How we might get past the "hat phase"

[1961MJS]

Hi

I started wearing hats, when I worked construction in high school. I didn't wear hats in college much. I didn't wear hats back in the dark ages when we had to dress up to go to work (Khaki's, white shirt, dress shoes and a tie). I went to a Wichita Wranglers (AA Baseball team) and got my ears to extra crispy. I went to Hatman Jack's in Wichita and got a Gus Sunbody. I liked the way it looked and I ended up with more hats.

I started back here AFTER the divorce.

Later

 

[Big Steve]

I think once one gets over the initial 'oddness' that wearing a hat regularly ensues that it's a very enjoyable and fun hobby to explore. It's helpful that it's an item that can be used with regularity while other collectibles (coins, cards etc) are not as usable on a regular basis. It does take some initial confidence and swagger to carry it off - but I think that largely comes with wearing AND the right hat for the head/face/person etc. My .02 this morning.

 

[johnnycanuck]

Motivation is a factor. My old man got skin cancer at 55 and passed away from it at 57. As I get older and closer to that age I am getting nervous, but I stated wearing a Tilley daily in high school and a fedora once I left technical college. So unlike my dad who never wore a hat I have had one on my head damn near every day of my adult life. So once in a while I feel silly but I get over it quickly. I am doing my health good by wearing a hat. But now as I am getting older and my give a damn is breaking I am wearing more and more out there hats I wouldn’t have worn 19 years ago.

make it a part of your style and don’t give a damn what people think.

Johnny

 

[Silver-Wolf]

Motivation is a factor. My old man got skin cancer at 55 and passed away from it at 57. As I get older and closer to that age I am getting nervous, but I stated wearing a Tilley daily in high school and a fedora once I left technical college. So unlike my dad who never wore a hat I have had one on my head damn near every day of my adult life. So once in a while I feel silly but I get over it quickly. I am doing my health good by wearing a hat. But now as I am getting older and my give a damn is breaking I am wearing more and more out there hats I wouldn’t have worn 19 years ago.

make it a part of your style and don’t give a damn what people think.

Johnny

Yeah, skin cancer is scary and can be extremely fast too. True but recent sad story: A young woman here in Queensland Australia only just starting life at age 23 saw a doctor about a mark on her skin, was given the OK and a short time later it was getting sore... Saw a different doctor and found she was left with only days to live, was engaged to be married so they rushed it through, got married and she died just after marrying her true love just this last September.

Wearing a hat and covering your skin when out under the sun is never silly period!

 

[johnnycanuck]

On a more positive point of motivation. Hit Instagram and look up your favourite brands and styles. Lots of examples of how Akubra can be worn casual, formal and Daily. Stetson, but look up specific models or you get a lot of urban “duded up” cowboy looks. Lots of great “how to wear” motivation there if you want a seamless look.
Johnny

 

[der_ingenieur]

I think once one gets over the initial 'oddness' that wearing a hat regularly ensues that it's a very enjoyable and fun hobby to explore. It's helpful that it's an item that can be used with regularity while other collectibles (coins, cards etc) are not as usable on a regular basis. It does take some initial confidence and swagger to carry it off - but I think that largely comes with wearing AND the right hat for the head/face/person etc. My .02 this morning.

I can relate to this post. I grew up in a time and a household where pretty much nobody wore hats. We knew hats from pictures of grandpa.
I've been wearing baseball caps for many years, and mostly to protect my scalp and face from getting sunburned. When I started doing that, I found that I only liked very few baseball caps - most I did not care for how they looked on me.

My interest in real hats, fedoras in particular grew over time and at first I had a hard time getting a start. I try to make sure to wear clothes that look good together and good on me - depending on the time and place that could be more formal or very casual. Being from Germany, I even wear traditional German clothes from time to time, not just when going to the beer tent.

