Bringing Back the Hat
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Up until the 1950’s men were rarely seen out and about without a hat sitting upon their head. Since that time, the wearing of hats has seen a precipitous decline. No one is precisely sure why. Some say the downfall of hats occurred when JFK did not wear a hat to his inauguration, thus forever branding them as uncool. This is an urban myth, however, as Kennedy did indeed don a hat that day. Another theory posits that the shrinking size of cars made wearing a hat while driving prohibitively difficult. Most likely, the demise of hats can simply be traced to changing styles and the ongoing trend towards a more casual look.
Yet hats are due for a full resurgence. Hats are both functional and stylish. They can cover a bad hair day, keep your head warm, and shade your eyes from the sun. They can also be worn to cover a receding hairline, which interestingly enough is why Frank Sinatra, an iconic hat wearer, start wearing one in the first place. They give you touch of class and sophistication, impart personality, and add an interesting and unique accent to your outfits. And hats are a sure-fire way to boost your confidence. A cool hat can quickly become your signature piece and give you extra swagger.
Of course men today still wear hats, but they are most often confined to ratty baseball caps, hippie beanie caps, or the thankfully almost extinct trucker hat. There is nothing wrong with these kinds of headpieces per se, but there are other hat options out there. So mix up your lids with these various options:
The Flat Cap
Photo by Menno Ophelia
The flat cap has a rounded shape, a small brim and a high back. Long associated with working class men in the UK, the flat cap can be a stylish way to add interest to a casual outfit. They can give your tired jeans and t-shirt look some unique style. Choose the more masculine flat cap over the similar, but rounder and puffier newsboy cap. The latter has been almost entirely co-opted by the ladies.
The Fedora
Fedoras were once considered de rigueur for men going out in public and a necessary accessory to formal and business attire. While once mainstream, a man in a fedora is now seen as a trendsetter. Fedoras are soft, usually made of felt, creased lengthwise down the crown, and pinched on both sides. Obviously you cannot pair a fedora with jeans and a polo. They are only an appropriate accent for dressier outfits. But the pay off-loads of style, class, and confidence-make dressing up worth it. Fedoras will make you look manly and a bit mysterious. Worn by Prohibition era gangsters, almost all of the movie stars of the 1940’s, and Old Blue Eyes himself, donning a fedora puts you in touch with a truly luminous and manly heritage.
The Porkpie
Photo from The French Connection
Named for its resemblance to an actual pork pie, this hat is similar to a fedora but with a flat top instead of a pinched crown. The brim is also shorter and turned up. The hat is often associated with the jazz, blues, and ska culture, but was also worn by the likes of Robert Oppenheimer, father of the atom bomb.
The Homburg
Photo from The Godfather
The Homburg is another hat similar to the fedora. The Homburg’s brim lacks the fedora’s pinches, and is turned up all the way around. The hat is accented with a hatband into which a feather may be stuck. Less casual than a top hat, and dressier than a fedora, the Homburg was the go to lid for politicians and diplomats in the 20th century. Favored by the Godfather and resurrected by the likes of Snoop Dogg and Tupac, the Homburg now carries a distinctly gangster flavor.
The Bowler/Derby
Photo by Lainey’s Repertorie
Bowlers are hard, made of felt, and have very short brims. While considered a British icon, the bowler was also part of the urban culture of America in the 19th century. For example, one of the gangs that roamed the mean streets of New York City around this time were the Plug Uglies. The Uglies were never without their bowler hats which they wore both as their signature piece and to protect their heads during their many scuffles with rival gangs.
Wearing a Hat
Cock your hat–angles are attitudes. ~Frank Sinatra
Hats can give you a feeling of effortless cool and manly confidence. Few people loved hats more, or wore them better than Frank Sinatra. He was constantly playing with the idea of angling and tilting his hat to convey different attitudes. Here’s how Frank wore his hat to reflect his mood:
- Wear your hat pushed back to seem more open and accessible
- Tilt your hat over your eyes to seem mysterious and intimidating
- Tilt your hat up 1 inch from completely straight to project an all-business attitude
Hat Etiquette
In adopting the hat as your signature piece, you must also accept the responsibility of hat etiquette. Often ignored, hat etiquette will show that your uniqueness extends not only to you choice of headwear, but to your manners as well.
