Reactions when you first start wearing brimmed hats.

[Machine Ager]

Like Forrest above I am in Austin. So most any style goes.... however my family gives me a hard time with my Fedora's thinking them too old fashioned :{

 

[Benzadmiral]

I live in Austin, Texas. No one says a word about my hat. It would take a lot more than a fedora to make me seem weird here.

On an excuse for a road trip, I visited Austin after Christmas last year. I wore my older Resistol Open Road clone everywhere: out to dinner, walking around downtown. NOBODY reacted. I guess the bumper sticker is true: "Keep Austin Weird"!

 

[danofarlington]

Like Forrest above I am in Austin. So most any style goes.... however my family gives me a hard time with my Fedora's thinking them too old fashioned :{

I agree with you. My Open Road seems to come off better in urban areas or on a road trip, rather than in smaller town areas of Virginia or Maryland where I might travel. The hat is so well entrenched from the past that in those areas it's almost as if I'm harking back to a time just a few years ago for them. In urban areas, on the other hand, the hat is just brand new to the observers, and it seems to look good to them. I am in the latter category of people to whom it is a new style, so I get a lot of energy from wearing ORs. But I can see the difference in reactions in places where the style is more recently widespread.

 

[MCrider]

I must disagree with those who said it does not matter what others think. For those of us new to hats it does in fact matter a great deal.

If one has been wearing fedoras for generations they may simply be wearing the hat out of habit and may have long since stopped caring what other people think. For that person other people's opinions may be less important. However anyone new to wearing a fedora is doing so specifically to influence those around them. A fedora is a fashion accessory. The sole purpose of fashion is to influence those around us through our dress. And most people want their fashion choices to elicit positive reactions (even if their bravado says otherwise). If all one needs is a hat to keep the sun & rain off their head, there are many less costly and more effective means than a fedora.

When I first read this I wasn't sure how I felt. Maybe it comes as you get older, but no it really doesn't matter what someone else thinks of how I dress or act. It only matters how I and those closest to me feel about it. I bought my first Fedora in 1980 and loved wearing it until Indiana Jones came out. So for 20 years it sat waiting for me to quit being self conscious. Then one day I realized it only mattered to me and started wearing hats again. Secondly, no I don't wear a fedora to influence those around me. You call a hat a fashion accessory when it's a practical, if archaic, piece of clothing. As for the sun and the rain, yes an umbrella would be more practical in the rain, but I don't know what would be more effective means of protecting your ears, neck and face from the sun. I do agree that when you first start wearing a hat you want positive comments rather than laughs because you are self-conscious about your new choice of head gear. So in conclusion (LOL) I guess some people do wear fedoras for a fashion accessory while others wear it because we want to.

 

[yookee]

A fedora is a fashion accessory.

Great discussion here - on one hand, we may not want to care what others think but Facade touches on the other point; wearing a fedora is a bold public statement. I have owned my lid for 2 weeks now, and its a huge adjustment to the public reaction, but I love it. However, when I make a decision of when I will wear my Fedora, I first address the event and what clothes associated with it. Mind you, it is custom VS and I treat it like a royal crown too, lol.

 

[johnnycanuck]

I started wearing a Tilley T3 When I was 10 or 11 years old so I can't remember people’s reactions. But when I switched over to felt hats and fedoras, at about age 20, the women seemed to respond positively to them. Nowadays the only difference I notice is people say Howdy to me rather than hello .
Johnny

 

[Mobile Vulgus]

Well, since I have always been the sort to wear distinctive stuff, when I switched to fedoras it didn't make much of an impression on most people I know. All my friends and family were used to me having something that made me stand out in a crowd, whether it be headgear or my extremely bushy facial hair. In my business, people have the odd notion that I always wore wide brimmed fedoras and that is how they see me in their mind's eye (hence my icon over to your left there). So to people that know me the fedora is just me being me.

The only special notice or comments I get almost always comes from strangers. And that is usually either bemused (in a surprised but nice way) or outright praise. So far fedoras have been good for me and worked well.

But, then again, I am in a world of grownups. You, on the other hand, Historyteach, are among punks kids and they are prone to acting like punk kids. In that case, I'd ignore them because they are immature and unable to act with decorum.

 

[Mobile Vulgus]

Nowadays the only difference I notice is people say Howdy to me rather than hello .

That is actually pretty funny!

 

[scooter]

It is difficult for me to judge people's reactions to my hats, because in general, people seem to treat me with respect/trepidation. To illustrate my point, I was once in a department store and by sheer accident, encountered the same man 3 times in different aisles. The third time, I heard him say to his wife, "Let's get out of here, I'm tired of this cop following me around!", as he stole a furtive glance at me. Maybe because I am nearly as wide as I am tall, (my wife says I look like a refrigerator), or because I am a retired Marine, I really don't know, but people just kinda steer clear of me as a rule. Kinda works to my advantage in the rude comment arena though!

