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How do folks react to your hat wearing?

GHT

I'll Lock Up
Messages
9,796
Location
New Forest
We met Sabrina recently. There was, in fifties Britain, a model of alluring charms who called herself Sabrina. The owner of Sabrina, was quite taken with my car and after a pleasant exchange of niceties I asked if his car had a name. "Sabrina," he answered, "Because she's got a cracking pair of hooters," I suggested, then added: "My car is called Jessica, for a similar smutty reason." He laughed and asked me which car there, did I like? I said that the MG PA Airline was quite striking, then I turned the question around and asked him the same. He just looked at me with a silly grin. "Are you still thinking about our car's smutty names? I asked. "No," he said, "I was just thinking that the best car here is your shirt." To that I pointed to my hat, "Amazing!" He said, "how do I go about getting such a fine hat and shirt?" "You marry someone like my missus," I said. "Is she available," he enquired, smiling. "Probably not," I told him, "she's already explained that I have had over fifty years of training, and that she couldn't face that all over again." He laughed and said that his missus has made it very clear that MG doesn't stand for: My Girlfriend. He cracked me up, because that acronym has been mentioned in our household too.

The red car is the PA Airline and the green car is Sabrina.

MG shirt, hat & insignia 003.JPG MG shirt, hat & insignia 004 - Copy - Copy (2).JPG MG shirt, hat & insignia 005.JPG MG shirt, hat & insignia 006.JPG MG WA Tickford.jpg MG_PA_Airline_Coupe_rear.jpg
 

GHT

I'll Lock Up
Messages
9,796
Location
New Forest
A tweaker gal coming out of a sketchy Goodwill in Little Rock, Arkansas told me "don't take any bum steers". I was wearing a Texas Hatters Hi-Roller.
How did I miss this? Cracked me up.

Throughout October I like to wear my Halloween shirt, it's another one made by my talented missus. During the week I 'borrowed' Tina's car, just being lazy, mine was in the garage her's was on the drive. No sooner was I out on the road than the red warning light for low fuel level came on. She's always doing that, her car is a diesel engine and she hates the smell of the fuel when she pumps it at the filling station.

Round at the garage I put a full tank of diesel in it, at the till the young fellow looked up at me and smiled: "Nice hat," he remarked, looking straight at the shirt, I pulled the shirt tails down to emphasise the witchy pattern. "Thank you," I replied. He pointed towards my shirt and was about to say something when I pre-empted him. I just knew he was going to say something about my hat not being pointed, so I said, "I get the point." He cracked up, "love that shirt," he admitted, and then added, "that hat is pretty cool too."

aloha 165.JPG
 

GHT

I'll Lock Up
Messages
9,796
Location
New Forest
The store manager of the supermarket that I use told me that I had been mistaken for him. He explained that a customer thought it was wonderful that the manager was always so impeccably dressed. He added that when the lady was asked to describe which manager she meant she said: "That nice gentleman wearing a hat and bow tie."

"How long have you been waiting to tell me that?" I asked, "She's not the only one." he replied, even the staff refer to you as smartly dressed. "Even when I wear my colourful shirts?" I asked, "Oh, we all love them," he said with a smile.

The store manager and I are of similar working backgrounds. In the past I ran the distribution centre that supplied the supermarkets, we are both aware of the difficulties of the supply chain, but we always have time for a word, but he stroked my ego by passing on the lady's compliment. Nice gentleman, me. I won't tell my missus, she's bound to have a counter quip.
hats 038.JPG
 

GHT

I'll Lock Up
Messages
9,796
Location
New Forest
Today I was told that I looked like George Melly. What an honour, George was one of our most popular, bon viveur, characters. He was actually named Alan, but took George as a stage name.
Alan George Heywood Melly (17 August 1926 – 5 July 2007) was an English jazz and blues singer, critic, writer and lecturer. He was a film and television critic for The Observer newspaper and lectured on art history, with an emphasis on surrealism.
I'm not sure if George is internationally known, here's his wikipedia entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Melly
george-melly.jpg george-melly2.jpg
George always wore his trademark fedora, and that's probably why the other diners at the restaurant called me George. One of the party of guests actually came to our table and said that when I walked in with Tina, I had absolutely no sense of self conscious, then, smiling, she said: "You remind me of George Melly." "I take the doppelgänger and the self conscious as compliments," I answered.

So many times on The Lounge I have seen the phrase: "Wear the hat, don't let it wear you." Following the lady's self conscious remark, I now understand exactly what's meant by, wear the hat. So Loungers, am I George's double? Yeah right, but I did enjoy the moment and we had a lovely Sunday lunch, good company and when the party left they all waved and called: "Goodbye George."
black fedora green blazer MG SA 004.JPG
 

Rmccamey

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,874
Location
Central Texas
So, this weekend I was at Total Wine, a major beverage chain here in north Texas (I'm not sure of their market reach across the U.S.), and a very nice female sales associate in her 50's (my guess) approached me and complimented my hat (a short brimmed Stratoliner) and said how hats make the man. Needless to say, I was pleased with her comment. She told me about HatCO in Garland and also about another nearby store that sells vintage goods, including hats. We discussed hat wearing, or the lack thereof, and she told me she had three vintage hats herself and wore them when she could. I passed along information to her about Gannon and some of the other custom makers. She even told me about which of Dianna Ross' children hat gotten her hats (wow, who knew!). Overall, a very pleasant conversation and I felt a little better when I walked out of the store, head held high!