- Promptly remove your hat upon entering an elevator, restaurant, or someone’s home. Never wear your hat during a meal.
- Touch the brim of your hat lightly when greeting a friend.
- Raise the hat by the crown when meeting a female friend in public.
- Remove your hat during the national anthem and place it over your heart.
Header photo by Edieamber
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Also never use it during divine services or inside a church. But a kippah is required inside synagogues.
Why does the flat cap seem so ugly? I really dislike the look of that hat, and sadly it’s the only one you said could be worn in more casual situations. Guess I won’t be wearing a hat very often =/
Sometimes guys look ugly in flat caps. But sometimes they can really pull it off. Brad Pitt is a good example.
Bullet point #1 is incorrect, elevators and corridors are considered ‘outdoors’ and hats are worn in these locations.
Brad Pitt doesn’t count, hewould look good in any hat, even a propeller beanie.
@Dave-
“Miss Manners” disagrees. Although other etiquette gurus would agree with you that an elevator is is a public place. Still, even these recommend that gentlemen remove their hat when riding an elevator with a female.
Great post. Why don’t any of the AoM posts show the picture or article title when posting to Facebook?
Yes! I guess, as the article states, I am a trendsetter and have been wearing a fedora for years. It has become my trademark! (Being in the entertainment industry, I need one.) I actually have a fedora that I can wear with more casual attire (even a t-shirt and jeans), but when I appear in public in my suit and nicer fedora, I tend to turn heads. Here’s a recent publicity shot to prove it:
(If the IMG code doesn’t work, just go to the URL associated with my name and go to the “About” page to see the photo.)
[ Aaron Matthew Kaiser ]
AntiKaiser Productions
P.S. I also try to follow a lot of the “manners” associated, but I don’t remove my fedora simply because I have entered a room. As I mentioned, people know me because of my fedora. I do take it off if I’m in someone’s home for a while or during a meal. I may be a bit sloppy in regards to these guidelines, but hey — I’m an artist!
Here in the South guys still wear hats a lot (go to a NASCAR race and see for yourself). But like you said it is mostly the boring ball cap.
Me, I mostly wear a hat in the morning just to cover up my bed head until I get into the shower to knock it down into submission.
For me there’s a bit of a vanity angle in not wearing a hat. Sunlight is the only think keeping any blond in my hair. It’s darkening up as I get older. Wearing a hat would only speed up the process.
What about the trin-corner hat? I’m going to bring those back into style!
I totally agree, they need to have a come back!
I’m not talking about the most awful looking bowler, the Charlie Chaplin look is so gross! Although a Frank Sinatra hat has a sexy edge to it and brings culture back into this culture deprived society. If only we could all remain in the good ol’ days!
Nice article. I have often wondered why the hat went out of fashioned. I am 40 and grew up before cable when the “big 4″ (ABC, NBC, CBS and whatever UHF channel you had access to) would show old movies from the 40’s on weekends. I especially liked the old Abbott and Costello comedies (would you believe that they raised something like $4 billion dollars in todays rate for the county during WW2 selling war bonds, incredible). Does anyone remember the old “Susquehanna Hat Company” routine.
I would think that the hat was doomed by the counter culture of the 60’s turning everything casual. You would occasionally see hats in movies up until the late 70’s early 90’s, mostly on police and criminals. The polices officer that investigated Charles Bronson in “Death Wish” comes to mind.
I wear a black fedora with my black suit when I know that I will be outside in the Fall or Winter with a overcoat, just seems to round the outfit out.
I also own and wear a kilt. Also making a comeback.
Well, also you forget about those of us in the western states and a nice straw western hat in the summer and an even nicer felt or better hat in the winter.
These look great with jeans & t-shirt or a nice hat always looks good with a suite.
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I, personally, love top hats. I think eventually I’d like to save up some money and buy one, it’d be fun to wear around~
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Do women mock your small hat?
