epic610
One of the Regulars
- Messages
- 299
- Location
- suburban philadelphia
new hat store opens in my hometown. i question the wisdom of opening a retail store in such a small town. in the past have bought my hats (Borsalino Allesandro, Christy Trilby, Stetson Open Road) at Worth and Worth in nyc. but it is getting cold and i feel some civic duty to give him some business.
he offers me a few to try on; then steps back and says, "that's it; this one really fits you. it's who you are". it is a grey Biltmore Homburg.
it is at this point that my life takes a turn ....for the better. people start referring to me as "Sir" and i have stopped having to wait in lines. when i am wearing the homburg have recently taken to double parking and notice that no one even takes a second notice.
a few explicit examples may help to understand this phenomena.
i was at a department store waiting at a register when a cute young sales woman takes my arm like i am her prom date and takes me to a private register in the back saying, "sir, you don't have to stand in line".
at the deli counter at the supermarket i take a number behind four housewife types. the man the counter motions me over and says to me discreetly, "sir, what can i get you?" i mentioned the four ladies ahead of me and he responded: "forget about them".
the best was one sleeting friday night when i got off the turnpike late and went to a local pizzeria to pick up something to eat. i was wearing black cashmere overcoat and homburg. as i walked to the back, the diners stopped talking and stared me. at the counter, the owner came out of the kitchen to personally attend to me. now, he never greets customers, preferring to stay in the kitchen with a pistol in his belt and watch italian soccer on RAI. he says, "what can i get you?".
this particular pizzeria is located in a strip mall adjacent to a very upscale neighborhood. in line ahead of me were at least a dozen physicians, corp. execs and other high income types. i mentioned the others in line, but the owner leaned into my whispering "what would you like?". i ordered a meatball sub thinking that was the order which would get me out the door quickest.
i go to NYC frequently on business and noticed when wearing the homburg that the crowds on the street parted like the red sea ahead of me. i have even begun jaywalking, which they are very strict about in the city which will arrest you and may you pay high fines. a guy i work with mentioned that when wearing the hat it is the responsibility of the traffic to stop for me. i recently jaywalked right in front of a policeman. when i glared at him from underneath the brim of the homburg, instead of arresting me he tipped his own hat to me.
now my question to this forum is this: what am i supposed to do in the spring and summer when it is too warm for the hat . . . or god forbid if i want to wear a fedora? or in other words, how to internalize the effect of the homburg?
i have this great fear about going back to being treated like everyone else.
he offers me a few to try on; then steps back and says, "that's it; this one really fits you. it's who you are". it is a grey Biltmore Homburg.
it is at this point that my life takes a turn ....for the better. people start referring to me as "Sir" and i have stopped having to wait in lines. when i am wearing the homburg have recently taken to double parking and notice that no one even takes a second notice.
a few explicit examples may help to understand this phenomena.
i was at a department store waiting at a register when a cute young sales woman takes my arm like i am her prom date and takes me to a private register in the back saying, "sir, you don't have to stand in line".
at the deli counter at the supermarket i take a number behind four housewife types. the man the counter motions me over and says to me discreetly, "sir, what can i get you?" i mentioned the four ladies ahead of me and he responded: "forget about them".
the best was one sleeting friday night when i got off the turnpike late and went to a local pizzeria to pick up something to eat. i was wearing black cashmere overcoat and homburg. as i walked to the back, the diners stopped talking and stared me. at the counter, the owner came out of the kitchen to personally attend to me. now, he never greets customers, preferring to stay in the kitchen with a pistol in his belt and watch italian soccer on RAI. he says, "what can i get you?".
this particular pizzeria is located in a strip mall adjacent to a very upscale neighborhood. in line ahead of me were at least a dozen physicians, corp. execs and other high income types. i mentioned the others in line, but the owner leaned into my whispering "what would you like?". i ordered a meatball sub thinking that was the order which would get me out the door quickest.
i go to NYC frequently on business and noticed when wearing the homburg that the crowds on the street parted like the red sea ahead of me. i have even begun jaywalking, which they are very strict about in the city which will arrest you and may you pay high fines. a guy i work with mentioned that when wearing the hat it is the responsibility of the traffic to stop for me. i recently jaywalked right in front of a policeman. when i glared at him from underneath the brim of the homburg, instead of arresting me he tipped his own hat to me.
now my question to this forum is this: what am i supposed to do in the spring and summer when it is too warm for the hat . . . or god forbid if i want to wear a fedora? or in other words, how to internalize the effect of the homburg?
i have this great fear about going back to being treated like everyone else.
