All You Need to Know About Hat Etiquette

[Gene]

Please forgive me if the question has been addressed, I tried searching the thread and the search failed... plus, it took a while to go through so I may have missed it...

Question about the following terms: saloon and club. We have 3 types of bars around here; modern night clubs, Irish pubs, and dives (some call them sports bars). Now, I try to stay away from the dives and night clubs (neither are really my "scene"), and since the last Martini bar disappeared a few years back, I only really end up in Irish pubs (although one of our Irish pubs downtown turns into a night club at 11pm every Friday and Saturday night). The terms saloon and club are rather generic, and based on the postings, have different rules associated with them. Would ettiquette dictate removal of the hat in pubs or would it be acceptable to keep the hat on?

I am guessing the hat etiquette with a pub would be to keep it on. There's enough photographic evidence of men in Ireland wearing their hats and caps in pubs for ages.

 

[m0nk]

I am guessing the hat etiquette with a pub would be to keep it on. There's enough photographic evidence of men in Ireland wearing their hats and caps in pubs for ages.

Thanks, makes sense. I suppose that given more thought, too, once people get some alcohol into the system, they really don't care about who is wearing a hat and when.

 

[hatophile]

I suppose "Gentleman of distinction" also leaves room for discretion?

 

[m0nk]

I suppose "Gentleman of distinction" also leaves room for discretion?

Yeah, and on the flip side of that, considering most of the locals here wouldn't raise or tip their ratty old ball caps, it's become a bit of a forgotten "rule"... at least in Pennsylvania.

 

[Earl Needham]

Western and cowboy hats follow different rules:

"c. Indoors, a man always takes off his hat, except:

(1) in public buildings, such as railroad stations or post offices;

(2) in entrance halls and corridors of office buildings or hotels;

(3) in elevators of public or office buildings. (You have to use your judgment about this, though. In a department store elevator full of women you might take it off. Also, if a woman you know gets into an office building elevator, you would probably take it off, and you certainly would do so if you started talking to her.)"

I spent 20 years in the military, and it all boiled down to hats off while indoors (unless under arms) and hats on while outdoors. I'm not sure I can do anything else!

 

[scottyrocks]

A club and a saloon, or pub, or bar, might have different rules or 'acceptables.' Clubs often have big fellows at the door requesting you remove your hat. In saloons, bars and pubs, no one really cares.

 

[samtemporary]

I spent 20 years in the military, and it all boiled down to hats off while indoors (unless under arms) and hats on while outdoors. I'm not sure I can do anything else!

Here, here! As a former Marine, covers on outside, and off inside unless under arms or on duty/fire watch. Also, never wear your cover in the "chow hall" - even if you're eating a MRE outside in the rain.

 

[dr.velociraptor]

Semper Fi samtemporary, as a former Marine myself I stick with the cover off indoors and on outside except during the National Anthem or Pledge or Allegiance (if wearing a hat or cap). Anything more would be completely lost on the generations today anyway.

 

[Earl Needham]

Happy 236th you all! Here's my list of duty stations --

MCRD San Diego
NAS Memphis
MCAS Cherry Point
MCAS Futenma
Moody AFB
Kunsan AB
Cannon AFB

YOU figure it out!

 

[Earl Needham]

A club and a saloon, or pub, or bar, might have different rules or 'acceptables.' Clubs often have big fellows at the door requesting you remove your hat. In saloons, bars and pubs, no one really cares.

Actually, many bars I have been in have a sign that says,"He who enters covered here, buys the bar a round of cheer"!

 

[scottyrocks]

Actually, many bars I have been in have a sign that says,"He who enters covered here, buys the bar a round of cheer"!

Okay, I should have qualified that with an 'in my experience in my neck of the woods,' for both clubs and the saloon/pub/bar group.

 

[Earl Needham]

Well, I used to see those signs mainly at Navy and Marine Corps bases.

 

[scottyrocks]

And I, never having hung out at such places, have not seen them.

 

[Espee]

A joke told on the late 1940s radio series "Can You Top This?"-- (it goes something like this anyway):
A kid comes home from school and finds what appear to be broken chunks of statuary in the front room.
"Mom, what's all this mess?"
Mom comes out of the kitchen and says, "Instead of going to work today, your father went out drinking. After two or three bars, he went to a museum. At the museum gift shop, they sold him a statue of Ulysses S. Grant."
"So how come it's all broken up?"
"Once they got home, your father got in an argument with the General over not taking his hat off in the house!"

 

[Effingham]

Here, here! As a former Marine, covers on outside, and off inside unless under arms or on duty/fire watch. Also, never wear your cover in the "chow hall" - even if you're eating a MRE outside in the rain.

Embarrassing question.

What does it mean, exactly, to be "under arms" (and how is that different indoors from out)?

 

[Gene]

Embarrassing question.

What does it mean, exactly, to be "under arms" (and how is that different indoors from out)?

Under arms = having a weapon (think of guys standing guard). Or not having a weapon, just wearing a pistol belt (not sure if that is still the practice)

 

[dr.velociraptor]

Under arms = having a weapon (think of guys standing guard). Or not having a weapon, just wearing a pistol belt (not sure if that is still the practice)

You don't even need to have a weapon, any member of the guard is under arms. Once that belt goes on you're under arms and the cover stays on even if you're doing shore patrol or firewatch around a barracks sans firearm.

 

[Effingham]

Under arms = having a weapon (think of guys standing guard). Or not having a weapon, just wearing a pistol belt (not sure if that is still the practice)

Ah, thanks. I thought it might be something like that.

 

[HatsEnough]

Ah, thanks. I thought it might be something like that.

Yes, we don't want soldiers who are told to expect trouble any second to be messing with hats in hands instead of their weapons!

 

[scooter]

The pistol belt referred to early, is commonly called a "duty belt". Normally a green web material (although the color may have changed since I retired), fastened with a clasp in front. If you're wearing one, you are considered under arms and you leave your "cover" (in Marine Corps terminology) on and you salute indoors when it is considered appropriate.