Hat Etiquette

[RoyJackson]

I'll wear a ball cap inside and when I'm eating, but it really depends on the type of resturant.
When we go out for dinner or whatever, I normally wear a fedora (it looks like an Indiana Jones hat, but it's not) in the Fall and Winter and a Panama hat in the Spring and Summer.
The problem is, as some wrote, is there's few places that have any facilities to leave a hat or overcoat.
Except for the Military, hat etiquette went by the wayside when most men gave up wearing fedora style hats in the 1950's and 1960's.

 

[Bird]

I agree, times have changed and it's no big deal. Just like it's the norm today to wear jeans everywhere. Twenty years ago, I felt uncomfortable going out in jeans. Nowadays, that's all I have (well, okay, there is a suit for funerals.)

Ken

And I don't even own a suit or sport coat anymore.:laughing: I wear Dickies coveralls almost everywhere. I have a son-in-law who is a funeral director and I told him I bought the black Dickies coveralls for fine dining and funerals.:laughing: I do still have two pair of slacks and a few shirts.:laughing:

This reminds me of something else when I started on the police department, we didn't wear the uniform to and from work; changed into the uniform in the locker room at the station. And we were not allowed to wear jeans, shorts, overalls, coveralls, etc. to and from work; had to wear slacks and shirt, or suit, or sport coat. And the old timers said we were lucky, because in their day, they were also required to wear a hat (not a cap) to and from work. :laughing:

And our uniform was a short sleeved, open collar shirt in the summer, long sleeves and tie in the Winter. A bulletin was distributed twice a year telling us what date to change. The old timers said they had to wear long sleeves and tie year round. And before I retired, it was left up to the individual officer to wear short or long sleeved shirts. I wore short sleeves year round.

Yep, customs, as well as fashions, are constantly changing.

 

[Egon]

And I don't even own a suit or sport coat anymore. I wear Dickies coveralls almost everywhere. I have a son-in-law who is a funeral director and I told him I bought the black Dickies coveralls for fine dining and funerals. I do still have two pair of slacks and a few shirts./QUOTE]

Sounds like a fellow who has full confidence in himself!:thumbsup::thumbsup:

 

[bigbull338]

ive been wearing hats an caps all my life.quit wearing the hats because they get in my way.i wear a cap everywhere i go.an the only time i remove it is theres a prayer going tobe said then its back on my head.i had an old friend tell me to take my cap off an i looked him in the eye an said aint happening.the funny thing is he knew i wouldnt take it off before he said something.

 

[Chilly807]

I've got to say I'm surprised after reading this thread, in particular some of the responses from our American friends. I expected you guys would lead the way in tradition.

My head and an egg have a lot in common, particularly that neither are overly hairy anymore. I wear a hat 90% of my waking hours, primarily to keep the sun out of my eyes and off my head, and to keep it warm in cold weather.

I don't consider myself old-fashioned by most standards, but I've always believed a hat had no place on your head in someone's home, and certainly not while you're eating.

To me, wearing a hat in someone's home is a direct insult to the integrity of that home. Do you not think their roof is going to prevent sun and rain from getting on your head? I guess that school of thought goes back to the days when a hat was a piece of clothing you needed, not a fashion statement.

Like some of the other guys, I've had experience with the military way of doing things, and a cap worn in a mess will get you asked to leave in a hurry if you insist on wearing it. Simply walking in the door with one on meant buying a round in the old days, and you get immediate frowns and requests to "Remove the lid, please" in today's world. I've never seen anyone flat out refuse to remove it, that might get interesting. Buying 30 drinks helped your memory the next time.

If I come into my own house other than passing through, it comes off, and immediately gets removed as I pass through the doorway when I'm in someone elses home if it's a social visit. If I'm working there it may stay on, it depends on the job.

Eating inside with a hat on is a serious no-no in my books, it's like slapping God in the face after He provided the food for you, a definite lack of respect. Outdoor eating is a little different, though I'd try to find a shady or sheltered spot and doff my cap then too.

I've never had anyone insist on wearing their hat at my table, although I think it would result in my either asking them to leave or physically throwing 'em out the front door.

Like I said, a surprise for me and I suspect a lot of others too.

Sean

 

[Bird]

Sean, I agree with everything you said, except you said you wear a hat 90% of the time and I'm the exact opposite. Doctor tells me I should wear one more for protection from the sun, but they're hot. I have several and I'll wear one when I need to keep my head warm, but that's very infrequently in my part of the country. I'd probably wear one a great deal more if it weren't for the heat.

 

[TBarD]

When I was younger I rarely wore a hat, didn't like them at all. This was here in the southwest - skin cancer capital of the world. Now I have one hanging at every door. It goes on when I go out the door, and back on the hook when I come back in. Now I am so used to it that it doesn't feel right without one. I only wear long sleeves and long pants these days as well, even in hot weather.

Sean - no body is talking about wearing a hat in someone's home. It is just that in a restaurant there is often no practical alternative.

 

[dusty3030]

Tip for a place to put it, I put mine on my knee if there isn't room anywhere else.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Tip for a place to put it, I put mine on my knee if there isn't room anywhere else.

I have done this as well, it sort of ruins the meal. My hat does not stay on my knee very well. I would rather set it on a near by chair or seat, but that is not always possible. There are times when there just is no place for it other than on a head.

 

[kidr]

A lot of guys who wear caps are bald and hate to take it off in public. Come on admit it.:laughing: