Hats in restaurants

[suitedcboy]

As a rule, in the distant past photos were taken on formal occasions. Not everyone had a camera handy and the film and processing was expensive. As a result photos tended to be dressy and posed.
Where you get a better idea of how hats were worn is through photos of men leaving factories, photos of depression era families toiling to get bare essentials, and old photos of people at the market.
These kinds of photos show men in their not so Sunday best clothes wearing their not so Sunday best hats.
I especially like seeing the photos of men with shovels or other hand tools wearing their fedoras and doing hard work.

In the 30's if there was an internet, this site would just be "the lounge" the fedora would have been wholly assumed without saying.

 

[Tiller]

As a rule, in the distant past photos were taken on formal occasions. Not everyone had a camera handy and the film and processing was expensive. As a result photos tended to be dressy and posed.
Where you get a better idea of how hats were worn is through photos of men leaving factories, photos of depression era families toiling to get bare essentials, and old photos of people at the market.
These kinds of photos show men in their not so Sunday best clothes wearing their not so Sunday best hats.
I especially like seeing the photos of men with shovels or other hand tools wearing their fedoras and doing hard work.

In the 30's if there was an internet, this site would just be "the lounge" the fedora would have been wholly assumed without saying.

Oh I know most people didn't wear their best every day of the year, but I still say if your going to try to pull of a vintage look (especially if your trying to pull of the looks of the 30's) you need to be wearing more then a t shirt. Obviously some people are just trying to add a bit of vintage spice to their look by just wearing a hat, or bomber jacket, but I digress on that point.

Also people often did change after work if they were going out on a night on the town, few would take their girls out to a date in their farm/factory clothes. One of my Grandfather's happiest moments in his life was when he bought his own tailored suit (back when our town had a tailor) and took my Grandmother out for a night on the town. He worked long hours to save up to buy the suit, and then when he father gave him his best hat to wear my Grandfather was as proud as a peacock. Today though "dressing up" usually consist of someone wearing the right brand of jeans, and t-shirts .

 

[Feraud]

If you are a full vintage guy t-shirt and jeans isn't your daily wear.

Says who?
I know a few guys who are hardcore workwear/denim guys would seriously disagree.

My comments above are meant to correct and broaden certain limited ideas of what constitutes vintage.

Also, as a matter of common sense it isn't wise for anyone to comment or imply a guy in jeans and a fedora is not as...."refined".

Also people often did change after work if they were going out on a night on the town, few would take their girls out to a date in their farm/factory clothes. One of my Grandfather's happiest moments in his life was when he bought his own tailored suit (back when our town had a tailor) and took my Grandmother out for a night on the town. He worked long hours to save up to buy the suit, and then when he father gave him his best hat to wear my Grandfather was as proud as a peacock. Today though "dressing up" usually consist of someone wearing the right brand of jeans, and t-shirts .

No one is debating this. Only such limited notions as what is an acceptable vintage look..

 

[Tiller]

Says who?
I know a few guys who are hardcore workwear/denim guys would seriously disagree.

My comments above are meant to correct and broaden certain limited ideas of what constitutes vintage.

Also, as a matter of common sense it isn't wise for anyone to comment or imply a guy in jeans and a fedora is not as...."refined".

Wearing a pair of sneakers, a shirt that says "I love New York", a pair of designer jeans and a 40's hat isn't vintage work wear, although it may look great on the person wearing it, perhaps even making the best of us vintage wannabes look bad. T-shirts as the dominate shirt of choose is a relatively new phenomena (roots as 19th century underwear. Made popular by the Navy later on). Outside of mines and other places where workers were in "hot" environments most workers still wore buttoned down shirts. Even in the summer around here if a farmer took off their buttoned down shirts they'd have their summer long john tops on underneath, largely because of bugs. This was back in the day when tobacco was the best bug repellent after fully covering your body in clothes.

Also much like today not everyone liked denim. My Grandfather hated jeans and always wore what would be probably be called Dickies pants today, combined with seasonal long underwear, a "button down" shirt, work boots, and a hat (often a cap in his later years) when he was on the farm, or out with his loggers.

