JFK no hatless Jack

[Lefty]

There are a hundred threads in which this is discussed. JFK did not kill the hat.

Not true.
We've had many threads that talk about hats really starting to die out well before WWII. Check out some of these articles, particularly this one:
Third Source

E. J. Kahn, The Talk of the Town, "Hats On," The New Yorker, September 28, 1946, p. 19

Talk. Stanley expedition to Danbury for an investigation of men's hatlessness. N. Y. is the most hatless city in the country. Danbury itself is not 100% hatted. Factories used to have a rule no employees could come to work hatless; buyers, however, are instructed not to interview hatless salesmen. Twelve per cent of all men never wear hats. 32% always wear hats. 98% of all men over 45 own at least one hat. Only 70% of college men own hats. Only 62% of college men consider hats important to personal appearance, veterans, 68% of them, do. Early in this century U. S. had 25 million males old enough for hats, and the annual production was 36 million; just before the war 50 million hat-males, but production of felts only 22 million. 59% of the women dislike hatless men. Goes into the question of baldness because of hats.

As to the hat comeback, here it is in 1982, and again in 1999.

 

[rcinlv]

Lefty beat me to it,

But:

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=10330&highlight=John+Kennedy


Cheers,

RC

 

[Joshbru3]

I would say its not entirely Kennedy's fault. There is an EXCELLENT book on this matter which I am in the process of reading. Ive got through about half of it thus far and what Ive read is not only interesting but explains alot about the hatting industry in general. The wearing of hats was already starting to decline by the time Kennedy got into office. I would say that maybe he put the "final nail in the coffin" if you will.The book really explains in detail the history of various syles of hats and when those styles came in and out of fashion. It was however a huge deal that Kennedy didnt wear hats to the newpapers and media however. I just have to say that you have to read the book if you havent already. Heres a pic of the front cover:

 

[psugrad98]

I wasn't so much asking for comment on if Kennedy caused the hat thing. It was just funny that a man came up to me and mentioned that.

 

[Dixon Cannon]

Myth Busted!

Next!

-dixon cannon

 

[danofarlington]

He said it was because of John F. Kennedy. He never wore a hat and caused the style to die out. I always thought that was amusing that folks blame Kennedy for the demise of hats. thoughtS?

I personally think it is the rise of hair that killed hats. Think about it--at that same time, you had the Beatles and the Stones sweeping the U.S. for popularity, and suddenly the hairstyle of men became big. I myself was ten years old when Kennedy was killed, but by age 11 and on, rock music stars took over the earth. Everybody young person wanted to be and look like them. My hair was the single most important part of my self-image. In high school, hair separated the "freaks" (my group) from the "jocks." I was in a rock band. Hair was really important, and I wore it long. A hat would have covered it up or mussed it up or plastered it. Hats persisted, but I always viewed it as an "old man style." We had had such a prevalence of hats in the decades before, that for we kids at that time hats were completely and totally irrelevant to any dress style we would adopt. You know that the Boomer generation took over fashion and a lot of other culture during the 1960s and 1970s. Only now, after fifty hatless years, are hats being rediscovered. I myself wouldn't have felt comfortable wearing hats even in the 1980s or 90s, but in the 2000s it feels right. It's a new style that I can call my own. The formerly prevalent style is finally so "out" that it's "in" again.

 

[David Conwill]

I think hats died from the same cause as convertibles, and winter- and summer-weight suits: Climate control. Both in buildings and automobiles. People are indoors way more often than they used to be, and the outside conditions hardly affect them the way they used to, so we’ve gone to generic year-round styles that we simply hurry through the blazing sun/driving snow in while going from our climate-controlled cars to our climate-controlled buildings.

If the cost of running the air conditioning and the furnace were to rise dramatically, then you’d probably see a resurgence in seasonally appropriate dress and hat wearing.

-Dave

 

[Cracker]

From Neil Leifer's fantastic book of baseball photographs:

fftopic: And my all-time favorite baseball cap photo:

 

[Andykev]

This is OLD HAT

"Hatless Jack" is an excellent analysis of the decline of the hat industry and fashion in America.

This was talked about at length in the above forum threads (thank you).

It was not Kennedy. It was not the design of cars (lower roof lines). It was not the liberal trends, long hair, and the abandonment of the formal fashion establishment. It was not millions of men returning from war, who swore never to have to wear a hat again...

It was all, some, of the above.

