Prom

[grimakis]

Would it be inappropriate to wear some sort of hat to a high school prom? The rest of my outfit is black, save for the vest which has a subtle touch of grey in the pattern.

Also, where can I find a decent mechanical silvertone watch. Preferably minimalistic and with a rectangular case. Due to the vest having grey, gold watch/ cufflinks are out.

 

[Caity Lynn]

Absolutely not! I know several chaps who wore hats to prom. I'm kinda sad my fellow didn't :/ Go for it!!!!!!

 

[danofarlington]

Would it be inappropriate to wear some sort of hat to a high school prom? The rest of my outfit is black, save for the vest which has a subtle touch of grey in the pattern.

Also, where can I find a decent mechanical silvertone watch. Preferably minimalistic and with a rectangular case. Due to the vest having grey, gold watch/ cufflinks are out.

I'm not a prom expert, but IMHO it's a great place for a hat and a little theatricality. At my prom in the late 1960s I had a black top hat, black cape, a black period longtail suit jacket, and a cane, all thanks to my antique dealer grandfather. Somehow they all fit me. It worked at the time. I guess the moral of the story is that hats are great for 1960s proms. But I bet it would work well now, unless everyone at your school is scared stiff of deviating from a given norm.

 

[avedwards]

I wore a grey fedora with my dinner jacket at my prom, though I took it off indoors and put it under my chair. Were I to go to another prom with the wardrobe I now own I'd wear a black homburg instead, which I sadly didn't own at the time.

So my reasoning is if you're comfortable enough to normally wear a hat it can also be worn to a prom.

 

[Not-Bogart13]

There's nothing wrong with wearing a hat for the prom. However, do your self a favor - since proms are school functions, make sure they don't have a policy against it. You don't want some meat-fisted chaperone confiscating it and storing it who-knows-where. As long as there's no rule against it, go for it.

 

[Geesie]

I personally don't wear a hat with black tie, but if you want to sure. Just don't wear a cheap costume top hat. That's never good looking.

 

[dhermann1]

I can't imagine why a school would have a rule against hats, but given some of the insane rules schools have come up with in the last few years, I suppose it's a valid concern. But I agree, don't use a cheapy wool felt topper, they look dreadful. Quality or nothing.
If you can post pics of your proposed outfit, I'm sure you'll get a nice avalanche of advice from here.
A lot of folks here would say only a topper, or preferably a black homburg would be proper with black tie, but I think an elegant gray fedora would be perfectly nice, also.

 

[norton]

I went to my son's prom this weekend to take pictures. While none of the students wore top hats, a couple wore other types of hats, or matching sunglasses, or carried canes. I thought they looked more costumey than fun and thought that the best looking outfits were the simple black suits or tuxes, but that's from my old man perspective. Also, a hat or cane is just another thing to keep an eye on all night.

Remember, in twenty years you may be looking at that prom picture on Mom's mantle every time you go home.

 

[Puzzicato]

I agree with Norton's old man perspective! A hat would just be another thing to lose for me.

 

[Mr E Train]

How about a boater with a black band for a little Maurice Chevalier flair?

At your age, it might come off as costume-y, though, and even at advanced ages few could pull it off as well as Chevalier did.

 

[Marla]

I can't imagine why a school would have a rule against hats, but given some of the insane rules schools have come up with in the last few years, I suppose it's a valid concern.

Sadly, many schools do have a no-hat rule.

 

[dhermann1]

No hats?????????

Pray, what is the rationale behind that???

 

[jlee562]

if I had been hip enough to be wearing hats in high school, you can bet I would have worn one to prom!

 

[Mr E Train]

Pray, what is the rationale behind that???

It's all about self-esteem. They don't want the hat wearers to make the non-hat wearers feel bad about themselves because of their non-hat-wearingness. Either that or they're afraid that students will carry concealed weapons under them.[huh] Or drugs. Or perhaps some weapon-drug hybrid that has yet to be invented, but school administrators are paranoid types, and they think of everything.

 

[Tiller]

Pray, what is the rationale behind that???

We had that rule, and I believe the school still does enforce it, although I'm not sure. Admittedly I haven't bee back since I graduated, but I haven't heard of it being revoked. It's a very old rule, and today I can't even say I disagree with it .

Basically if you went outside for any reason you could wear a hat, but you had to take it off once you were inside. You don't wear a hat when you are inside after all .

 

[Mr E Train]

Basically if you went outside for any reason you could wear a hat, but you had to take it off once you were inside. You don't wear a hat when you are inside after all .

Well, that's an old school (as in "old school," not "old school") rule. That rule just has to do more with manners and decorum than anything else.

 

[JC]

Certainly, go for it!

I wore my fedora to my Senior Prom, and I am so glad I did! It was a big hit, and I love seeing the yearbook photos! I look quite spiffy! 8)

 

[cptjeff]

Pray, what is the rationale behind that???

Gangs mostly. It's intended to discourage baseball caps made up in gang colors, and to avoid forcing school administrators to acquire a brain somewhere, they simply banned all hats.

Wearing a proper hat would raise little objection unless one has one of the really authoritarian and brainless types in charge. Unfortunately, that species is all to common in schools today.

Yes, I have stories....And a new one hits the news every week. However, many administrators take such a hard line on stupid rules to avoid liability when some parent thinks their little horror is being treated unfairly and threatens to sue though.

 

[Mr. Paladin]

Gangs mostly. It's intended to discourage baseball caps made up in gang colors, and to avoid forcing school administrators to acquire a brain somewhere, they simply banned all hats.

Thats the reason. Gang affiliations are reflected in the caps. Unfortunately, most school districts paint with a wide brush and just ban them all for ease of wording.

But to the point, wear the hat if you can; it will look great and I can't think why you wouldn't want to see yourself in one in twenty years. There are shots of me in my little straw westerns from when I was two, and thats a darn sight longer ago than 20 years!

 

[Trebuchet64_Fal]

Grimakis , just do it , but make sure you look damn good in it !