What do our hats really say about us, and more importantly, are they right?

[Pompidou]

When I asked Art to make my hat, I had a specific statement in mind. I wanted a hat that shouted, "Stop what you're doing and look at me!" I believe the specific phrase used in the phone call was, "I want people to know who I am from two blocks away". Since I only have one hat, and it's in any picture I ever use here, I needn't start with one myself unless people want, but I was thinking it'd be cool to see what people think you're trying to accomplish, what statement you're trying to make, or, if that's not applicable, what statements and accomplishments your hat is making without your express consent with your choice of hat, and perhaps see if you agree with it.

 

[HatsEnough]

I like the past more than I like the present. Hats remind me of "the good old days." And it is a way for me to flip the bird to mod-er-ren times. It's just that simple.

 

[Travis Lee Johnston]

I kinda dread the attention it brings at times, but I'd rather look nice than just blend in with the logo landscape.

I prefer the styles of yesteryear and I like to look of that period I guess and presentable/respectable in short, so that includes a decent made lid(usually my straw here in the desert) to complete the ensemble.

So what I would be trying to say is, "This is what I like or like to look like".

 

[AtomicEraTom]

I fit into this category well, lol

I like the past more than I like the present. Hats remind me of "the good old days." And it is a way for me to flip the bird to mod-er-ren times. It's just that simple.

I also agree with Travis, I don't like the attention. Being a relic in a modern time, I feel that proper attire is just that, proper. If it were up to me, every man would wear a suit and fedora on a regular basis.

 

[Andykev]

Did you really order a bright red hat? I didn't know Art had those..

Has...what do they "say about us"? To who?

I wear a hat because I like them. It keeps me warm on cold days, dry when it rains. I summer, I wear a very, very nice straw fedora..and to be honest, most people NEVER question the "look" or "wearing" of a straw Panama.

I wear a felt fedora because I choose to...it shades me, warms me, and wearing a nice jacket, sweater, or even a shirt...

the alternative BASEBALL CAP looks stupid, dumb, idiotic...

Yes..I am a MAN. I can wear a fedora. I don't have to worry about anyone's opinion on the subject.

As a matter of fact, perhaps due to my having worn won for over 8 years..and being over 50...
NOBODY ever comments.

 

[Pompidou]

This hat is worth my weight in gold. The color, if he still carries it in stock, is called Cabaret in his felt packets, and it ranges between bright red like this photo, and almost Oxblood - depending on the light.

Here's the one on his site that I made the decision from. It's Frankie from his limited edition list.

I never see anyone with this color - not without Google, at least. It was perfect for me.

EDIT: Regarding "Has...what do they "say about us"? To who?" I guess I was just curious if people tried to make deliberate statements through hat choice, or if not, after looking at the hat of the day, thought the hat might be making statements regardless. Statements to the world - I'd imagine - to anyone who you come in contact with. BBC's relatively recent, three season, Robin Hood often said, "everything's a choice". I kinda like that motto. I think everything we do is a choice to some end, intentional or not.

 

[irfan.wayang]

I'm always surprised at the number of people who associate hats with their nostalgia for the past. Until I came to FL, I'd never even thought about that. Not that there's anything wrong with it. In fact, I think I've caught the bug slightly. Certainly, in the past month, I've watched both "Casablanca" and all three parts of "The Godfather". There are some beautiful hats in all of those movies. But the only other slighly retro thing I'm into is fountain pens. I first started wearing hats because I need one when I'm out under the tropical sun and because they are a stylish alternative to caps. I generally appreciated beautiful hand-made crafts, so I can appreciate a well made straw hat. That's about it.

 

[fmw]

I don't try to make any statement at all and I couldn't care less what other people think of my hats. I like them and I wear them for myself.

 

[job]

FMW, Those are my feelings as well. I have always followed my own interests in everything whether its clothes, music, politics, dress, etc. I'm not looking to stand out or make a statement. For me a fedora is just a nicer hat than a cap.

 

[davidraphael]

I don't like being singled out in a crowd at all or draw attention to myself, but wearing hats often will do that, unfortunately.
I only wear them out if the situation is appropriate and I feel comfortable with the environment.

I'm not sure what wearing hats says about me.
I'm deeply nostalgic, a romantic, a dreamer and a pseudo time traveller, but I don't care if people get that from seeing me in a hat. I'm not wearing it for anyone else.

 

[The Good]

As far as the statement thing, it's a yes and no sort of issue. There are days that I deliberately feel that a particular hat will make some sort of statement, and that's fine with me. I wouldn't mind for my hats to imply in some way that I'm a gangster/noir and western film/TV fan, or for the later, that I appreciate the western/country lifestyle despite being a city slicker. The same could also hold true for my taste in music, which is mainly jazz, or jazz derivative genres. There are also other days in which I would not care so much for the possibility of projecting a statement, and more often than not in these situations, I would not wear a hat, but sport parted or combed back hair instead. However, I have tended to stick to pretty conservative styles as a whole, and wear them in situations I would deem appropriate enough for that particular hat, so there are hats in my small collection (there are only four hats that I really wear right now) that I wouldn't just wear absolutely anywhere. The closest to that is currently my light grey, vintage Stetson St. Regis, brim trimmed to be a fedora. I value versatility and a more conservative appearance in my hats, I guess. My least "conservative" hat would probably be my Indiana Jones inspired Akubra. My two other hats besides the other couple I mentioned are basically cowboy hats, to me. One is a straw SunBody, and I know some may be offended by the use of the term cowboy to describe an Open Road (Mine is modern, cattleman crease), but that's the image I bought it for, while trying to avoid buying something that would look huge on my face. For the record, I have been contemplating for some time that my next hat may be a narrow brimmed trilby, but not too narrow. I'm after the look of the early James Bond hat in particular. I think something like this can suit my style fine.

