The nicest comment I ever heard

[Lily Powers]

Not really a comment, but a somewhat touching hat situation. I was at my barber's yesterday ( been going to him for over 25 years now) and he has a proper coat/hat rack for folks to use and I was wearing my father's Rittenhouse and took it off and hung it on the rack. A frail, white haired older gentleman was getting out of the chair and commented "ya don't see those much these days" pointing to my hat. His son ( about my age) was helping steady him as he asked if he could look at my hat. He turned it over in his hands, stroked the felt and looked up at me with a tear in his eyes and said "I had one like this back when my wife and I got married. It was a Dobbs. They were the best ya know" He turned to his son and said " your mother liked that hat, I wore it at her funeral ya know." His son replied " I know dad, you looked good in it" He handed my hat back to me and said " nice hat son, take care of it" and they went out the door. My barber, John, said he was 92 yo and he has been his oldest customer since he opened the shop 27 years ago. It kind off set the mood for the rest of the day for me.

Well that brought an unexpected tear to my eye! Very touching encounter, made more so by your appreciation of it and sharing it here.

 

[Miss sofia]

I agree, this is what life is all about. A very heartwarming and touching story. Thanks for sharing.

 

[rue]

Make that 3 of us


Oh and Paddy.... you're one of the least scariest bartenders

 

[Miss sofia]

firm, but very fair i would say...

 

[3PcSuit]

Frayed jeans and a tie dyed T-shirt!

 

[HeyMoe]

I have just started wearing my fedora into my work. I used to leave it in my Jeep as my previous office was really nothing more than a closet with a desk and chair. I had no room for my lid to be safe in there. I moved into a much larger office this week and started wearing my hat into the building. I am the only employee that wears a tie every day (I work in mental health) and this morning I was in dark blue pinstripe pants, a grey shirt, a matching blue and black vintage tie, peacoat and grey champ fedora.

When I walked in all of the residents and staff said they liked my hat and I got quite a few compliments from everyone about my attire - I guess a hat does complete and outfit. It took me an extra 15 minutes to get to my office as everyone wanted to look at the hat etc.

It wasn't much but it made them happy and to be honest, me too

 

[samtemporary]

I was in federal court for trial (as one of the attorneys!) the week before Thanksgiving, and while walking out of the courthouse in downtown Miami, I drew several admiring glances from the ladies. Granted, they weren't verbal complements, but a wink and a smile from a pretty lady is just as good for me! As for what I was wearing, a modern blue pinstripe s/b suit, braces, black wingtip boots, 50s vintage tie, and my new Matt Deckard Laureate in Phantom Gray picked up from Ordinary Guy a week earlier.

 

[bowlerman]

What great stories.

Monbla-- your barbershop experience was just magical to read.


I just had the most wonderful and unlikely experience. You could say it was almost a chain reaction. I received my latest Ebay purchase late this afternoon, and hurriedly opened the box to examine its contents. There was the 7 1/8 long oval steel grey Royal Stetson with 2 inch bound brim I had been excited about recently, exceeding the expectations of my imagination, and beside it was a Dobbs flat cap. I have yet to confirm with the seller whether this was intentional, but I think it was. I have no real experience with these, and am still figuring out how to be comfortable wearing it.

I digress.

I put the flat cap away for later and promptly began wearing the Royal Grey, out and about from my son's preschool pageant to dropping off my daughter at a sleepover, through the McDonald's drive-through with my other daughter, where the cashier said very sincerely "love the hat!" Well I thought that was cool and went home.

Awhile later when I reluctantly left the house to pick up smokes for my wife, I donned again the Royal Grey and proceeded to the gas station's mini-mart. There, behind the register, a homely middle-aged woman complimented me on the hat. I "thank you'd" and tipped the lid. I was about to to turn and leave, when she said:

"You know, if more people wore hats the world would be a better place, and the economy would be healthier."

"I agree."

She continued. "I don't mean baseball caps. I mean real hats. Like yours. Like that one."

"I agree with that too."

She wasn't finished. "I mean, do you have any idea what kind of work goes into making that kind of hat?"

"As a matter of fact, I am aware."

"If people went back to wearing those it sure would create a lot more jobs."

"I suppose that's probably true." And then it became utterly astonishing to me.

"You know there's a place that does that, in Chicago. They're called 'Optimo Hats.'"

My jaw dropped. "I am very familiar with Optimo, though I don't own one of theirs."

"Well, they aren't cheap" she continued, "but they really do first rate work and use first rate materials. You can find them online."

"You most certainly can!" I agreed. "You know there's a guy in the same region who also does first rate work-- a smaller operation called Falcon Park Hattery-- and I actually own one of his."

She seemed interested. "Wear it in to the store sometime. I would love to see it up close."

I told her that would be a very likely occurrence, and would be glad to share the details.

What a weird and fun coincidence of interests!

 

[suits lover]

What great stories.

Monbla-- your barbershop experience was just magical to read.


I just had the most wonderful and unlikely experience. You could say it was almost a chain reaction. I received my latest Ebay purchase late this afternoon, and hurriedly opened the box to examine its contents. There was the 7 1/8 long oval steel grey Royal Stetson with 2 inch bound brim I had been excited about recently, exceeding the expectations of my imagination, and beside it was a Dobbs flat cap. I have yet to confirm with the seller whether this was intentional, but I think it was. I have no real experience with these, and am still figuring out how to be comfortable wearing it.

