Most inconvenient places to be a hat wearer

[Bingles]

Thankfully I've never had a problem wearing a hat in a car - and I'm 6ft tall. Anything "formal" (not as formal as black tie mind you.. not that I ever have occasion to go to a black tie event) but along the lines of a wedding. There's no hat or coat checks any more... and I'll be darned if I'm going to leave an expensive hat unattended. So... I simply keep the hat on my head if there isn't a coat rack with a hat shelf on it within eyesight. I know it's not technically appropriate for a gent to wear a hat indoors, but hey.. the hat is usually more suited to the dignity of the occasion than the entire outfit of the guy sitting next to me.

 

[Shangas]

Theaters/cinemas, airplanes, restaurants SOMETIMES.

 

[-30-]

"and I'll be darned if I'm going to leave an expensive hat unattended. So... I simply keep the hat on my head if there isn't a coat rack with a hat shelf on it within eyesight. I know it's not technically appropriate for a gent to wear a hat indoors, but hey.. "
QUOTE: Bingles.

So what you are basically saying is - If they accommodate me, I accommodate them and vice versa.

+ 1.


Regards,
-30-

 

[Dronak]

I generally agree with the comments made so far. I don't have real problems in my car, but have bumped my new wider brimmed hat a few times; I've got to get used to its width since my others are all stingy brims. I've only flown with a hat once, which I just wore on flights, and it wasn't too bad. For places I need to sit, like a theater or something, I can usually put the hat on my knee or maybe a seat next to me. I guess the most trouble I've had so far is in restaurants when my wife and I get a small table for two and not a booth or larger table (e.g., for four people). The larger tables usually offer some space to set down my hat, but there usually isn't space at the smaller tables, which can be a bit troublesome.

 

[Brian Niebuhr]

How about caves? Yes I even wear a hat while crawling through caves! And yes I sometimes crawl through caves. Ha. A beater obviously. I like to wear one of my "adventure/do anything" dirty old stetsons and eventually an Akubra if one ever becomes "worn out". Actually a hat is kinda nice in a cave. It lets you know where the top of the cave is before your head hits it. It also keeps the sun off you while hiking the trails between caves. But still, the hat does get in the way in a small cave.

 

[Auld Edwardian]

Many modern cars can be a real bother (this is not a problem when I take the 65 Lincoln out for a spin.) Restaurants make me wary owing to one is reluctant to leave a good hat unattended owing to the fact that it may leave before you do!

 

[Terry "The Hat"]

I don't have a problem with wearing any of my hats in my Chevy Impala and didn't in my late great Caddy Deville either. Most all of my hats are high crown but I'm careful to duck when getting in. Some cars with the higher back seats or headrests can be a pain in the neck (literally) but in that case I just flip off the lid and sit it on the passenger seat.

 

[Auld Edwardian]

I don't have a problem with wearing any of my hats in my Chevy Impala and didn't in my late great Caddy Deville either. Most all of my hats are high crown but I'm careful to duck when getting in. Some cars with the higher back seats or headrests can be a pain in the neck (literally) but in that case I just flip off the lid and sit it on the passenger seat.

The nice thing about many older cars (like my 65 Lincoln) also is that if you wish to place your hat on the seat, there is plenty of real estate to do so including expansive front and rear dashboards.

 

[Brian Niebuhr]

When I was car shopping a while back I walked away from a small SUV that I had my heart set on. The windshield was swept back too far making entering and exiting difficult with a hat on. Went with a Saturn Vue. Great for hats. I sometimes have to drive a Camry and an HHR. What a pain! Brim is always catching on the headrest. Drives me crazy!

 

[Dan Allen]

anticipating a fast approaching second childhood I went and test drove a Mazda Miata the other day. I wore a slightly lower crown Dobbs just fine though you can forget an Open Road. Of course in the spring when the top comes down non of them would be a problem for very long!

 

[Auld Edwardian]

anticipating a fast approaching second childhood I went and test drove a Mazda Miata the other day. I wore a slightly lower crown Dobbs just fine though you can forget an Open Road. Of course in the spring when the top comes down non of them would be a problem for very long!

Quite true about about not having any trouble with a cabriolet, at least when one is in the front seat. And the windshield is so large on my 65 Lincoln that I can even wear a straw boater without any problem, with the top down.

