a boater (although it's lost now ).

And boy let me tell you what! If I could find a pennyfarthing, much less ride one, you bet I'd scoot over to the local tavern and face certain ridicule! I'm used to that anyway, I guess.

But I did have a really good laugh with this, thank you. And your view is much appreciated, as I'm sure most here are familiar with it as well. :eusa_clap

 

[danofarlington]

Don't lose sight that The Fedora Lounge and its collective interests are a fairly isolated and occasionally regulated/censored microcosm, where people of similar interests finally get to talk to others who harbor the same. That's why this place exists. Because, otherwise, our threads would look much more like this one from Something Awful's forums, which is a fairly accurate representation of what most average folk think about men wearing fedoras. I don't intend to discourage anyone (I wear hats in the colder months!), but it's just unrealistic to believe that you aren't leaving a wake of (some) people thinking that you look silly, outdated, or affected when they see you wearing a piece of clothing that went out of fashion 60 years ago. Reading some of these replies, I get the impression that some here think that they're the strange ones. No, no. It's you. And me. And us. Ridicule is inevitable, particularly on the Internet.

Personally speaking, the only way I've ever felt comfortable wearing a hat is if it's casual. No suits, no noir-anything, no brylcreem in my hair, no oxblood cordovans or whatever. Jeans, shirt, hat. That's me, and that's comfortable. I do whatever I can to fit the hat within a 2010 context, rather than fitting my entire self into a 1940's one. Am I judging those who do? Absolutely not! What's comfortable for me may not be comfortable for you. But I am saying that the more you adhere to old customs, etiquette (oh God, the etiquette, I could go on for days about the etiquette), the phrasings and sayings and postures, the more you distinctly distance yourself from our current cultures and, as such, the more of a target you are because the easiest thing to ridicule is the thing that is different.

Does that make it okay? No. Is it unavoidable, eternal human nature that you'll just have to live with, because you've made your bed? Ab-so-lute-ly. Grow a handlebar mustache, slap on a boater hat, and ride your pennyfarthing down to the closest bar and see how many people treat you like they'd treat anyone else. They won't, because you've so vehemently rejected their collectively similar culture on a very carnal level; appearance.

If I offended anyone in this post, I didn't mean to! I'm just trying to offer some outside-the-microcosm observations. Sometimes I think I might be the only one here that wears Nike sneakers and baseball caps regularly and listens to current music and pays attention to current fashions and never really watched any black and white "hat movies." I don't exactly fit here, I just like the conversations and people.

I agree with most of what you say. Actually, having worn fedoras now for six or seven years I personally have crossed the hat Rubicon. Started out using Panamas and a felt fedora only for casual. But it always seemed to come off pretty well, having carefully avoided the ones that made me look goofy, and I gradually expanded it to hats with formal wear. It turns out that many hats are just plain dressy, like some of my Borsalinos. But I don't wear them all the time, as hats are off-putting to many in a normal business situation. Even now, I feel my hats are better with a blue blazer than with a full suit. However if I go to a conference or some other event where it's not such a one-on-one business setting, no problem. Anyway, here in Washington there are a certain number of people downtown wearing green wool outback hats with trench coats and suits, and I just say to myself "I can do better than that!" So my thought is to start fedora wearing with casual, only as you're comfortable with it, and then expand it into formal wear if you feel like it. Don't do anything you don't want to do, and avoid looking goofy, but otherwise play it by ear. All of this is without reference to Mad Men, which I can't watch because I don't have HBO.

 

[Undertow]

Oh, I might add that something we Loungers take for granted is that we do things quite deliberately - with much purpose. The men take their time shaving (enjoying it thoroughly), we research hairstyles, we research fabrics, we think about how we'd like to present ourselves. Perhaps that's part of the difference with at least a portion of the population. Not to say other, more modern folks don't deliberately shape their image (look at faux-hawks and bed hed as an example), but I think our intentions are to live within respectable, stylish means and not necessarily fashionable ones.