How did you start wearing hats?

[Legal Concepts]

I discovered this forum, and thought about our fellow Mennonites, they were wearing hats while doing a siding job on a house, then I looked in the mall, a newsboy wearer. Hats are cool, only one shop had them, they were women fedoras, but I got a Stestton Sutley, and once I get this brim shaped right, it will be grand.

I seem to behave more proper with a hat.

Mennonites wear hats when they marry.

 

[Zemke Fan]

My story is like the one above...

Discovered the Fedora Lounge doing some Internet sleuthing on various WWII topics and eventually began to read the Hat threads. Bought two old Stetsons on eBay recently. The first, a black "Royal Steston" is apparently a 1960s era homburg. It arrived on Christmas eve and it was the best present I got from myself. (Got some great stuff from Helen, too!) The second, a brown "St. Regis" is a 1940s-1950s homburg. I've been wearing both like fedoras with the snap-brim down and a pinch in the front. Have gotten to like them a LOT! So, I have you boys to blame for this latest addiction!

 

[J. M. Stovall]

I got into the whole swing thing in the early 90's and bought a cheap Pork Pie, but soon after that I hit gold when my wife's grandfather (a WWII vet) saw that I liked hats and gave me his all his old felt fedoras. That really kicked off my whole vintage obsession. Now I wear a fedora every day (I'm a brim-up guy).

 

[adamgottschalk]

Nice catch

...but soon after that I hit gold when my wife's grandfather (a WWII vet) saw that I liked hats and gave me his all his old felt fedoras. That really kicked off my whole vintage obsession. Now I wear a fedora every day (I'm a brim-up guy).

That's so sweet to have a grandfather like that. My grandfather (opa) was German, rigid as a board, a piano player at heart who became a structural engineer (helped design Madison Square Garden). I never once saw a hat on his head (not that I can remember), not even in the middle of winter on the coast of Maine. I can't believe it, really. He came over to the States with my grandmother in the late 1930s. I would guess that, as my guts tell me he was a man who never really came to terms with the fact that he became a frail, old man, for some reason he saw hats as associated with frail old men. I think he didn't have a family who showed much love, so his was probably a negative reaction against _his_ father, who probably wore hats aplenty.

 

[mjbrekke]

Bald in Minnesota

The title is about all you really need to know. As the hair thinned, the hat collection grew.

 

[MattC]

My Dad I guess

My dad always wore nice fedoras--Kevin McAndrew, Cavanagh, Dobbs. I wore his old ones as a kid. When he died, I started wearing a taupe Cavangh from the late 60s whenever I went hiking. Then four years ago a dermatologist told me not to take my bald dome out in the sun without a lid. Now I am never without a hat.

 

[LEUII]

Both my grandfathers wore hats. One wore either a snap brim fedora in the winter or a panama in the summer. The other wore either snap brim fedoras or flat caps. My father wears hats as well. As a very young lad I remember the farmers all wore hats and all the bird hunters wore hats.

I've always like the feel of a hat on the head and working outside I value their protection. Living out west for a while I started wearing Stetsons. Now back in the Deep South the fedora and Panama seem to fit better. I wear a flat cap occasionally; and a Glengarry with my kilt!

 

[RedPop4]

I've been a hat person most of my life as well. I've always had baseball caps, and wear them a great deal to this day. My grandfather always wore hats, usually a fedora, straw in summer and some type of felt or cloth brimmed hat in winter.
I have a couple of his straw ones, but never wore them too much.

Through high school and college I always wore a flat cap (bebop) or a bucket.

MrsRedPop4 has never liked me in hats, though many other friends seem to think I look good in hats. I can get away with ball caps and the occasional bucket in the summer, since I'm red-haired and fair. She understands the risks involved in the sun.

However, a good friend of mine, who I think is a member here, brought me three nice fedoras when he drove over here from Mobile to watch the Super Bowl and share a cigar with me.

So, I'm back in the hats, a bit to the consternation of MrsRedPop4; can't abuse a gift, right? Been wearing them again for over a week, I feel like I've had a reunion with a long lost friend.

 

[GA Wildlifer]

Enjoyable thread

GA Wildlifer

 

[stylin]

I started wearing my hats on my feet but finally figured out where they are supposed to go... :eusa_clap

Seriously, i've always liked hats. I used to wear ball caps alot growing up but have had an eye for the fedora since the Indy movies. Then just about a month ago (2006) I decided to go for it and though I appear young. I figure what the heck! Love 'em now! It's me!

Now I'm looking into getting a Stetson Temple Fed in Mink color.

 

[Magus]

It must just be in my blood. I can't ever rememeber a time when I didn't wear hats. Seriously.

M

 

[epic610]

As you get older....

your hair thins a bit and you mind the cold a little more. used to have to walk 3 blocks from parking lot to office. visited a hat store and tried on a few. suddenly the owner stepped back and said "that's you". it was a navy homburg.

all of a sudden people started treating me differently. everyone called me "sir" and i didn't have to wait in lines anymore; when entereing a restaurant, a table was always just available. strange and affluent women started coming on to me.

just for a test, i stopped wearing the hat for awhile and of course started being treated like a schmuck again. learned my lesson!

 

[jamespowers]

your hair thins a bit and you mind the cold a little more. used to have to walk 3 blocks from parking lot to office. visited a hat store and tried on a few. suddenly the owner stepped back and said "that's you". it was a navy homburg.

all of a sudden people started treating me differently. everyone called me "sir" and i didn't have to wait in lines anymore; when entereing a restaurant, a table was always just available. strange and affluent women started coming on to me.

just for a test, i stopped wearing the hat for awhile and of course started being treated like a schmuck again. learned my lesson!

Where did you say you got this hat again?

Regards,

J

 

[Pilgrim]

I've always liked hats. I just have decided that I need to indulge my interest more, and that I like the style. Simple as that.

 

[Shaul-Ike Cohen]

all of a sudden people started treating me differently. everyone called me "sir" and i didn't have to wait in lines anymore; when entereing a restaurant, a table was always just available. strange and affluent women started coming on to me.

Sad world.

Apart from that, I'm sure cab drivers and deliverance boys expected a higher tip.

 

[PeeWee]

As a kid I loved going over to my granddaddy's house and try on his hats. Loved the smell of those old hats. A couple years ago we ran across some photos of him wearing his hats and the idea hit it's probably time to buy one for myself. Love the smell of my felt hats Love wearing'em too. Don't post too much, but enjoy the reading folks. Al

 

[epic610]

Tipping...

let me tell you something. when people all of a sudden start treating you with dignity and respect, you are all too willing to widen the number of people yo tip . . . as well as to increase the amount you usually. it's a small price to pay.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

cab drivers and deliverance boys expected a higher tip.

I don't even want to know for what service deliverance boys would expect a tip

bk

 

[Shaul-Ike Cohen]

I don't even want to know for what service deliverance boys would expect a tip

Hey, messiases have to make a living, too!

Alrightalright, make that "delivery" or "errand" boys. :whistling ​

 

[Miss Neecerie]

Hey, messiases have to make a living, too!

Alrightalright, make that "delivery" or "errand" boys. :whistling ​

"He's not the messiah, he's a very naughty boy!'

(sorry, it just had to be done)