Hats continue their comeback

[fmw]

Well said, Cassius, or, as Dan would say, "Right."

 

[Hoyt Clagwell]

I'll second that Cassius.

 

[Lastmohecken]

At the risk of sounding (okay, being) condescending, I'll venture a guess perhaps you're a younger guy. Why is it that we must throw out the baby with the bath water? I understand that back in the day when men and women wouldn't dare leave the confines of their house without a proper hat on was also the day when civil rights and women's rights were not respected. But that doesn't mean we should forego a standard of proprietary, respect and yes, even tradition. The same way you shouldn't leave your coat on when you sit down to lunch or to visit with someone in their home, you don't leave your hat on when engaging someone else. Your coat / hat is protection against the elements. It denotes aloofness and social awkwardness to leave your hat on when you're holding a conversation or sitting down to a meal, as if you don't fully trust or feel comfortable with the person you're with.

Now, in an elevator, there will normally be strangers in the midst. But if it's a fine woman, why wouldn't you want to show your chivalrous side by doffing your hat in the presence of a lady? Will it kill you? No. Is it necessary? No. Nor is it practical.

But certainly when you sit down to your job (unless it's part of the uniform, i.e. a hard hat on a construction site or a garrison cap if you work at Steak-and-Shake), sit down to a meal, or sit down to visit, it kind of puts distance between you and your fellow man / woman in intimate settings. I feel it is only proper to act accordingly.

I am 54 years old and I have worn a hat all of my life. Of course if I am at a preson's house, for dinner, I will remove my hat, or might not even wear it in to start with. But that's about it. Now if I were going out to eat for a really formal dinner then I probably would not wear a hat or I would take it off, but generally for the average steak house on down, most people don't remove their hats if they are have one, and I don't either, and never did, much.

Maybe it's a regional thing, but I am not sure about that, and maybe it really is a Cowboy thing, as I grew up around those kinds of hat wearers, and while I live in the south, I have traveled out west, and even there, espacally the small towns, the locals do the same as they do where I live. Besides it not practical, as there is no hat check girl, and usually not even a peg to hang your hat on, and if you lay it down anywhere, something bad usually happens to it.

So reallly, I say either wear your hat or leave it at home, except for very formal get togethers, church, etc, but I sure as heck am not taking it off and on all day, every time I enter a building, elevator, or come into close personal contact with someone.

Maybe it is a cowboy thing, and I come from a slightly different walk of life then the average urban city dweller.

 

[Cliffnopus]

At the risk of sounding (okay, being) condescending, I'll venture a guess perhaps you're a younger guy. Why is it that we must throw out the baby with the bath water? I understand that back in the day when men and women wouldn't dare leave the confines of their house without a proper hat on was also the day when civil rights and women's rights were not respected. But that doesn't mean we should forego a standard of proprietary, respect and yes, even tradition. The same way you shouldn't leave your coat on when you sit down to lunch or to visit with someone in their home, you don't leave your hat on when engaging someone else. Your coat / hat is protection against the elements. It denotes aloofness and social awkwardness to leave your hat on when you're holding a conversation or sitting down to a meal, as if you don't fully trust or feel comfortable with the person you're with.

Now, in an elevator, there will normally be strangers in the midst. But if it's a fine woman, why wouldn't you want to show your chivalrous side by doffing your hat in the presence of a lady? Will it kill you? No. Is it necessary? No. Nor is it practical.

But certainly when you sit down to your job (unless it's part of the uniform, i.e. a hard hat on a construction site or a garrison cap if you work at Steak-and-Shake), sit down to a meal, or sit down to visit, it kind of puts distance between you and your fellow man / woman in intimate settings. I feel it is only proper to act accordingly.

:arated: Well said...and correct.

Cliff

 

[RichardH]

RichardH -- Can that fedora possibly the the same hat that she is wearing in the lower pic, but it just appears gray in one and brown in the other?

