What are the stereotypes associated with different hats?

[Guttersnipe]

Porkpies

porkpies = musician (probably bebop jazz, or something equally hip), pool shark, or both. But generally just a real cool cat, who knows it!

***now that I think of it, way don't I have porkpie?***

 

[tortswon]

I'm with you, Guttersnipe! Best, Sam

 

[Charlie Huang]

I agree that an English businessman is the stereotypical owner of a bowler hat but if you were to see someone coming towards you in a bowler hat today is that what you would guess they were?

I've lived in Britain and the only people wearing bowler hats I saw were the custodians at Christ Church in Oxford (college servants who marshal the tourists). I saw no businessmen wearing them so in terms of the question of what association I might bring to the hat, I don't think I'd guess the owner was necessarily and English businessman or treat him as such.

Or is it still thought that these are commonly worn in Britain? I remember the New York lounger with the stylish top hats who was looking forward to blending in when he went to London and was in for a disappointment.

Those stewards at Oxford use to be the Oxford University Police but they were abolished around about 2003 or so. They were reasigned as security officers and they kept their bowlers. At Cambridge, their university police still exists but they wear an elaborate set of livery and top hats.

The only time I saw a bowler being worn in public (other than as part of livery or at Oxford) was in Birmingham (of all places!) by a 50 year old gentleman. Made my day! Never saw one worn in London except on a girl as part of her fashion/trend/bleurgh!

 

[Hereward]

The most commonly seen bowler hat these days in the UK is on the TV when the Orangemen parade; although it tends to be the older members who wear them. I first saw them when I visited London during the day in 1974; they were being worn by what I think were bankers on their way to work on the underground.

 

[BlackBrim]

Different hats come imbued with meaning to people who see someone wearing them. When you put on a hat, people will have a reaction or infer something about you based on what associations they come with to that style of.

I'm fairly new to wearing fedoras.So far I have four hats in black,brown,grey,and navy.I'm going to be buying another one.I'll probably get a 1 7/8 or 2 inch brim with a center crease.I've been considering getting a green one.I don't mean sage or olive green.I'm thinking perhaps a Biltmore lush green.Or a Beaver Brand bottle green.However,I'm wondering if there is a stereotype associated with a green fedora.Might it look like something that is only appropriate to wear on St.Patrick's Day? Might it be associated with the Swiss Alps?Will people mistakenly think it's a Tyrolean hat or Bavarian hat?Could it be considered by the general public to be a very unusual or even strange looking hat?Or is a green fedora a normal looking everyday hat? I would be very interested in hearing some thoughts and opinions on a green fedora.

 

[Matt Deckard]

Those stewards at Oxford use to be the Oxford University Police but they were abolished around about 2003 or so. They were reasigned as security officers and they kept their bowlers. At Cambridge, their university police still exists but they wear an elaborate set of livery and top hats.

The only time I saw a bowler being worn in public (other than as part of livery or at Oxford) was in Birmingham (of all places!) by a 50 year old gentleman. Made my day! Never saw one worn in London except on a girl as part of her fashion/trend/bleurgh!

Got stopped several times in London when I wore my bowler... People also kept calling me "your majesty". I liked wearing it... just wish people would accept differences in that country.

 

[danofarlington]

I'm fairly new to wearing fedoras.So far I have four hats in black,brown,grey,and navy.I'm going to be buying another one.I'll probably get a 1 7/8 or 2 inch brim with a center crease.I've been considering getting a green one.I don't mean sage or olive green.I'm thinking perhaps a Biltmore lush green.Or a Beaver Brand bottle green.However,I'm wondering if there is a stereotype associated with a green fedora.Might it look like something that is only appropriate to wear on St.Patrick's Day? Might it be associated with the Swiss Alps?Will people mistakenly think it's a Tyrolean hat or Bavarian hat?Could it be considered by the general public to be a very unusual or even strange looking hat?Or is a green fedora a normal looking everyday hat? I would be very interested in hearing some thoughts and opinions on a green fedora.

I would think that's the first instinct of the viewing public, is to associate it with something commonplace as you have above. If it doesn't closely resemble any of those, you'll just be the Man in the Green Hat and blaze your own trail. I do not think that green hats are common out there except for wool outback hats, of which there are many. But, who cares what they think. If you want to wear it, do it, and let the chips fall where they may. Otherwise one gives in to timidity, and what's the payoff to that?

 

[metropd]

Flat cap=very poor, peasantry, blue collar worker,
trilby=hipster
bowler=lower middle class
Fedora=regular businessman, attorney, plainclothes policeman, playboy,
Homburg=Upper-middle class, CEO, politician, Banker
Top Hat= Aristocracy, Very Rich Industrialists, Flaneur, Dandy, Debonair Gentleman

 

[Nick D]

Got stopped several times in London when I wore my bowler... People also kept calling me "your majesty". I liked wearing it... just wish people would accept differences in that country.

