The rise and fall of manly headwear

[STHill]

I've always heard that men's hats went out of style, in large part, because of JFK choosing not to wear one at his inauguration. Soon after that, men began wearing their hair longer and "styled." I guess that put the final nail in the coffing for the heyday of men's hats.

My question for the hat historians out there: Did the popularity of hats just drop off a cliff in the early sixties, or had there been a steady decline in the fifties before the above-mentioned occurrences?

 

[Kentucky Blues]

I think it was the beetles, actually, not JFK...

 

[Matt Deckard]

I think hats started dissapearing slowly after the war, then a sudden drop occured when the mid 60's hit.

Soldiers came home and wore softer less fitted clothes and for whatever reason, they did not wear as many hats. You see alot of hats in the 50's, though no longer was every man wearing a hat.

In the 60's there was a rebellious movement and suits were a symbol of conformity at a time when people wanted to be "rebels". Hats dissapeared because they were an accessory to a style of dressing that was dissapearing.

That is my take.

 

[Chamorro]

It started in the 50's with changing men's hairstyles. Pompadors, Dovetails, Flattops, et al., did not do too well underneath a hat. Then came the 60's and the Mop Top and, eventually, the long haired hippies. Maybe it ain't all about hair but that had a lot to do with it.

The Liberal sensibilities that came with the 60's is very much to blame for a lot of the problems we have today ... not just fashion.

Yes a lot of good came from that era but just as many things that are regretable. It's not the pie in the sky, make love not war, pipe dream most baby boomers would have us believe.

 

[Art Fawcett]

So far, every one posting here is right. All of these things are factors but I believe more than anything it was attitude!! Post WWII men just plain changed. Gone was the conservative GI that had never left the farm prior to the war. When he came home he had saved the world and basically just wanted to get back to a relaxed comfortable home to raise his family with his wife and didn't want the added stress of "Proper" attire. In came large open collars, baggy pants ( compared to the 30s) Ike & leisure jackets etc. that were much more flamboyant than the prior decade. The wide flashy tie came in right after the war and again, feeling like they deserved the comforts owed, hats became a restriction to many, who then rejected them. This happened over a 20 yr period until the JFK inauguration which was a blow, but not the death nell. That came in the late 60s when Vietnam was happening and the younger gen was rejecting virtually everything that their parents said. I am of that generation but fortunately the liberal disease spared some of us.

 

[Sergei]

Originally posted by Chamorro
...Yes a lot of good came from that era but just as many things that are regretable. It's not the pie in the sky, make love not war, pipe dream most baby boomers would have us believe.

"You're buggin me man! Quit buggin me!".
- Dick Shawn
"It's a Mad, Mad, Mad World"

It was a Mad, Mad World during the 60's. Assasanations, body bags from Vietnam, race riots... but still some of the greatest music ever created.

 

[Andykev]

Several things...not just one

What changed the hat styles? Yes, Kennedy going hat less on his inaguration was just the indicator. Politicians mirror what is popular, no?

The looser feel, the non conformists, the beatnicks and so on......plus those WWII guys HAD to wear a hat ALWAYS,...........so when they came home from the war, they didn't want ANYONE telling them to wear one.

Another thing: the ROOF lines in the automobiles changed..and it was inconvenient to wear a hat in the shorter car bodies of the time.

I also believe that the 60's fostered an extreme "anti-establishment" and non conformist attitude. The FEDORA hat symbolized "the man" and "the system" which was abhorrent to the thinking at the time.

 

[Phil_UK]

I have a slightly different take on this, though I agree with all the comments on here. As I look around at people, not only in the streets of cities, but also on television, in movies, adverts etc, what strikes me is one thing. Its not that there are no hats to be seen, no its the difference in headgear. Back in the Golden age the hats in vogue were to our collective taste. Today Baseball caps of every size shape and colour are the new in-hat. The modern hat that comes in as a close second is the wool hat, once again different styles, shapes and colours. I think that we are in a sense blind to these hats, because they no longer speak to us of style and fashion. The modern hat wearers are giving in to the old sheep mentality, the go with the crowd and don't rock the boat frame of mind. I have noticed that people will stop and stare sometimes just because I'm wearing a hat that isn't the accepted norm. Well I like to be different and I feel good. Anyway this is my view on things, what do you think?

Regards Phil

 

[Art Fawcett]

I agree Phil, to a point. I guess I have turned into somewhat of a snob as I don't see baseball caps as a hat, but a cap. I make a distinction that most people won't make so your point is valid. It is all headgear but...ouch..I do dislike caps on middle aged gentlemen.

 

[MK]

Baseball caps are just for bad hair days.....or for those too lazy to comb their hair.

 

[Phil_UK]

Mmmmmm I guess hats and caps are different and I agree MK you have made a very real valid point here. They just don't look flattering on any head to my mind.