I digress.

I put the flat cap away for later and promptly began wearing the Royal Grey, out and about from my son's preschool pageant to dropping off my daughter at a sleepover, through the McDonald's drive-through with my other daughter, where the cashier said very sincerely "love the hat!" Well I thought that was cool and went home.

Awhile later when I reluctantly left the house to pick up smokes for my wife, I donned again the Royal Grey and proceeded to the gas station's mini-mart. There, behind the register, a homely middle-aged woman complimented me on the hat. I "thank you'd" and tipped the lid. I was about to to turn and leave, when she said:

"You know, if more people wore hats the world would be a better place, and the economy would be healthier."

"I agree."

She continued. "I don't mean baseball caps. I mean real hats. Like yours. Like that one."

"I agree with that too."

She wasn't finished. "I mean, do you have any idea what kind of work goes into making that kind of hat?"

"As a matter of fact, I am aware."

"If people went back to wearing those it sure would create a lot more jobs."

"I suppose that's probably true." And then it became utterly astonishing to me.

"You know there's a place that does that, in Chicago. They're called 'Optimo Hats.'"

My jaw dropped. "I am very familiar with Optimo, though I don't own one of theirs."

"Well, they aren't cheap" she continued, "but they really do first rate work and use first rate materials. You can find them online."

"You most certainly can!" I agreed. "You know there's a guy in the same region who also does first rate work-- a smaller operation called Falcon Park Hattery-- and I actually own one of his."

She seemed interested. "Wear it in to the store sometime. I would love to see it up close."

I told her that would be a very likely occurrence, and would be glad to share the details.

What a weird and fun coincidence of interests!

That's nice to know that there is still people who appreciate men with mature headwear. It whould be fun if more people could think like her.

 

[suits lover]

Since the first day were I have begin to wear fedora, I have received like everyone a lot of ''nice hats'' comments.
The best thing that someone has tell me come from a 90 years old women who said to me that I look like a real men, a gentleman with my hat and suit. I have also been asked by a guy one day in the thrift shop were I had buy my hat.

 

[randooch]

Positive comments are always a pleasure. Somehow, they still take me a little by surprise.

 

[suits lover]

Positive comments are always a pleasure. Somehow, they still take me a little by surprise.

You are right randooch. Same for me.

 

[Duper]

Not really a comment, but a somewhat touching hat situation. I was at my barber's yesterday ( been going to him for over 25 years now) and he has a proper coat/hat rack for folks to use and I was wearing my father's Rittenhouse and took it off and hung it on the rack. A frail, white haired older gentleman was getting out of the chair and commented "ya don't see those much these days" pointing to my hat. His son ( about my age) was helping steady him as he asked if he could look at my hat. He turned it over in his hands, stroked the felt and looked up at me with a tear in his eyes and said "I had one like this back when my wife and I got married. It was a Dobbs. They were the best ya know" He turned to his son and said " your mother liked that hat, I wore it at her funeral ya know." His son replied " I know dad, you looked good in it" He handed my hat back to me and said " nice hat son, take care of it" and they went out the door. My barber, John, said he was 92 yo and he has been his oldest customer since he opened the shop 27 years ago. It kind off set the mood for the rest of the day for me.

monbla, I'm glad you shared your story. I'm sure many appreciated your recounting of this as much as the frail white haired older gentleman appreciated admiring your hat.

 

[BigFitz]

Haven't worn my fedora much since I got it, but I got a "I like your hat" the other day and today in a quick stop someone yelled "Hey Elliot Ness!" Made me feel good.

 

[amador]

I walked into REI yesterday looking for a new daypack. Of course the place was filled with folks in outdoor clothing with some looking quite "organic". Several complements on my Moonstone Fed IV. Best complement was that I was looking Dapper. I quess being overdressed makes you stand out.

 

[Steve]

I received possibly the best compliment of my life from none other than John Larroquette a couple of nights ago, when I approached him to get my playbill signed after his performance in "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying." He was coming down the autograph line and saw me standing in my brown Adventurebilt and overcoat. He looked past the people in front me, looked me in the eye and said "hello." He reached out for my playbill, gave my hat the once over and said firmly "nice hat."

Not much, but the instant and extra eye contact was a nice surprise.

 

[pjt113]

monbla, I'm glad you shared your story. I'm sure many appreciated your recounting of this as much as the frail white haired older gentleman appreciated admiring your hat.

Why'd ya have to make me get all misty so early in the morning

 

[gtdean48]

I received possibly the best compliment of my life from none other than John Larroquette a couple of nights ago,...

Being on Night Court for so many years, he knows nice hats for sure!

 

[hatsRme]

I've been a fedora wearer since high school, having bought my first Lee in 1971. Normally a Lounge lurker, I am absolutely compelled to pass along the comment from a street vendor on New Year's Eve in Boston.

As we passed the vendor's cart, which was loaded with all manner of First Night "shhtuff," he looked directly at me as he bellowed, "I got glasses, I got souvenirs, I got hats... Not REALLY cool hats like that one, but I got hats...!!"

I was wearing my Art Fawcett light sage with dimensional 2-1/8" bound brim and an espresso colored band. The people with me hearing his comment were aptly impressed.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

I was at a friend's house during New Years Eve and my friend was introducing me to some people. He says "Did you see this guy's hat? He's the classiest guy in the county!"