Hat wearing has been tempered severely by new job

[Historyteach24]

Hey guys long time no see! Reason for that being that my hat wearing has dropped drastically. It is a combination of being too hot to wear my beloved felts and the environment of the new work place. I was curious if any of my other hat loving friends have had problems like this in the past? For a variety of reasons wearing my hat to work has become a bother and dangerous to the hat itself. I have no safe place to store my hat and my desk is a terrible place because I don't want students touching my hats. The bossman has also put in a strict dress code for no hats both student and teacher a like so the only time I would wear the thing would be in the car. I could not even wear it through the halls walking to my classroom. Like I said I am just curious if any other fedora loungers have had this type of restriction in their job?

 

[gtdean48]

I wouldn't leave a decent hat all day in a hot car unless I was shrinking it.
Make your hat wearing be after work & weekends, JMHO.

 

[Historyteach24]

That is what I have done Dean. Just feels odd to wear a shirt and tie without a hat lol

 

[Short Balding Guy]

Sorry to hear about the challenge. I see that today's rules/restrictions will inevitably change. I see it practical to have them on a shelf in the classroom with a plastic cover. Teach respect of others belongings.

Restriction? Yes. Mostly it is the nature of my occupation - coaching USA Women's Artistic Gymnastics.

Small rant: All it takes is someone to take the dress code beyond the reasonable and the rules restrict for all. In my business I actively preach all athletes and staff follow the "Don't Be Stupid Rules." These are the rules that you usually do not even have to say outloud. A VERY FEW examples are (1)wear 2 socks (one one each foot) (2) underwear is under clothing (hence the clever name) (3) Do not use language/words that you could not say in front of grandmother or the President (4) do not tumble/dismount on top of others (4) wear clothing that you could have grandmother happy as she sees you on TV and (5) do not tease little kids/boys or dumb animals. I do not see any reason to details such a list as I see them as mighty obvious. If it did need to be detailed the list of "Don't Be Stupid Rules" is inversely proportionate to the intellegence of the user.

Understand the challenge Teach all to well! When I am often heading to the gym I am in a "track suit" covering my coaches costume (shorts/shirt and athletic shoes). The gym outfit is appropriate and comfortable for the setting. Morning workouts commence at 7:30am and commuting as early as 6:00am. Evening workouts are from 3:30-8:00pm. My proper fedoras just do not add to the coaches costume. Mostly a single color cap is worn. I do carry a change of clothes (costume) and have some "spare" at the office. I keep a couple of hats at the gym and use them when I change my costume during the day. On days when I do not have coaching respinsibilities for morning/and or afternoon sessions I luxuriously choose not to wear a track suit. We frequently travel, locally, regionally, nationaly and internationaly. For travel I dress usually in leather shoes, slacks, shirt, v-neck sweater, jacket/blazer and fedora. Wearing sponsor, gym branded or USA branded clothing during travel is not my preference. The ladies (gymnasts) have gotten over being mordified at how "old fashioned" I dress and see it as the short balding guy's costume. My hats recieve tons of compliments when we travel. I do see that almost all those comments are given as I am accompanied by tough, buff and pretty young athletes. Good company to be in! I am smarter and more handsome being around them, usually.

My hats in the gym are hung on a rack and the message that all obey (although not expressed vocally by myself) is that they are not to be touched unless permission is given. The gym ethos emphasizes respect and this applies to others belonging. Permission is given to the curious, clean and courteous.

Before my coaching gig, I was part of senior management at a fortune 50 company. Suits, blazers and of course ties were de rigor. Unfortunately, I had not discovered fedoras during that time of my life. Heavens my hours were such that I almost had a duplicate wardrobe at the office due to hours and travel demands. The attire I wore was just another costume, IMO.

I am sure you will find a way to incorporate hat wearing each day.

Eric-

 

[mayserwegener]

That is very unfortunate but a sign of the times. It would be nice if someone challenged it in court. Hats provide protection from the elements (especially the Sun). I would think they would have to at least provide a safe place for storage.

 

[T Jones]

Restricted to Cheap Ball Caps

I've worked at Roofing and Construction for 40 years. Harsh weather extremes and the physical abuse my good hats would have to endure has limited my hat wearing to cheap ball caps when I'm on the job.

 

[Historyteach24]

Mayserwgener, hats are not allowed in the school building that is universal pretty much in this area. Really has nothing to do with the elements. I could wear my hat during my commute if I wanted to just don't have safe storage or the desire to just wear a hat to marvel at my appearance in the rearview mirror.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Considering the kind of workmates I had I wouldn't have even risked a ball cap at some of the places I had worked. It came as a big shock to me because I thought I had left such juvenile antics behind me when I graduated from high school!