Regards Phil

 

[Fedora]

You guys have repeated what I have heard for years. Of course, some folks just blame JFK. I first heard this about 15 years ago when I was talking to the owner and operator of a local mens store who still sold a few hats. Of couse, what brought me to his store was the search for a proper Indy fedora(he could never find one), but it evolved into a friendship and I spent hours just talking to this old fellow on different occassions. Of course, he could go on for hours regarding hats, and how they had fell out of fashion. He blamed JFK, although I think his general dislike for this President colored his impressions. His opinion it seems, comes from his sales records. He maintained that he could show me how his hat sales bottomed out after JFK was elected. It took a little while, but he said he lost about 80 per cent, and of course, it only got worse as time rolled by. This was something that he could actually put his finger on, but we all know that hats were already declining prior to this. Now, baseball caps. I like em' on ball players as they are practical for that sport. The kids around here wear em' everywhere. Usually the caps are turned backwards(the way catchers and welders used to wear their caps), or even turned sideways. Usually the boys wearing the sideways caps also have pants that won't stay up. I guess they can't afford belts after spending all that money on whatever name brand clothes they are wearing. They have to keep one hand on the waist just to keep the pants from falling all the way down. Seems to be a lot of trouble, and I have even offered rope to help out, ala Jethro Bodine. I guess the hangman's noose at the end scares them off, but they can't run very fast with the pants falling down. We used to shackle cows for milking, and horses to keep them from running off, and this is what it reminds me of. I am not complaining because I figure the cops can catch these guys quite easily due to the shackle pants. But just the sight is still annoying because I think underwear should remain.......well, under. Fedora

 

[Art Fawcett]

I think underwear should remain.......well, under.

LOL..WELL SAID!!!

 

[Andykev]

And it amazes me

So many people think wearing a "hat" is a baseball cap. ZERO protection to the back of the neck or ears.

Anyone heard of SKIN CANCER:

The overall incidence of melanoma is rising at an alarming rate. In 2004, at current rates one in 65 Americans have a lifetime risk of developing invasive melanoma, a 2000% increase from 1930. In addition, with the inclusion of noninvasive melanoma in situ, one in 37 Americans have a lifetime risk of developing melanoma.

Q. Is melanoma a serious disease?

A. More than 77 percent of skin cancer deaths are from melanoma. Advanced melanoma spreads to internal organs and may result in death. One person each hour dies from melanoma. If detected in the early stages, melanoma can usually be treated successfully.


Gee, 2000% increase since 1930. Seems there may be a link between men not wearing hats anymore, and the more active lifestyles of today, not to mention things like the ozone layer..or increased solar rediation depending on your scientific views.

WEAR A HAT WITH A BRIM FOLKS.


http://www.aad.org/SkinCancerNews/WhatIsSkinCancer/SCancerFacts.html

 

[Fedora]

Absolutely!!!! It never ceases to amaze me that modern humans don't have a clue as to why the human race covered their heads with hats for eons. Sure, it later became a fashion, with the changing trends, but the primitives knew very well what the sun would do to the head, and the skin. Fedora

 

[farnham54]

I'm a Hat and Cap guy--I've got a Toronto Maple Leafs cap that I adore and wear around on some days depending on my mood. If i'm watching the game, then the Leafs cap goes on to show my Team Colors. Also, the ball cap is generally looked upon by society as informal and relaxed. As such, certain folks wish to wear these types of hats when they are out and about to show off just how relaxed they are. Mind you the entire time I would bet they are worried stiff if the hat matches their shoe laces, or whatever else is supposed to match, and so the ballcap can in many cases be worn by someone posing as something they certainly are not.

However, other times, a ballcap is just easy to wear. I'm not afraid to go out rough-and-tumble in a 20 dollar ballcap. a 400 dollar optimo, though?? I might think twice. And, kids being kids, a lot of the time the rough-and-tumble is spontaneus. Wearing a ballcap allows for that spontenaity. Basically, I'm making an excuse for ballcaps on younger kids.

Middle aged men, even young working men, however, should not be wearing a ballcap to the office or to church or that kind of thing. It is simply inappropriate. Sometimes, like a saturday out playing with the dog, a ballcap is just fine. But one must dress for the situation; and that I think is the ultimate qualm that people have these days. People just do not dress accordingly anymore. Semi-formal means a "good" pair of jeans and a polo shirt, instead of a suit. Tuxedo's...heck, whats a tuxedo?

Tis a shame, but that is the way society has gone. Give it time, gents. As Andykev pointed out previously, a good brimmed hat is great for skin cancer prevention and that will no doubt have a bearing on their popularity in years to come.

Sorry for being so long-winded

Regards,
Farn

 

[The_Edge]

I've been scoffed at many times for defending my wearing of a wide brimmed felt hat on hot sunny days by saying it protects against skin cancer. It is amazing how many folks don't take it seriously. I'd rather have a little bit of sweat on my head than be fried like an egg.

As for a fashion trend, I just watched a movie the other day that juxtaposed fine suits and hats next to modern (well, 1980's modern) fashion. The film is called Tough Guys and stars Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas. The film opens with these two getting out of prison after being incarcerated for thirty years. They wear impeccible suits and hats from the era they last remember. Meanwhile everyone else is dressed modern casual with the odd '80's fad here and there. Let me tell you, Lancaster and Douglas looked mighty slick!

 

[Matt Deckard]

I saw that movie too, I loved it.

 

[Phil_UK]

I agree that was a great movie.

Regards Phil

 

[Andykev]

Originally posted by The_Edge
I've been scoffed at many times for defending my wearing of a wide brimmed felt hat on hot sunny days by saying it protects against skin cancer. It is amazing how many folks don't take it seriously. I'd rather have a little bit of sweat on my head than be fried like an egg.

Well Said!! Just like I mentioned in my post earlier in this thread: SKIN CANCER!!

I just went to the FAA doctor for my flight physical (every two years) and he looks at a red splotch on my face and gets concerned. It may be an AK...which is a dry "over exposed" spot. Could someday be a skin cancer.

WOAH!! So If any of you out there have fair skin, blonde or red hair, and blue eyes (me!!) wear a dang hat and put on the lotion with the SPF factor to protect those skin cells!

I have looked into it, and it appears that all those sunburns as a stupid kid add up and are cumulative...over time it will come back to kill you!

So, I WEAR A HAT EVERY DAY:rage: