On giving your opinions of photographs showing fellow Loungers wearing their new hats

[thunderw21]

I tend not to post anything if I don't like a hat on the person posting the picture. For the most part I think that pictures of loungers wearing stingy hats are not particularly attractive. lol lol lol

+1

Looking at that old thread, I see that I'm the first to comment.

I am no fan of stingies, but if I say "nice hat" or give a good comment it means that I really think it looks nice. If I don't like something I usually keep it to myself.

 

[indycop]

If we're going with general statements of things that people shouldn't do, my top of the list is the slant.

Douglas can do it.
You can't.
Please stop.

I hope you aren't going to throw out the hollywood flip next!

 

[Lefty]

lol I know you got into it, but to me, this is the sideways-baseball-cap of fedora styles.

 

[indycop]

lol I know you got into it, but to me, this is the sideways-baseball-cap of fedora styles.

I guess that's like for me a stingy is a fez with a crease.lol





I'm gonna back out of the room nice and slow now.....

 

[Lefty]

For such a small group, we're really a bunch of snobs.

 

[carter]

On daring to emulate Douglas

I hope you aren't going to throw out the hollywood flip next!

As Theodore Roosevelt so eloquently stated:

"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man [in the hat] stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually [wearing his hat] in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."

Douglas inspires lesser souls to aspire to greater things. There can be no nobler pursuit.

 

[StylinLA]

"Don't ask what I think of westerns and homburgs. lol lol lol"


Now we have to know what you think of Homburgs?

 

[HarpPlayerGene]

Tough Love. Now we're talkin', Dumbjaw. That is a hallmark of mine in real life interactions. I am a 'straight shooter' shall we say, to the point sometimes of putting folks a little back on their heels. But in person, people get the read from me that although I am being direct and sometimes brutally honest, I am doing it from a motive of being genuinely helpful. I've seen it on a thousand faces. They do the double-take and then they read me. And then they realize I'm not out to get 'em but rather to strengthen them. That I'm taking a risk and investing of myself in a more valuable and courageous way than those who stroke and coddle everyone they meet.

And by the same token, so much of what I've learned and benefitted from has come from the tough love, constructive criticism approach of a few strong characters in my life. I have thick skin, and an even thicker skull at times, so I have responded well to this style of input.

But then there is the typed word on a forum. So much 'language' is lost in this medium that a couple of times I could tell I was in danger of bruising some tender petals out there, so I realized it's best to play it a little safer. Honest, but safer.

With all that said, please be advised fellow Loungers that you can give it to me straight! I'm with the bunch that would rather hear/read a real review than just suck up compliments when they aren't merited.

P.S. I've also got one of those velour Tyrolean type fedoras. Gawdawful on me.

 

[HarpPlayerGene]

By the way, Dumbjaw...

Of the four hat shots you linked, I think the Adam and the Whippet are best. In my opinion, you have not yet dialed in on your perfect hat look but those are pretty good.

For the Adam I'd wet the crown in front and push down on the top/front/center crease. It looks like it wants to be down there but when you put the hat on it pops up. Just needs a little training.

The other opinion I have for you is to investigate a hat in generally Whippet-ish proportions and with not so wide a ribbon as most of the ones you show. Now, this is a personal style preference thing but a couple of those ribbons seem overpowering on you.

Lastly, and in general, seeking the perfect hat style for a given guy can be a noble pursuit but it's also worth realizing that if one is going to actually collect different styles that some are just going to look better than others, like some shirts look better than others on a fella'. Doesn't mean that the point is to get down to one hat or one favorite shirt.

 

[TopGumby]

"Where did you get that hat?"

If my hat is out of kilter with my look, it draws attention away from my ugly mug. If it's smoooooth as buttah, then it helps tone down my ugly mug.

Winner either way. No worries.

 

[Dixon Cannon]

I've been wearing hats so long I don't care what anyone thinks about how I look.I just post pictures because I like taking pictures,and I like to show my hats to people who like hats.I think everyone looks good in a hat.

That's me to a 'T'! I can take constructive advise, but I don't feel obligated to follow it! I love hats - particularly on me!! .. so any pics I've posted are up for ridicule and critique I suppose. But if I didn't like 'em myself, I wouldn't put 'em up on the WWW.

In reality, I find that I'm mostly ignored anyway, so pretend you didn't read this after all.

"-dixon 'invisible' cannon

 

[Wil Tam]

I used to think that I really don't care what others think or do I now?

I do care about honest opinions if the said lid on my noggin looks silly on me ... but get praised on here, so I feel confident enough & wear it out in public and not look like an ass.

So yeah, It's a new passion working & shaping the hats that I spent good money on... now with the wider brims because I took the advice from people on here because they said that some of the stingies don't work on me.

On with the self loathing & stopping myself from purchasing any more lids for my collection until I figure out what actually look good on me. [huh]

No more projects for a while I suppose, thank you for this enlightening post.

----------------
Now playing: Cake - You Turn The Screws
via FoxyTunes

 

[Baron Kurtz]

The lack of honesty is one reason i don't spend much time in the hats section. More than that, i'm turned off by the apparent presence of a culture which does not think honesty should be tolerated if it is at all negative: "Dude, why are you sh**ting on his hat?" "If you've got nothing good to say, don't say anything.", and other such ridiculousness regularly induced by a negative comment.

People will persist in perceiving comments on internet fora as personal attacks. So all you can do is just say nothing. Turn off, tune out.

The only time i've really been encouraged to willingly incur the wrath of fellow Hat forum dwellers was an Indy-wearing short chap. That hat does not work for short people.

bk

 

[cookie]

BK +1

You are correct of course BK. So much of the forum is taken up with people congratulating each other on their appalling taste in hats. Some need to read the Miller's hats advice on what hat to wear with what face and then proceed to purchase hats on that basis and not on the basis of give this a go and then some. Their bad taste is not helped by other Loungers feeling obliged to congratulate their obviously gawky choices in lids.

 

[metropd]

You are correct of course BK. So much of the forum is taken up with people congratulating each other on their apalling taste in hats. Some need to read the Miller's hats advice on what hat to wear with what face and then proceed to purchase hats on that basis and not on the basis of give this a go and then some. Their bad taste is not helped by other Loungers feeling obliged to congratulate their obviously gawky choices in lids.

We asked for honesty and Cookie delivered on the promise.

 

[nickn5]

I'll attempt to follow the Dumbjaw Honesty Charter, I think it's a good point (and that's honest) and as a few here have said I just tend to say nothing if I think something looks off, but maybe I'll give it a go from now, as I've notched up a few posts here.

And I won't be upset with anyone who thinks any of my hats don't look good, in fact it'll give me an excuse to sell one or two perhaps...

Hmm, just had a thought: could the above encourage a sort of 'no you look awful in that hat, sell it me muahahaha' culture... oh hang on, that already happens... lol

N.

 

[gtdean48]

My issue is that most are taken with phone cameras which don't give a true picture of the wearer. You can definitely see those that are not. If you look half way decent in a lid with a phone camera shot posted to the forum, you'll get an honest positive response from me...

 

[AEH]

What are people asking for

In my stumbeling English I will try to express the way I see it:

In my opinion it may be a difference if the poster just wants to show his new hat: "Look what I found in the flea market today!", or if she/he expressly asks for other members opinions. If the former, you do not express negative opinions, if the latter, you may be more direct about a bad fitting.

 

[LordBest]

I take the view that I have looked stupid for the past 23 years, so I might as well look stupid in a hat I love.

I have to say, in the 6 months or so I have been browsing the Lounge, and spending quite a lot of time admiring peoples hats, I can not recall thinking "That hat looks stupid on him" once.

 

[portolan]

Communication

involves a transmitter and a receiver.

The one posting the picture is both transmitter and receiver. He or she would be best served by being clear in intent. "Look at my new hat, my wife loves it!" may not necessitate candid replies....it is a celebration, not an invitation for evaluation. "How do I look?" - invites reply.

Personal preference is not insight. Preferences in style, color vary, they are not particularly helpful. In that way the responder is both transmitter and receiver. Online communication loses insight, innuendo, inflection and intent. Without the smiles, there is no wink when there are only words.

Communication is also cultural. What is acceptable in Austria may not be in Arkansas. We are an international forum. More challenges.

Knowledge of both the transmitter and receiver really help as well. I think it takes about 200 posts for that to occur, or better yet, meeting the person in person. I know now if any of the Monteagle people told me I didn't look good, it would be a genuine and well intended comment that would be about the hat, not me personally.

I am probably somewhat of a challenged receiver. I don't have much self-confidence in general and am confidence deficient when it comes to hats. I want input, but am waiting for the first person to say "you look dumb" to confirm what I already feel. That would certainly save me a lot of money! Monteagle was very hard for me. Wearing what I am not comfortable in, in front of total strangers, thinking I am looks-impaired to begin with....whew.....Not only did I survive, but I thrived. Thanks to all. Maybe for the other attendees it was enjoyable. For me it was therapeutic.

Communication is tricky business in the best of situations. I think you all are great, but as for me, I value your opinion, but be gentle. We now have over twenty-five hats in the house!