 

[CaramelSmoothie]

Don't put your hats on movie theatre seats, those things are gross. At the theatre, just put the hat in your lap or just leave the hat in the car or carry a hatbox and put it in there when going to dinner.

 

[Dan Allen]

I get a kick out of watching the hat channel and all the couples wearing their fine hats in convertibles with nar a ripple in the brims.
I misspent my youth in a Triumph TR3 and had a hard time holding my hair on.

 

[Zemke Fan]

Movie theaters are not a bother for me, as I just put it in my lap, or let my girl hold it in her lap (she likes to 'pet' the hat, because it's fluffy.

So THAT'S what you youngsters are calling "it" these days. Back in the Golden Era, we used to call it butterin' the popcorn.

 

[splintercellsz]

 

[hatsRme]

So THAT'S what you youngsters are calling "it" these days. Back in the Golden Era, we used to call it butterin' the popcorn.

:eusa_clap

 

[deyoungaza]

I drive a Citroën Jumpy mini van. It has so much head room that I could easily wear a top hat while driving. And, amazingly, the head rest seems to clear the 83 mm Akubra Cattleman, the widest of my hats. Here in Israel it is considered completely acceptable to keep one's hat on at all times, including in restaurants, at events, in places of worship and even on crowded buses.

Israel is pretty much a hat-wearers' paradise.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

I have problems in any car smaller than a full-size. I simply have to take the hat off and set it in my lap, or it's game over. My own cars are usually alright, just getting in and out, sometimes I smack my hat on the top of the door frame. My Caddy is nice, because I can adjust the seat up and down to accommodate a hat better.

Church is an issue, too. Obviously, one wants to take his hat off at church, and even though my church was built in 1886, there is no place to put a hat or a coat.

Anywhere windy is also an issue, for obvious reasons.

Finally, parties. I was at a party on Saturday, and as usual, everyone and their brother wanted to wear my hat.

 

[Edward]

Ben Stephens mentioned this one years ago and I tend to agree with him: formal dinners and events. Its February so we are in the middle of fund raising and award dinner season here so I experience this first hand each year. This is of course ironic because one would first think that a nice black or white tie dinner would be a perfect place to sport your hat (when else would you break out the topper or a nice homburg?) but now a days this means a couple of things: (1) most likely no hat or coat check; (2) a long period where you have to stand and eat and drink and still have to have a free hand for socializing and hand shaking; etc. In practice its quite difficult to take a hat to these events and end up holding it all evening while juggling a champagne flute, a plate of hors d'oeuvres while shaking hands and exchanges cards... So its easier to leave the hat at home.

Good point. I find that a bit of a problem at times. There are some venues at which I wear black or even white tie which I know do not provide a cloakroom, and as I regard a hat as outerwear rather than costume, I don't care to wear it indoors. On such occasions my choice is to go with a black beret (hatless is not an option). Not ideal, but it does have a certain 30s-Hollywood rakishness that appeals to me, and it can be stuffed into a coat pocket as necessary.

That's what my nigh-indestructible Akubra Capricorn is for! I've taken it on several of those direct flights from Neward to Delhi and they work well. Its not the most attractive or stylish hat but they are great for warm weather travel in monsoon weather!

I've never had a problem on planes, with a little care. I have taken to flying to China in the Summer with two Capricorns (tan and grey) - great hats for that. I've come to much prefer polystraw over the "real thing" for reasons of durability, especially in rain. I'll be taking them both with me to India this weekend.

Church is an issue, too. Obviously, one wants to take his hat off at church, and even though my church was built in 1886, there is no place to put a hat or a coat.

Fortunately mine has hooks on the pews.

Anywhere windy is also an issue, for obvious reasons.

That's the big one. I ave a couple of hats with wind trolleys, but in Winter I find myself reaching for caps more. Also with shearling flying jackets: those high collars push a brimmed hat off quickly.

Finally, parties. I was at a party on Saturday, and as usual, everyone and their brother wanted to wear my hat.

The absolute biggst pain in the bum in these situations are drunk girls from the mainstream who think any fedora is a £5 party trilby from Claire's Accessories, and can be treated as such.

 

[Grizzly Adams]

Finally, parties. I was at a party on Saturday, and as usual, everyone and their brother wanted to wear my hat.

Yeah, first the hat and then the lampshades!