On a personal note I only wear jeans and a t-shirt if I'm mowing the lawn, or chopping wood outback. If I'm wearing at hat then it's usually one of those ten dollar paper straws that you buy at Wal-Mart, or one of my old junk wool hats that I wore six years ago.

Also some of the higher quality hats from the 30s-40s look a bit out of place on a normal jeans and t-shirt because they were made for more formal business wear. The higher quality vintage hats we wear, would have been a workers "good hat" that he would have worn on Sunday, and for important events, not in the field.

As far as what looks better, I'm always going to say the guy in the suit. That's me though if I didn't feel that way I wouldn't waste my money by buying the style and wearing it if I didn't.

Getting back on topic though to me refusing to take your hat off in a restaurant is like refusing to take your coat, and gloves off. You can feel like a rebel all you want, but you look rather silly and rude to me.

 

[SkullCowboy]

Comfort, to me, is a BIG factor of style. When I get dressed to go out, when I look in the mirror and like what I see, it makes little difference to me what the rest of the world is going to think about my mode of dress. I wear the gamut, from shorts, ballcap and tshirts to pearl snap shirt with jeans, boots and cowboy hat to cuffed slacks and a white button down shirt and an inch wide red tie with my fedora. I have also been know to mix the boots and jeans with a black tee and fedora. If it makes me feel good it's in style. I also judge others apparel with the same attitude in mind. Might not be something I would wear, but if they looked in the mirror and got that same 'Damn I look good!' feeling, more power to them. Although sometimes I'll silently wonder if perhaps they don't own a mirror...

Back to the OT: If there is somewhere clean and in sight that I can place my hat, I take it off in a restaurant. On the floor under my chair doesn't qualify. Otherwise, I am going to wear it. And if I am sitting calmly, not slurping, yakking loudly on the phone or otherwise making an ass of myself then my hat is of no concern to anyone else. If it is stressing you out, then sorry, but that is your problem, not mine.

Ask the waiter for a chair if necessary, but get the hat OFF YOUR HEAD! You are in a restaurant. End of discussion.

And to that I would reply: You didn't sire me or hire me so mind your own business, thanks and have a great day.

 

[Feraud]

Once again.... I am not debating the current crop of T-shirts and designer denim as vintage. Nor am I debating the memories of our grandparents.

I am simply correcting the incorrect notion that vintage acceptable is stricly playing dress up.

Also, I doubt anyone is refusing to remove their hats in restaurants. Times have changed and the logic for removing a hat indoors is not longer deemed necessary by the majority. I ain't sayin' it's right or wrong, it just is.
Wearing a hat indoors is probably less about rebellion (rebelling against what?) than just doing what comes naturally living in the 21st Century.

To judge them as silly or rude is as silly and rude as those people who think fedora wearers are all Indiana Jones wannabes..

 

[Geesie]

I wonder what restaurants would think if I were to carry a suction cup or command-adhesive hook in my jacket pocket and stick my own hat hook on the wall...

 

[Tiller]

To judge them as silly or rude is as silly and rude as those people who think fedora wearers are all Indiana Jones wannabes..

If you say so . A hat is something you use to protect yourself from the outer elements first an foremost, and is a piece of fashion second. To me seeing a guy wearing a hat well he is sitting down eating his meal is the same thing as seeing a guy bundle up in his jacket, and still wearing his gloves as he reaches for his fork. He looks out of place and rather foolish. Looks like your rushing threw dinner, and getting ready to head back outside as fast as you can, instead of enjoying you meal and having a conversation with those around you.


But what do I know maybe the next big step in fashion will be people wearing overcoats and leather gloves to dinner. Crazier things have happened, who would have guessed the a winter toque would one day be consider an option of summer wear for a teen-twenty something guy.