Long story short, it takes time for me to get used to wearing a hat, and it took a couple of tries to a hat style/shape that fits my face, body and personality. The oddest thing happened to me not very long ago: I noticed when I tilt the hat just slightly, it looks so much better in my opinion. It gives it a more relaxed and less formal look, which I like a lot.

One of my favorite hats for casual and outdoor occasions is a rather cheap Lite Felt Fedora I purchase from Duluth trading. Similar to some of the Akubra offerings, but not as nice of course. Otherwise, I mostly wear my hats with more business like clothing.

 

[Rmccamey]

Glad you have found "your look". We hope you will share a few pictures

I can relate to this post. I grew up in a time and a household where pretty much nobody wore hats. We knew hats from pictures of grandpa.
I've been wearing baseball caps for many years, and mostly to protect my scalp and face from getting sunburned. When I started doing that, I found that I only liked very few baseball caps - most I did not care for how they looked on me.

My interest in real hats, fedoras in particular grew over time and at first I had a hard time getting a start. I try to make sure to wear clothes that look good together and good on me - depending on the time and place that could be more formal or very casual. Being from Germany, I even wear traditional German clothes from time to time, not just when going to the beer tent.

Long story short, it takes time for me to get used to wearing a hat, and it took a couple of tries to a hat style/shape that fits my face, body and personality. The oddest thing happened to me not very long ago: I noticed when I tilt the hat just slightly, it looks so much better in my opinion. It gives it a more relaxed and less formal look, which I like a lot.

One of my favorite hats for casual and outdoor occasions is a rather cheap Lite Felt Fedora I purchase from Duluth trading. Similar to some of the Akubra offerings, but not as nice of course. Otherwise, I mostly wear my hats with more business like clothing.

 

[scottyrocks]

This components of the topic in the OP pop up here more than occasionally.

As for others wearing or not wearing hats - that does not concern me.

As for what others think of me wearing hats - that also does not concern me (although I do appreciate the occasional compliments I receive).

After retiring, I very quickly decided that I needed to be working, albeit in a completely different profession, so I got a job that I really enjoy.

Luckily, we can wear hats there. I see a lot of ball caps, woolies (like a watch cap), one guy wears a leather western usually associated with bikers, and I am most often in a fedora, although I have been rotating in and out of a couple of ball caps, and even an engineer (as in 'train') cap. But I'm usually in a fedora.

I've now been there long enough for more than one colleague to comment in a positive way, when I am in a ball cap, with something such as, 'I'm disappointed, where's your hat?'

Which leads into the OP's sub-topic of comfort, or rather, self-confidence. All of this societal talk is, afaic, often based in the comfort level of the new hat wearer (those of wearing hats for years/decades already know this). And to this I say that over time, whatever amount of time that may be, a person who is 'meant' to wear a hat will find their style, their zone, their niche, and the hat(s) on that person's head will feel as right as rain. Their hats will become a part of them, part of their aura. And it is then that other people - non-hat wearers, will rarely give the hat on that person's head a second thought as an accessory. It will be subconsciously thought of as just looking and being right, and part of the whole makeup of the person underneath it.

Iow, just give it time. When you are completely comfortable, others will notice . . . by not noticing.

 

[RossRYoung]

I’ll quickly add my 2 cents since it doesn’t quite match the others here.

I took a plunge on hats after extensive research on my favorite musician, Don Van Vliet or better known as Captain Beefheart. He was always wearing a fedora or more outlandish omish style hat. A very eccentric guy. I wanted to wear hats to emulate his style, but also because I think they have a dress quality to them. I wear a formal suit and tie everyday for work, so dressing up is common place for me. Getting a fedora just seemed natural. After wearing one for my first time publicly (an outdoor bday party for a friend), all the jitters went away and, I feel, did truly become natural. I haven’t been outside without one since.

 

[der_ingenieur]

Glad you have found "your look". We hope you will share a few pictures

I'll post some pictures - soon ;-) It seems that for me what works best if I take something formal and put a slightly casual spin on it.
Thanks for the encouragement!