How do folks react to your hat wearing?

[GHT]

Talking to a group of friends, who, like me, enjoy the fashions, music, and cars of the era, the general consensus among them about the decline of hat wearing was that the hair fashions of the 1960's and 70's meant that men cared more about their hair and how it looked. In the golden age of hats, men typically had trimmed hair in order to ensure that extraneous strands of hair over their forehead would not stick out from underneath their hat. As men started to care more for how their hair looked, the less reason there was to wear a hat that might crush or mess up their 'do.

It is interesting to note that back when men wore hats, it was considered subversive to not wear one. Now, it's the people that wear hats that give the impression that they're going against the grain:

But today I was told that I gave an impression of authority: "You always seem to have an air of authority," opined the young lady at the garage where I fuel up our cars. I just smiled, 30 years a general manager, she had my number in one.

 

[TheOldFashioned]

Most of the time it's indifference (at least verbally), but when a hat does elicit feedback it's more often positive than negative. Just today while out shopping for groceries I had a guy tell me "nice hat." We had probably crossed paths three or four times already throughout the store, but we both had stopped in the bakery section when he approached and made the comment. I thanked him and was all ready to tell him a bit more about it, but his wife was walking away and asking about bagels or muffins or something.

On the flip side, I've had a comedian call me out during his set while wearing the same hat and a leather jacket. So of course, I was the guy "dressed like Indiana Jones." To be fair, he's an old college buddy of mine and has poked fun at me during his set before, so no harm no foul. Here's the hat (and jacket) in question, a Brodt's homburg:

I've always considered myself someone who goes against the grain, so I guess wearing hats just is another manifestation of this. If I get a compliment, great, but I don't wear hats to go fishing for compliments. And if I receive criticism, oh well, I'm not going to let it ruin my day. I'm reminded of the following:

“One should as a rule respect public opinion in so far as is necessary to avoid starvation and to keep out of prison, but anything that goes beyond this is voluntary submission to an unnecessary tyranny, and is likely to interfere with happiness in all kinds of ways.” ~ Bertrand Russell​

 

[Dm101]

The reaction here to the garbage written in Esquire magazine is reassuring, but that kind of journalism does hit home. Yesterday I wore one of the lovely Aloha shirts that my wife Tina makes me. A fellow classic car owner joked about how flamboyant the shirt was by putting his sunglasses on. "I love your shirts," he admitted. "There's plenty of websites where you can buy them." I told him. His reply made me think of those journalists. He said: "I wouldn't have the balls to wear a shirt like that." And that's how, many a man, feels about hats. One of my friends tried on one of my straws, he loved it. He then said that his doctor suggested a hat for sun protection. His skin is very fair and susceptible to sunlight, but he too doesn't have the balls to wear one. It comes to something when people think that they have to dress to please others.

They're sheep....we're wolves.
They're born to follow...we lead.
Well, maybe not all of us are wolves, per se...but we sure as hell ain't sheep.

 

[M Hatman]

No pictures, but I always wear a coat and tie for Easter Dinner as well as a hat of course....Yesterday was my tawny early 50's Adam premier homburg. Got the usual looks, and a fairly usual comment (this time from a young woman) about looking "dapper".........
At least this time (and this has happened more than a few times), I did not hear her berate her husband just after, saying how THEY should dress up more often........
M

 

[scottyrocks]

They're sheep....we're wolves.
They're born to follow...we lead.
Well, maybe not all of us are wolves, per se...but we sure as hell ain't sheep.

I'm more of a groundhog. I come out once a year to see my shadow.

 

[Tukwila]

They're sheep....we're wolves.
They're born to follow...we lead.
Well, maybe not all of us are wolves, per se...but we sure as hell ain't sheep.

Sheep dogs! Woof! Woof!

 

[Frunobulax]

I'm more of a groundhog. I come out once a year to see my shadow.

Six more weeks of felt hat wearing?

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[scottyrocks]

Six more weeks of felt hat wearing?

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At least.

 

[GHT]

At least.

Six weeks? Not in the temperatures that we are enjoying. This is a reminisce from 18 months ago when I had a hip replacement. My surgeon is a really sharp dresser, his secretary commented that my appearance made a change, she didn't say from what. After the operation I had three appointments, at various intervals, as my hip recovered. On my final appointment I saw the surgeon's hat on his coat/hat stand. on the way out I said to his secretary: "I didn't know that Mr Farmer wore hat, I'm impressed." She said, "I told you that you made a change." I smiled still trying to work out if that was a compliment.

 

[The Jackal]

I just got my first "like that hat" from a stranger. I was waking around Walmart wearing my Panama.

I don't know if it was genuine or in jest, but he saw fit to say something about it, so at the very least it made an impression.

Edit.....

Aaaaand I didn't make it out of the store before I got another compliment on it while waiting at the checkout.

 

[Rmccamey]

I got two complements yesterday myself with my Gannon.

 

[Bamaboots]

Went into my favorite watering hole yesterday wearing my Dorer bar 50. A young woman sitting at the bar looked over and said, "I really like you hat, you wear it well and you look good in it." I thanked her for the compliment and she replied, "I'm not hitting on you but I really like that hat."

 

[Frunobulax]

Went into my favorite watering hole yesterday wearing my Dorer bar 50. A young woman sitting at the bar looked over and said, "I really like you hat, you wear it well and you look good in it." I thanked her for the compliment and she replied, "I'm not hitting on you but I really like that hat."

Sorry Greg, maybe next time!

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[Bamaboots]

Sorry Greg, maybe next time!

Yeah, I thought she let me down a little easier than that.

 

[GHT]

Went into my favorite watering hole yesterday wearing my Dorer bar 50. A young woman sitting at the bar looked over and said, "I really like you hat, you wear it well and you look good in it." I thanked her for the compliment and she replied, "I'm not hitting on you but I really like that hat."

The fact that she was at pains to ensure that her remarks were taken as a compliment, and just that, made me smile.

A while back, I was getting out of the car when a lady, a couple of spaces away in the car park, was about to get into her's. She wore a modern, short trench coat, styled for a lady. She looked good, such a change from the dressed down appearance that's prevalent today. She smiled and I guessed that she saw my more traditional trench coat but she told me that the hat graced the coat perfectly, and with that she reached into her car and came out with a stylish floppy hat, which she placed on her head. She then got into her car, smiled again, and drove off.
At the time I didn't have a dashcam, what a shame.

 

[AbbaDatDeHat]

Yeah, I thought she let me down a little easier than that.

Yeah...and how many drinks did you buy her?
B

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Yeah...and how many drinks did you buy her?
B

And I'll bet she liked champagne, no less.

 

[Bamaboots]

Yeah...and how many drinks did you buy her?

Not enough.

And I'll bet she liked champagne, no less.

Actually shots of tequila and cheap beer.

 

[M Hatman]

Yeah...and how many drinks did you buy her?
B

And I'll bet she liked champagne, no less.

Not enough.
Actually shots of tequila and cheap beer.

OMG......l am Laughing so hard!!
WOW....l am I reliving the same tale.........
YEP, a compliment like that IS worth the free drink!

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Actually shots of tequila and cheap beer.

Must not have been a clip joint & she wasn't working for the house then.