Just wondering,

Sam

Im not quite sure, the crown looks like it's more tapered in the bottom pic to me.
But it might just be an "optical illusion" or something like that

 

[danofarlington]

So reallly, I say either wear your hat or leave it at home, except for very formal get togethers, church, etc, but I sure as heck am not taking it off and on all day, every time I enter a building, elevator, or come into close personal contact with someone.

Maybe it is a cowboy thing, and I come from a slightly different walk of life then the average urban city dweller.

I still like reading from what the regional hat traditions are. Agree or disagree, this approach is thought out. I am thinking out my own approach to it in the absence of a tradition here in the Washington, D.C. area. Mine goes like this: I use baseball cap rules for most hat-wearing, meaning if baseball caps stay on, my hat stays on. Exceptions are sitting down in any restaurant, even McDonald's, though I wear it in; at church; movies, and that's about it, because I don't want to be bothered either with taking it on and off. Sporting events is case-by-case--I wear 'em if it doesn't seem to obstruct the view of or bother those behind me. Bear in mind baseball games until the 50s were viewed mostly by men wearing their fedoras all the time.

 

[scottyrocks]

I use my judgment. At work or work-situations, off. Anywhere outdoors, on. Public places such as rotundas, on. Fast food restaurants, on. Sit-down restaurants, off. Auto or bike club meetings or events (when I used to go), on.

 

[John in Covina]

For myself, I may or may not take my hat off when entering a building, It tends to depend on the situation and my state of mind. I have a certain sense of what i do as to honoring so at Church, a funeral, DURING the National Anthem, when there is a parade and the US Flag is being carried, then I will. I have lost hats at places by taking them off and forgetting them when I left so if i don't see the need I won't take them off. If i am driving anywheres will occasionally put my keys in my hat as a reminder, can't get further than the door of my truck and not remember then.

Doffing my hat to a lady is only now and then as I tend to be preoccupied with other things and may not even think about it. If my hands are full, chances are I am not going to juggle things to take my hat off unless it's Church, funeral, the anthem , or parade type of event.

Here in LA I am constantly shocked at the number of men that are oblivious to the concept of taking ones hat off for the National Anthem particularly at sporting events.

 

[fmw]

Maybe it is a cowboy thing, and I come from a slightly different walk of life then the average urban city dweller.

Your age or background have little to do with it. You can what you like with your hat. You just should understand that some people consider it rude wear a hat while eating. You don't consider it rude but some do. That's the way it is.

 

[gtdean48]

Old cowboy saying = You can wear your hat if you're eating at the counter but not if you're seated at a table. Also, don't squat with your spurs on....

 

[Lastmohecken]

Your age or background have little to do with it. You can what you like with your hat. You just should understand that some people consider it rude wear a hat while eating. You don't consider it rude but some do. That's the way it is.

I know they do, and I was taught as a child to remove my hat at the dinner table, but my dad never did or asked me to, when eating out, of course we usually didn't eat at any classier place then a truck stop, anyway, on a regular basis.

If you go to almost any place to eat arround here, from a common steak house on down to McDonalds, and do a head count, you will see most people who have a cap or hat, are wearing it. Once in a while you will see the exception, and of course 75 precent of them go bare headed anyway.

On my job, I do have an office, but It is a construction company, and 90 precent of the people wear a ball cap, me included. We wear them all day, we eat lunch with them on, and I sit at my desk with one one. And if you go down to the local gas station/cafe and feed store, 90 precent of the people in there will be wearing ball caps or cowboy hats, even while eating a meal.

In a little larger town, down the road, there is a nice little diner that serves a fine breakfast, and when I go in there, I see people wearing all sorts of clothes, (some might call them costums) that I wouldn't be caught dead in, and frankly I find them offensive, and maybe my hat offends them, but frankly I don't care. People that deserve respect from me get it, the rest I don't worry about.

 

[John in Covina]

Old cowboy saying = You can wear your hat if you're eating at the counter but not if you're seated at a table. Also, don't squat with your spurs on....