 

[dh66]

I've worked at Roofing and Construction for 40 years. Harsh weather extremes and the physical abuse my good hats would have to endure has limited my hat wearing to cheap ball caps when I'm on the job.

I'll second that. I'm a plumber and the work can get much to sh*##y for a decent hat. If I'm not wearin' a hard hat it's a cheap cap for me sa well. Always got someting on my head, though, so you have my sympathies. A cheap ball cap is better than walking around nekkid

 

[blazerbud]

Well, when you've had enough, and your ready to tell them where they can shove it, make sure you march in there wearing your hat.

 

[HudsonHawk]

I guess I come from a completely different angle. I see no reason one needs to wear a hat indoors and why you can't simply take it off when you enter the building (which I think you should do anyway). Are you saying it's against the rules to even carry a hat into the building? Seems a bit excessive, but if thems the rules...

 

[Dan Allen]

Well, when you've had enough, and your ready to tell them where they can shove it, make sure you march in there wearing your hat.

Pretty much what I did, only more discreetly, I just started wearing one. My department director , who really didn't care, keep warning me but I figured I was retiring in a year anyway so what was a bad mark in my record going to hurt. Then on day I met the superintendent in the parking lot--he simply looked, remarked that that was the way men were supposed to dress, and continued on his way. So much for the wrath "of the white house" as we called it.

 

[Historyteach24]

Hudson I would always wear one to my classroom now there is no safe place to store it. I dont even wear it to school to show support for our principal trying to get the kids to stop wearing hats.

 

[-30-]

When I was working, we had a plumber who would always show up with a baseball cap backwards upon his head

and rather than shake hands in greeting, would want to do a Fist Bump sort of thing. My first comment to him, as if

his thought was that it would ever change, was If you want to shake my hand, fine, this Fist Bump Thingy is not how I do

business. I then mentioned to him to wear the cap properly, as our tenants were not into an Idiot Gang Culture, or if not,

leave the premises forthwith. For some strange reason, he always followed The Money.

After having read the above Forum Comments, it seems that The Powers That Be, are somewhat "confused" as to the

difference between a Gentleman and his Hat, a (baseball) cap, and for not the least, the diff between Teachers and students.


Regards,
J T

 

[Tomasso]

I would just leave the hat in my car. I do that often when going inside a venue that doesn't have a hat check or a place to stow it away safely. No biggie as far as I'm concerned.

 

[carldelo]

... not the least, the diff between Teachers and students.

Well, Roger that --- there's no reason that teachers and students should be subject to the same set of rules. I teach at a Maritime academy where a majority of students wear the UOTD (Uniform of the Day), either khakis or dress blues with appropriate head gear. This is mandated by the Coast Guard, but no such requirement is in place for faculty. Interestingly, a high proportion of faculty wear a tie daily, and since I've been there many wear jackets as well. I think it's a (welcome) refusal to be out-dressed by the student body. My hats, straw and felt, are more or less unique to me, but have always garnered positive comments from students and fellow staff.

Historyteach24 --- It's inexcusable that you do not have a safe place to keep a hat while at work. Where do you keep your winter coat, valuables, etc.? Is there not a faculty lounge? Faculty restrooms?

Why on earth would an administration equate a fedora worn by a grown professional with a backward ball-cap worn by a gangster-wannabe high-school student? This makes no sense on any level, and is a false (and ignorant) equivalence; teachers and students are not equals, and nothing is gained by pretending they are. Students respond to, and thrive, in an environment where there is some social structure and a clear indication of what is expected of them by those in charge, i.e. the trained staff whose goal is their education and, incidentally, their maturation into adults capable of navigating the world.

 

[Miamibruno]

I, too, am a teacher, and wear a hat into work. I remind the administration that I am not a student, I do not need to be told what is appropriate, and a hat worn by an adult does not infringe on the rule that STUDENTS should not wear hats. Students wear hats as a symbol of affiliation. We wear hats because they are so cool

 

[dh66]

When I was working, we had a plumber who would always show up with a baseball cap backwards upon his head

and rather than shake hands in greeting, would want to do a Fist Bump sort of thing. My first comment to him, as if

his thought was that it would ever change, was If you want to shake my hand, fine, this Fist Bump Thingy is not how I do

business.


Regards,
J T

A tip: never shake hands with a plumber when he's working.

Perhaps this fellow was just being considerate of your health

 

[HudsonHawk]

Hudson I would always wear one to my classroom now there is no safe place to store it. I dont even wear it to school to show support for our principal trying to get the kids to stop wearing hats.

Where did you store it before?

 

[The Wiser Hatter]

I would get a couple of nice caps from Johnny and Barry and where caps to work. That's what I do I have a small locker in our restroom and a Fedora just is too tight a fit and don't want to get it messed up . My caps just hang on a hook in the locker and there is no problem there. A cap could fit in a desk drawer no problem.