Men's Hats: A Discussion Thread, Questions, Opinions, Suggestions...

[Gus]

I tried on a beret and I really liked it. It felt very comfortable and I was rather surprised how good it seemed to look. Maybe it was the tweed jacket or my grizzly, gray stubble? (or the champagne at lunch?) If Fall was coming and not Spring, I would have been temped to purchased it to keep my shiny dome warm. Plus you can roll it up and place it in the pocket of your jacket.

But, I'm not a Green Beret and I'm not a French artist. I see some quite senior gents in North Beach hanging out at cafes who seem to make it work. But they have 15 years on me and I don't speak Italian or heard goats.

Do you ever see anyone, not in military uniform, wear one and pull it off?

 

[lefty]

Nothing personal, I'm just prickly.

If you want to wear a hat, wear a hat. World's will not collide.

And there are a few out there that are flattering on you.

lefty

 

[bourbonbasted]

No worries. Just the internet.

I have doubt there's a hat out there that would look great on me, I just don't see it aligning with my tastes or proclivities. To each their own.

Back to regularly scheduled programming.

 

[Gus]

 

[Gus]

 

[Gus]

 

[JLibourel]



Serious question: I've always held that the only men who should wear formal hats today are those that were alive when their style and decorum were prevalent. Otherwise I feel like everyone ends up looking like they are either wearing a costume or are very affected.

I think there is a great deal of charm in an older man wearing a hat, but I feel that comes from years of knowing a society that wore hats at all times. They know how the hat should look, what looks compliment the accessory, etc. Younger guys almost always look like they found their grandfather's hat in an attic and found it a novelty.

I may be wrong here, but I've never seen a convincing argument to the contrary. Even guys like tibor, that clearly embrace the look fully, still don't sell me on the idea that it can be done well. It marks someone as eccentric rather than stylish or dashing, which goes directly against the decorum that it stands for.

In my part of the country (SoCal) hats routinely worn with business attire were pretty much an "old guy" thing as far back as the '50s. If you leave aside those of us who were little boys or mere striplings during the era when hats were routine business attire, that's going to rule out just about every man younger than 80 or so.

Except when worn as a practical necessity, e.g., you are going to be out in the sun much of the day, as at a graduation ceremony, a hat pretty well transforms business attire into retro costuming.

I went through a hat phase some years back, but it passed.

 

[bourbonbasted]



In my part of the country (SoCal) hats routinely worn with business attire were pretty much an "old guy" thing as far back as the '50s. If you leave aside those of us who were little boys or mere striplings during the era when hats were routine business attire, that's going to rule out just about every man younger than 80 or so.

Except when worn as a practical necessity, e.g., you are going to be out in the sun much of the day, as at a graduation ceremony, a hat pretty well transforms business attire into retro costuming.

I went through a hat phase some years back, but it passed.

This is true. I suppose I should have rephrased to say those that grew up with or directly knew men (fathers, grandfathers, etc) who routinely wore them. At any rate someone who knows of when they were widespread and culturally ubiquitous. And not someone who just watches a lot of Mad Men.

 

[Ianiceman]

Great thread PSG and some lively discussion. I have a throw away panama that I wear to the beach, no great loss if it blows away by its practical in saving the top of my forehead from sunburn. Always looking for more occasions when a hat will be appropriate.

 

[AdamWill]

bourbonbasted: I guess I tend towards the costume-y side of things; my attitude is pretty much 'I like hats, so I'm gonna wear hats, and screw you'. I think a lot of the time it comes down to where you live, as well. I live in Vancouver, and moved here from England. You'd think I'd feel more sensible wearing a hat in England, but funnily enough, just the opposite. England is as prickly about clothing etiquette as it's ever been, it's just that the etiquette has changed, and now if you wear a hat, you're being pretty weird and people are going to laugh at you (whereas 50 years if you *weren't* wearing a hat, you'd be in trouble). Vancouver's very much an 'anything goes' town, but that actually cuts both ways: you can overdress or go with a very old-fashioned look, and that's fine, because hey, it's just your style, right?

I just went out downtown wearing blue linen pants, a dark blue blazer, tie, super old-school sunglasses and a panama; no-one else was dressed quite like that, but I don't get that 'people are looking at me weird' feeling I might get trying the same thing in, say, Manchester. The only comments I ever get here on what I wear - including hats - are positive. Sometimes it's the 'wow, that looks really Mad Men' or whatever kind of positive, but still positive.

 

[Ianiceman]



This is true. I suppose I should have rephrased to say those that grew up with or directly knew men (fathers, grandfathers, etc) who routinely wore them. At any rate someone who knows of when they were widespread and culturally ubiquitous. And not someone who just watches a lot of Mad Men.

There aren't that many hats in Mad Men. Draper's pinched fedora trilby hybrid looks all wrong on him, and since we are led to believe that hats went out of style with JFK I was surprised to see him still wearing one in the new series which is up to about 1969 now I think.

 

[AdamWill]

Do you put your hat under your seat on the floor in this situation?

In a pinch, yeah, but I try and put something under it - plastic bag, newspaper, whatever. I find that less awkward than trying to balance it on my knee. Usually, though, there's a spare chair or window ledge or _something_ you can use.

 

[Ed Wiser]

Hats are an accessory to your wardrobe like jackets , ties, pocket squares and all the other items. That make up a look. Whether you THINK
you don't you could wear a hat is up to each person. What some else THINKS can hold you back in developing your own special look.
Which I think most here try to develop.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2

 

[Calder]

Rule #1 - Hats are outdoor wear. That means you need to co-ordinate them with your (over)coat (especially important for a winter hat).
Rule #2 - Hats are outdoor wear. That means you take them off indoors. At the very latest, remove it with your overcoat. Preferably, remove it as you come through the door. Even talking to someone at a reception desk while wearing a hat just looks & feels wrong.
Rule #3 - Hats are outdoor wear. Anywhere that isn't air conditioned is outdoors. London Underground Train? Outdoors. London to Leeds mainline train? Indoors. Act appropriately.
Rule #4 - Remove your hat when speaking to a Lady.



Guideline #5 - Your hat does not need to exhibit symmetry (in angle, facing, crease, brim, hatband/puggaree or even colour). Like most ties, and like the pocket square, a certain level of style relies upon asymmetry.

bourbonbasted: I guess I tend towards the costume-y side of things; my attitude is pretty much 'I like hats, so I'm gonna wear hats, and screw you'. I think a lot of the time it comes down to where you live, as well. I live in Vancouver, and moved here from England. You'd think I'd feel more sensible wearing a hat in England, but funnily enough, just the opposite. England is as prickly about clothing etiquette as it's ever been, it's just that the etiquette has changed, and now if you wear a hat, you're being pretty weird and people are going to laugh at you (whereas 50 years if you *weren't* wearing a hat, you'd be in trouble)..

How long have you been gone? Because hats seem to have made a definite comeback. This is probably not unconnected to the last three winters having been, in various ways, absolutely foul. As an example of how foul, it's April and it's still bloody snowing.

 

[AdamWill]

calder: 9 years, but I go back once a year or so. It may differ between regions, I suppose, but I still don't recall seeing anyone in Manchester wearing a hat (other than a baseball cap) last time I was there.