Take your spurs off in bed it plays havoc with the sheets.

 

[fmw]

Take your spurs off in bed it plays havoc with the sheets.

Now that's going too far.

 

[Hoyt Clagwell]

Take your spurs off in bed it plays havoc with the sheets.

Spurs cause problems in waterbeds as well.
As for hat removal ettiquette,there is really only one reason we remove our hats for others,and that is to show respect.Is it a legal requirement?No. Some customs make sense to people,others don't.I never really cared much about hats on while dining out at a casual diner ,although if possible I like to take mine off.When my young nephews started to wear hats I encouraged it,but when they sat at Grandma's dinner table with hats on,and their parents seemed unconcerned,I gave them one of my miserable old uncle looks,and said "Loose the Lids".
They obliged much to Granny's approval,and in 3 years have not needed to be reminded .
I know most people don't give much thought to the issue,but that can be troubling.This past winter I attended a breakfast meeting for farmers, sponsered by a couple of suppliers.It was held in the banquet hall of one of the local Legion branches.(Canadian version of VFW).I would have to say that at least 30% of those in attendance left their hats on during the whole morning.Many were 40s something fathers with 20s something sons,all perfectly nice fellows, and it occured to me that we have two generations that are totally unaware of why anyone might be offended.

 

[bowlerman]

There must be a lot of people visiting my area for the holiday weekend-- While grocery shopping this afternoon, I saw at least 7-8 people wearing some version of a "real" hat! One very nice looking Milan porkpie, a few that seemed to look like wool fedoras, definitely one very well-dressed gentleman in a nice looking brown velour. Ages seemed to range from twenty-somethings to seventy-somethings. A few passing by in the parking lot, which were difficult to get a good view of, but nevertheless-- unusually encouraging for this part of the world. I was casually sporting my dark moss Baron Hats bowler with jeans and a hoodie, plus derbynator glasses.

 

[James71]

At the risk of taking credit where it is more widely due, I feel like a bit of a trendsetter in the bakcwater 'burb where I work.

About a year ago I started wearing a fed with my suit to work. Copped some flak. Laughed it off and now its well accepted. Even better, more and more middle aged men in the town have taken to wearing one too. There are a few blokes that have come up to me and said "I wish I could wear a hat but they jut dont look good on me". I always tell them that they just need to find the right hat and wear it until it becomes familiar and comfortable.

It seems the ice just needed to be broken and the closet hat wearers came out!

 

[Cane Rod Maker]

We had an article in the Wilkes-Barre, PA., Citizens Voice newspaper about 3 weeks ago; regarding the return of the Fedora.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

I take my hat off in peoples' homes, always. If a restaurant doesn't have a spot where I can keep my hat, besides on my head, it's staying on my head.

 

[danofarlington]

At the risk of taking credit where it is more widely due, I feel like a bit of a trendsetter in the bakcwater 'burb where I work.

About a year ago I started wearing a fed with my suit to work. Copped some flak. Laughed it off and now its well accepted. Even better, more and more middle aged men in the town have taken to wearing one too. There are a few blokes that have come up to me and said "I wish I could wear a hat but they jut dont look good on me". I always tell them that they just need to find the right hat and wear it until it becomes familiar and comfortable.

It seems the ice just needed to be broken and the closet hat wearers came out!

I had cherished the thought that the men in Katoomba were inspired by my incisive and inspiring posts here on TFL as the source of their hat zeal. But now that you put it that way, I concede, it's more likely that it was a local example for the phenomenon.

 

[BinkieBaumont]

Here in the Swan River Colony, the sun is so fierce, and the risk of skin cancer is so high you are derided for not wearing a hat, many professionals wear panamas along St Georges Terrace, S.R.C's main thoroughfare

Charming statues of Businessmen through the ages at St Martin Towers 44 St Georges terrace Perth Australia

http://elevation7.com/2008/04/02/businessmen-through-time/