Read the book, it is very enjoyable.

 

[Tango Yankee]

There are a hundred threads in which this is discussed. JFK did not kill the hat.

No, he didn't... and if there's one thing all of the various discussions point to it's that there were a number of factors that led to the near-demise of hat-wearing. All such factors and their influences have been discussed in great detail. Even within the list of factors I think we'll find that the amount of influence each factor had will depend upon the region. For example, the factor of the lower rooflines of cars as they became more streamlined may have played a stronger role in areas where car ownership and daily use were the norm but not as much in cities such as NY where public transportation is often the norm.

It does mean that trying to revive hat wearing in great numbers would need more than having a few celebrities take up wearing hats. Most of the factors that contributed to the decline of hat-wearing are still with us today, such as the factor of climate control mentioned by DC. As long as those factors continue to play a role hat wearing will remain somewhat limited.

Regards,
Tom

 

[mayserwegener]

"Hatless Jack" is an excellent analysis of the decline of the hat industry and fashion in America.

This was talked about at length in the above forum threads (thank you).

It was not Kennedy. It was not the design of cars (lower roof lines). It was not the liberal trends, long hair, and the abandonment of the formal fashion establishment. It was not millions of men returning from war, who swore never to have to wear a hat again...

It was all, some, of the above.

Read the book, it is very enjoyable.

:arated: Agree!

 

[Dixon Cannon]

From
fftopic: And my all-time favorite baseball cap photo:

Count me in! I just became a fan of team 'H' !!!

-dixon 'bat boy' cannon

 

[mayserwegener]

I am not looking at the hat.

 

[Dixon Cannon]

I personally think it is the rise of hair that killed hats. Think about it--at that same time, you had the Beatles and the Stones sweeping the U.S. for popularity, and suddenly the hairstyle of men became big. I myself was ten years old when Kennedy was killed, but by age 11 and on, rock music stars took over the earth. Everybody young person wanted to be and look like them. My hair was the single most important part of my self-image. In high school, hair separated the "freaks" (my group) from the "jocks." I was in a rock band. Hair was really important, and I wore it long. A hat would have covered it up or mussed it up or plastered it. Hats persisted, but I always viewed it as an "old man style." We had had such a prevalence of hats in the decades before, that for we kids at that time hats were completely and totally irrelevant to any dress style we would adopt. You know that the Boomer generation took over fashion and a lot of other culture during the 1960s and 1970s. Only now, after fifty hatless years, are hats being rediscovered. I myself wouldn't have felt comfortable wearing hats even in the 1980s or 90s, but in the 2000s it feels right. It's a new style that I can call my own. The formerly prevalent style is finally so "out" that it's "in" again.

Dano, you've hit it on the head! I was that age then as well and hair was IT!
Started playing drums at 12 and eventually grew my hair to my shoulders over the next five years. I'll bet I NEVER had a hat on my head during those years - and for quite a few beyond that. As years passed an my hair got shorter, a hat just seemed appropriate - and I should admit, in no small degree due to Indy Jones!

-dixon cannon

 

[Puzzicato]

In a couple of Saki (H.H Munro 1870 - 1913) 's short stories, older ladies express anxieties that young men are going to become "what they call a 'nut'" because these young men go out hatless and pay a lot of attention to their appearance. So surely the decline of the hat began in the Edwardian era?

 

[theinterchange]

I am not looking at the hat.

You mean there's a hat in that photo? [huh]

Randy

 

[Feraud]

^ A nice literary addition to the conversation Puzzicato.
While the Edwardian era decline is probably correct, it sounds like the old ladies in the story were also repeating the generational, "these kids today..." lament.

 

[LocktownDog]

I don't believe we're going over this again! lol

 

[Chuck Bobuck]

I personally think it is the rise of hair that killed hats. Think about it--at that same time, you had the Beatles and the Stones sweeping the U.S. for popularity, and suddenly the hairstyle of men became big.
...

Like Dixon, I agree with you and had a similar experience in my youth.

 

[Puzzicato]

^ A nice literary addition to the conversation Puzzicato.
While the Edwardian era decline is probably correct, it sounds like the old ladies in the story were also repeating the generational, "these kids today..." lament.

Oh definitely! One was concerned that a nut wouldn't be interested in carrying her parcels. I just think it is interesting that there was a youth subculture that was eschewing the hat even then. I have never seen any other reference to these nuts though, so he may have been making them up!