Wear the type of hat you want. I'm wearing what I'm comfortable in (both physically and psychologically), and what I think looks good on me. I think that's the right way to go about it.

 

[facade]

For an ever dwidling few, hats make no statement. Those few merely continue to wear them because that is how they were raised.

For the rest of us, a fashionable hat makes a statement. Amongst fedora hat wearers you have attention seekers, trendy hipsters, nostalgists, social outcasts seeking an identity, Indy wannabes, "no one tells me what to do" curmudgeons, and even <gasp> people with fashion sense. Across all these groups the hat exists to convey a message. The message may vary, but the hat isn't just there to keep the sun off our heads no matter how much we may say otherwise.

 

[Florida_Marlin]

I wear a hat for the same reason I wear shoes. I could go bare footed. (In fact, there was a day when I went bare footed most of the time). But, I find it most useful to wear shoes. The same with hats. I could go bare headed, but I choose to cover up. What goes on my feet depends on what I'm doing, work, play, hiking, sand, snow, goin out on the town with my lady. Ditto hats. I have lots of hats, but the one that spends the most time on my head is a nice Fibre Metal hard hat that my company most graciously bought for me. Now, what statement would that hat be making?

 

[job]

Everything is not a statement. You may have opinions or draw conclusions for yourself but that does not mean I am speaking to you from my hat.

 

[facade]

I wear a hat for the same reason I wear shoes. I could go bare footed. (In fact, there was a day when I went bare footed most of the time). But, I find it most useful to wear shoes. The same with hats. I could go bare headed, but I choose to cover up. What goes on my feet depends on what I'm doing, work, play, hiking, sand, snow, goin out on the town with my lady. Ditto hats. I have lots of hats, but the one that spends the most time on my head is a nice Fibre Metal hard hat that my company most graciously bought for me. Now, what statement would that hat be making?

Hmm perhaps you are expressing your undying appreciation of the Village People? Most likely though you are trying to prevent head trauma. All kidding aside, my statement was about fashionable hats and more specifically fedoras and not about hats which serve a definite purpose such as a hard hat.

 

[Henry Gondorff]

I started to wear hats because of an advice my doctor gave me. I have high risk of skin cancer and he adviced me to cover my head, at least in the sun. Then I started to wear baseball caps till I found out that I look like anybody else in our society. Since I hate uniformity I started to wear fedoras. That's it. I don't want to make a statement at all, I just want to be different from all this t-shirt and jeans wearing robots...

 

[Rodkins]

It started because I live in Florida and hate sunscreen on my head. It grew from there.
Because there is so little left, I don't have many options for changing my hair. I like when people periodically change their look but I don't have many options rather than clothing. I can change hats at any time.
I love the collecting aspect of it as well as the history.
I love the thrill of the hunt.
I love finding something that seems as if it is at the end of it's useful life and cleaning, fixing, and reshaping it into something that can be used for many more years.
I enjoy the fellowship of fedora wearers and watching their hat victories.

 

[Wildblue]

What a great topic!

I agree with several posters here. While I don't wear a hat to deliberately make a "fashion statement", I suppose the hat does "say something about me." What I think it says is, my appearance is not just coincidental or random, and I do care a bit.
I'm not trendy or self-absorped.
I'm trying for a CLASSY and CLASSIC look, and am somewhat nostalgic.
I want to look good, but am not searching for attention or soliciting compliments.

I do hope that's what it says, and I do hope it's right! Do I realize that simply wearing any non-baseball cap hat draws attention? Sure. But I wish it wasn't that way. I like wearing a fedora, but actually wish it was more commonplace nowadays, and didn't draw so much attention.

 

[HeyMoe]

I have gone through the whole range of being uncomfortable wearing them to not really caring what anyone thinks. The only place I do not wear my fedoras is into my office. I leave them in my Jeep. I work in mental health with folks that are very ill and they can be violent at times. I do not want to walk into the door and immediatly get into a restraint situation and have my hat get damaged. Everyone at work knows I wear them, I just protect them as an investment

I wear them because I think they look good and they remind me of the Golden Era and the folks that lived back then.

 

[monbla256]

I got my first hat from my father when I was 9 yo. That was 54 years ago. He wore hats, his friends wore hats, my grandfather and uncles wore hats. You put shoes/boots on your feet, clothes on your body and a hat on your head. No big deal, was just what you did. Many men still do this today, just the style and type has changed. "The more things change, the more they stay the same" as my father used to say. I like hats. No need to find the "statement" it makes. It's what it is. Onward thru the Fog