Strat02.jpg Strat05.jpg Strat11.jpg
 
Messages
12,976
Location
Germany
Some hours ago, I went to another town by rail. When we arrived, I went to the entrance and held on the right side and a group of vital middle-aged girls waited right behind me around the step. The tried to talk in a whisper, but of course I heard all. :D

One lady to another: "There he is."
Another lady astonished to another: "So british."

When we stepped out, they of course joked further and I still could hear it.

One lady said things like: "Look, what pretty men are here!"
Another lady joked about themselves: "And a lot of pretty broads."

So horny... ;)

I wore:
-grey suede Chelsea boots
-hazelnut cord trousers
-darkblue stone type III jacket
-white turtleneck pullover
-stonegrey houndstooth woolblend flatcap.
 
Last edited:

GHT

I'll Lock Up
Messages
9,796
Location
New Forest
Trenchfriend's tale prompted a reminisce. We had some glorious sunshine throughout the summer this year, the type of heat where folks were wishing it to be a little cooler.

At the supermarket that I use I'm reliably informed by one of the store's managers, that I'm known as, the old fellow that wears a hat. I take that as a compliment, although I wouldn't mind guessing that old fellow is more, old fart.

Going round doing my shopping, I passed a young man stocking the shelves, he was probably new, there was a lady employee with him pointing things out, my guess would be that she's showing him how to rotate stock to avoid a sell by product being overlooked.

"You always wear your hat," he said, adding, "even on a day as hot as this." His companion looked cross, glaring at him. I'm not surprised, you don't make casual remarks about the customer, and never to their face. I said: "I would explain, but it would go right over your head." The lady gave one of those spontaneous giggles, the young fellow looked perplexed. As I walked on I could just hear him say: "What's the joke, what did I say?" The lady turned and smirked at me. I would love to have been the fly on the wall in their staffroom when going right over your head was explained.
Aloha 161.JPG
 
I am constantly having comments about my hats (and my dress in general) from teen girls to mature women. Guys will often have "that Look" but you can tell feel it is not cool to ask or say anything. Black women will ALWAYS comment on my hats and dress, with Black men often saying something 50% of the time....

However I DID have a cool hat comment (I was wearing a modern Stetson Straw Fedora) from the McDonalds drive through guy....AND the guy at the Car Parts Place kept commenting on my "cool hat:" (Eddie Bauer fur felt short brim OR Clone) .....THEN at a festival a couple of weeks ago... a young man walks up with his girlfriend and says "I hope this does not sound weird but I LOVE that hat, and well ...you dress awesome...IF I could dress like that I would....all the time..." (Tan Dobbs conversion to a Whippet Clone with tan ribbon and binding).

Then yesterday in Davenport IA a younger Black man says "LOVE that hat....THAT is a REAL hat!!" (was wearing a 80's Dobbs "Indy" which is a great proportioned hat with a 2 5/8 brim in Grey/Brown with 1 3/4 wide black ribbon). AND and older Black man says :"Wow, you dress sharp!!" then asked what I do, I said I was a dry cleaner, then he says "well, you do it right, If I dressed like you I would have THREE Women!!!". :eek::eek::eek::eek::p:p:p Now NO ONE has EVER said THAT before.......;)
M;)
 

scottyrocks

I'll Lock Up
Messages
9,178
Location
Isle of Langerhan, NY
Monday afternoon I was doing my weekly food shopping.

I was standing in an aisle, examining my list. I was wearing my Adventurebilt Henry, which I had just taken the turn out of and recreased in a fairly severe Raiders style, when I hear someone begin to whistle, quite accurately, the Raiders March.

I did not look up from what I was doing, and the whistling stopped. Then in about another few seconds it began again. It was all I could do not to bust out laughing. I made my way out of the aisle and smiled, not from the whistling itself, or even my ignoring it, but from the second rendition of it, as in, 'Hey! Don't you hear it?' :)
 

Short Balding Guy

I'll Lock Up
Messages
9,871
Location
Minnesota, USA
Yesterday I had to stop in to a big convenience store to pick up supplies for work. I was hatted in a 1930's Stetson Scoop. The clerk offered compliments and asked about the hat. I told him it was an older hat, 1930's, and showed him the interior and let him handle the hat. He handed it back and said it was a cool hat. He waved his hand in the air goodbye as I continued on my shopping saying "it was very special that I still had the hat I purchased all those years ago."

Duh! :confused:

Best, Eric -
 

scottyrocks

I'll Lock Up
Messages
9,178
Location
Isle of Langerhan, NY
Yesterday I had to stop in to a big convenience store to pick up supplies for work. I was hatted in a 1930's Stetson Scoop. The clerk offered compliments and asked about the hat. I told him it was an older hat, 1930's, and showed him the interior and let him handle the hat. He handed it back and said it was a cool hat. He waved his hand in the air goodbye as I continued on my shopping saying "it was very special that I still had the hat I purchased all those years ago."

Duh! :confused:

Best, Eric -

And you do look great for your age.
 

GHT

I'll Lock Up
Messages
9,796
Location
New Forest
Yesterday I had to stop in to a big convenience store to pick up supplies for work. I was hatted in a 1930's Stetson Scoop. The clerk offered compliments and asked about the hat. I told him it was an older hat, 1930's, and showed him the interior and let him handle the hat. He handed it back and said it was a cool hat. He waved his hand in the air goodbye as I continued on my shopping saying "it was very special that I still had the hat I purchased all those years ago."

Duh! :confused:

Best, Eric -
Eric, can you send me a bottle of those youth pills that you have been swallowing, please.
 

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