 

[scooter]

Having said all that, I got off track. I wear my hats because I like them, and with my thinning hair, I find them very functional. My wife likes them, and I don't concern myself much with what others think.

 

[Gromulus]

It is difficult for me to judge people's reactions to my hats, because in general, people seem to treat me with respect/trepidation. Maybe because I am nearly as wide as I am tall, (my wife says I look like a refrigerator), or because I am a retired Marine, I really don't know, but people just kinda steer clear of me as a rule. Kinda works to my advantage in the rude comment arena though!

Similar reactions here. Only 5" 7" but 210 - 215#, former competitive bodybuilder with (what my wife always tells me) is a permanent scowl. Hats are probably just a curiousity to others.

 

[JONDAVHAR]

My first hat was sold to me via the internet. It was described as "olive" green, and the picture looked olive. When I got the thing it looked more like an alpine hat, stingy brimmed and all. When I tried that hat on, my 4 year old said I looked like a leprechaun. Nice.

 

[thespoiler]

Since I am of the senior citizen variety I guess that wearing a fedora looks natural. I have never had a negative comment but plenty of positive ones....I think the color does matter. I have a great black Bond that gets far more comments than than grays. Also people seem to notice my fawn with brown band.....Which reminds me, I don't see too many black fedoras in the Lounge photos. I think black is quite classy and don't see why they aren't more popular. Any ideas?

 

[danofarlington]

Since I am of the senior citizen variety I guess that wearing a fedora looks natural. I have never had a negative comment but plenty of positive ones....I think the color does matter. I have a great black Bond that gets far more comments than than grays. Also people seem to notice my fawn with brown band.....Which reminds me, I don't see too many black fedoras in the Lounge photos. I think black is quite classy and don't see why they aren't more popular. Any ideas?

On me, they look very severe. On others, less so. So speaking for myself, I don't wear them because of that stark look.

 

[gtdean48]

..... I think black is quite classy and don't see why they aren't more popular. Any ideas?

My black Pinnacle is very dressy to me. I wear it with suit & tie & since I limit that rig as much as possible, it doesn't get much noggin time compared to others...

 

[fmw]

Tell me what you think of the Pinnacle. I'm thinking about getting one in mink.

 

[gpotski]

I almost expect something like the following to appear on this thread:

"I was walking in a crowd of people and suddenly a voice yelled out 'Wow what a great hat!'....... soon people were looking at me and pointing and gathering around me... it was so embarrassing.... I was almost sorry I yelled."

(Adapted from an old joke in which the shout is "Red Skelton's in the crowd!")

Great idea!

It took me a few days to get over the initial self-consciousness of wearing my Akubra Stylemaster every day. It was either just wear it every day and it becomes a non-issue, or not wear it every day and continue to feel self-conscious wearing it. Most of the time, people see me going/coming from work in the hat and don't say anything, but I can tell it's still relatively uncommon to see a fedora. Hopefully that will change over time!

 

[Diamondback1]

I got some attention when I first began wearing....there were the inevitable "Indiana Jones" cracks from close friends. Once friends and acquaintances became habituated they stopped.

- regards

 

[Historyteach24]

I love all the feedback guys. A perfect example of just wearing it and getting over the fact that you are doing something different happened yesterday. I just got a new pork pie yesterday and the brim is larger than the other pork I have. It is also in a "rust" color that I have never worn before (I will post pictures soon). I actually fretted over this hat for a good hour before walking out the door and just wearing it with pride. I walked into the grocery and behold the first person I make eye contact with says "love the hat" from then on I was good to go! I know we all like to think that what other people think don't matter but it does feel good to get compliments I must say.

 

[Alex]

I love all the feedback guys. A perfect example of just wearing it and getting over the fact that you are doing something different happened yesterday. I just got a new pork pie yesterday and the brim is larger than the other pork I have. It is also in a "rust" color that I have never worn before (I will post pictures soon). I actually fretted over this hat for a good hour before walking out the door and just wearing it with pride. I walked into the grocery and behold the first person I make eye contact with says "love the hat" from then on I was good to go! I know we all like to think that what other people think don't matter but it does feel good to get compliments I must say.

Definitely true. Nothing wrong with a little confidence boost. I had the same feelings while walking into church one morning. It's a very big church, and I was wearing my overcoat and grey stetson. I was feeling pretty self conscious, but a woman I walked by said she liked the hat, so that definitely helped.