I'll still be laughing and thinking they look foolish, and you will probably be arguing how stupid my opinion is. But since plenty of people think I am the one who is oddly dress I'm fine with people having that opinion.lol

As far as the "rebellion" comment, when I made the suggestion that many people look positively at you if you remove your hat, I got a general response that I should question why I dress vintage, and perhaps I do it to please others instead of myself. I guess missing the point that at times I am able to do both (I know I'm surprised myself).

 

[SkullCowboy]

I wonder what restaurants would think if I were to carry a suction cup or command-adhesive hook in my jacket pocket and stick my own hat hook on the wall...

Now THAT is a thought. Bartender? Get Geesie whatever he is drinking on me.

 

[skyvue]

They make portable hooks for hanging purses and bags from tables; I wonder if they'd work for hats.

http://www.photojewelrymaking.com/photopursehookkithangyourpurse.aspx

 

[Hereward]

That looks like a great device for hanging hats and it's even round to avoid damaging them. I shall see if they sell these in the UK.

 

[cmalbrecht]

As a certified Old Timer, I can remember that no men, not even young men, went to town or anyplace wearing jeans and such. The slacks may have been $6 rayon slacks, but still...and shiny shoes, no worn-down heels and you'd better have a decent haircut. Most young men began wearing hats as early as high school, and restaurants had places for your hats and coats. Most of this was in Portland Oregon, but aside from some of the most backward little spots, I think the entire country was somewhat the same. Now, when we go to a restaurant, I usually leave my hat in the car, especially if we're a group and I don't expect an empty seat for my hat.
Jeans were strictly for cowboys and factories, etc. And the time in the '40s when I bought a pair of $25 fitted gray flannel slacks, ah then is was really The Man!

 

[Feraud]

A Lounger made his own hat clip device that works well.

 

[JimWagner]

Sure, all you need is a purse to carry it in. :eusa_doh:

There are any number of hook devices you can carry around to hang your own hat from. The problem with all of them is that you have to carry one around.

They make portable hooks for hanging purses and bags from tables; I wonder if they'd work for hats.

http://www.photojewelrymaking.com/photopursehookkithangyourpurse.aspx

 

[Hereward]

Purse or Handbag Hook

I looked further into handbag hooks (that's a purse to you colonials) but I think they wouldn't work well for hats as, due to their lack of length, the brim wouldn't fit, and hats lack the weight to keep them secure enough.

 

[danofarlington]

As a certified Old Timer, I can remember that no men, not even young men, went to town or anyplace wearing jeans and such. The slacks may have been $6 rayon slacks, but still...and shiny shoes, no worn-down heels and you'd better have a decent haircut. Most young men began wearing hats as early as high school, and restaurants had places for your hats and coats. Most of this was in Portland Oregon, but aside from some of the most backward little spots, I think the entire country was somewhat the same. Now, when we go to a restaurant, I usually leave my hat in the car, especially if we're a group and I don't expect an empty seat for my hat.
Jeans were strictly for cowboys and factories, etc. And the time in the '40s when I bought a pair of $25 fitted gray flannel slacks, ah then is was really The Man!

I like to hear these anecdotes because at some level when wearing a fedora, I'm trying to connect with American tradition--what my forebears did. For some reason that's interesting. Adapt it, yes--I don't take the old fashions lock, stock and barrel because that's just dressup--but take the parts that work for me. Adapting the old style turns into a new style, my style.

 

[Feraud]

Now, when we go to a restaurant, I usually leave my hat in the car, especially if we're a group and I don't expect an empty seat for my hat.

If I know a restaurant doesn't have adequate hat space I will do the same thing.

 

[Blackthorn]

If I know a restaurant doesn't have adequate hat space I will do the same thing.

Where I live it gets too hot to do that. Leaving a fur felt in a hot car in the summer would destroy it.

 

[danofarlington]

Where I live it gets too hot to do that. Leaving a fur felt in a hot car in the summer would destroy it.

I didn't know that would be a problem. I thought fur felt hats were more or less indestructible.

 

[Feraud]

No hat is indestructible. Some hats are tougher than others but they all have a limit.