I find people generally more accepting here. But I'm not in London much. Some time I'm in London maybe I'll wear my bowler and see what the reactions are, every other time it's been my fedora.

Metropod, I'm curious about bowler=lower middle class. I've always seen it associated with upper crust bankers, and even the other assocation with servants (e.g. Jeeves) has higher class connotations.

 

[achi11es]

Hello folks, I'm new here and this is my first post. I'm a Londoner and I usually wear fedoras or trilbys (have many of both, but my winter weights are being stored at the moment). I do also have a vintage Lock bowler and a vintage Christys silk topper - both are my size, but need to be reconformed as I have a very round oval head. Once the bowler is done, I wouldn't hesitate wearing it with the appropiate attire.

 

[scottyrocks]

On the rare occasion I see a newsboy cap, meaning a 6-panel job, its almost invariably on a guy whose profession is something in the construction business. And then its almost always a herringbone pattern.

I dont see a lot of fedoras in person. Nor any other style of hat other than a flatcap or cloth stingy. Everyone wears ball caps of some variety or another.

Stereotypically, though, ballcaps mean the everyday guy, at least in this point in time. 6-panels mean blue collar (although I have one and am not blue collar). As far as other styles, it depends how the wearer carries it off. If it looks like its part of the wearer without him/her trying, I think nothing of it. Otherwise it looks costumey/ridiculous. Unfortunately, thats all to often the case.

 

[Chasseur]

When I lived in Wales for two years there was this very dapper gent who worked at the Welsh library who was looked just like Michael York back in the 1970s. He went to work every day with a bowler, a nice umbrella, and a tweed sportcoat. That was the only person I saw wear a bowler there.

 

[150719541]

Any kind hats ¡¡¡¡

All people can use any hat kind, This doesn´t show something about high standing or job, I like whole hats and can use any. lol lol lol lol lol

 

[Shangas]

I went to visit my cousin and cousin-in-law yesterday afternoon (cuz-in-law's a barber, so the family goes there for cheap haircuts and a bit of a chitchat)...

...My cuz-in-law said I looked like a private eye (I was wearing my grey trilby).

 

[danofarlington]

When I lived in Wales for two years there was this very dapper gent who worked at the Welsh library who was looked just like Michael York back in the 1970s. He went to work every day with a bowler, a nice umbrella, and a tweed sportcoat. That was the only person I saw wear a bowler there.

Very interesting. I wonder what is the "razzing quotient" about hat wearing in the U.K.? I read above that there is some of it. My only brief experience is wearing a nice gray Borsalino into Piccadilly Circus during an airport layover, no comments, no funny looks; sort of like reception here in Washington. I am interested to know because I believe I know how the razzing quotient is here in the U.S. (I am not seeing much of it), but not elsewhere. The razzing quotient would be a measure of how close each place is to accepting that fedoras are now a legitimate alternate style, rather than highly eccentric or affected, which is how I would have imagined their reception fifteen and twenty years ago here, before I started wearing them.

 

[scottyrocks]

I dont know that you can break it down by country. I'd say that smaller locales are necessary.

 

[Charlie74]

I live in Texas an sometimes sport a cowboy hat. Never gets remarks because they are fairly common. The hat that gets the most comments is the beret that a friend in the Netherlands gave me

 

[danofarlington]

I dont know that you can break it down by country. I'd say that smaller locales are necessary.

Probably true. Whatever the razzing quotient, I've gotta believe that both men and women are looking for something else on the menu besides baseball caps. To bring my comment around to the point of the thread, I think it is also very interesting to know about the origins of particular hat styles, and whether they pertained to upper versus lower classes, urban versus rural, and so on. But decades removed from heavy hat use as we are now, the styles are untethered from their roots, and it can all be mixed up. People who wear vintage hats are apt to select any style. Because it's all kind of fun, I like to see it all. I think a lot of styles will be thrown against the wall and you can see what sticks. But to me, it is the expansion of the menu of acceptable styles that ought to cheer everyone up. Even today's razzers will be tomorrow's followers.

 

[scottyrocks]

Even today's razzers will be tomorrow's followers.

True dat. Razzers are of low self-esteem. Tend to be followers.

 

[StetsonHomburg]

Pink Cowboy hat = gay cowboy. Watch who you say that to. Wrangler has a "are you tough enough to wear pink" Breast cancer campaign. Most guy I know that participat ARE, and you do not want to mess with them.
http://www.wranglerwestern.com/ww_08pr_tetwp.php
http://www.toughenoughtowearpink.com/
One even got a custom pink cowboy hat made up, that turned into his daily wear hat. A Rig guy who lost his mother to the disease.
Johnny

A friend of mine was wearing one, a year ago (I thought he was just wearing pink because he wanted to) and I just poked some fun at him; WILL NOT MAKE THAT MISTAKE AGAIN lol