Now, if you *really* want to start restoring classical male styles, the next thing to do is bring the pipe back into the mainstream…
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I suppose it depends on the circle and circumstances. A lumberjack is probably not going to wear a fedora. However for many men that work in business or in more casual jobs there is nothing out of style about wearing a hat. I have worn a fedora or a flat cap for some years and im only 31 and any uncomfort in social situations is usually on the part of others. I don’t concern myself with minor accessorizing-I have watches for different occasions dress, work, mowing the yard, whatever. I think your ‘real men don’t accessorize’ comment may reflect you, but I would hesitate applying it to an entire demographic.
awesome article.
You my friend have found the meaning of life!
“People aren’t wearing enough hats.” – Monty Python
England better prepare for Fedora time…
No Trilby in this list is a bit of a let down, I have one myself & should wear it more often.
I would guess that hats went out of style at the same time that longer hair on men came into style. All those WWII era buzz cuts disappeared and men no longer needed hats to keep their heads warm. In fact with longer hair styles, hats become more uncomfortable.
Also, never underestimate the influence of Hollywood and the movies on culture and fashion. Hats were definitely an east coast influence and as television and movies sprung largely from the warmer (and largely rainless, snowless) west coast, hats would show up less in movies and fashion would follow suit.
Nice hat shop.
http://www.davebrownhats.com/
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“No a man in a fedora is seen as being out of style. Real men don’t accessorize.”
It’s true. I’m 19 and I wear a fedora alot. Most of my friends just mock me and tell me I’m out of style. But like the article says, I’m trying to be a trend setter. I do get some compliments on it though.
You forgot to mention the Trilby, which I believe is what Sinatra is wearing in the final pic. It’s very similar to a Fedora, the notable difference is the narrow brim.
What about the top hat?
I wouldn’t mind popping on the bowler for the walk to the bus stop in the morning!
Hats are just like all other “odd” accessories and haircuts. For about a month I had my hair in a mohawk with trimmed sides and it got a lot of comments, attention, and people blatantly staring. Just like a hat, when something doesn’t conform with everyone else’s expectations they will stare, express interest, and generally act a fool. I might have to source out a beat up fedora, could be fun to add with my blazer that I wear on colder days. With the mohawk most guys thought it was great, girls were much less interested(though some initiated a conversation just because of the hair), and my employer wasn’t a fan as he didn’t deem it professional.
Don’t forget about the classic Susquehanna Hat!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3rzUi7FytI
One notable omission from the list is the classic Trilby.
Though close in style to the Fedora, it is a different shape entirely.
It can also be broad in the brim or stylishly narrow.
One item neglected in the article is hat care – very few places provide hat stands nowadays.
Upon reading this, I took time out to view a few classic noir-ish movies noted for the plethora of hat-wearing dudes. In many instances, hat care was poor as the titfers on display were rumpled, ill formed, creased and lumpy in appearanc.
This is not good.
Also, no aspiring hat wearer sill look good in the combination of chapeau and jewellery, be it earring, nose stud or ear grommet.
My signature in college was the trucker hat. When I bump into people that I haven’t seen since college, they always remind me of those gaudy things. It’s interesting to know that some men started to wear hats to cover their receding hairline. I stopped wearing hats almost completely because of my thinning hair. I guess I got tired of taking off my hat to find lots of loose hair on the inside. Now, I only wear visors or beanies (when it’s really cold). Good article.
In Texas, hats are worn a lot:
http://userpic.livejournal.com/9731218/975537
when I wear a hat it’s so hot in Texas it makes my hair stink so I don’t bother
The trick is washing your hair.
Hey you forgot to mention Indiana Jones! Wouldn’t be the same without his hat.
Um. No.
It’d be great if hats came back, but since most men trounce around in the world in jeans and t-shirts, it’s unlikely that anything as stylish and classic as hats (let alone buttoned shirts or slacks) is coming back anytime soon.
I would suggest that hats went out of fashion for two reasons:
a.) the etiquette requirement that the hat be removed when indoors is nothing short of a pain in the ass. Get rid of that expectation and we’ll talk.
b.) men’s hair is now in much more complex, long styles. This is semi-related to a.) for me personally. I never could wear hats because my curly hair would always get flattered in a terrible way under the hat–so once I had a hat on, I wanted to wear it the entire time.
Yes… Bring back the raver cat in the hat hat … Or mid 90s ganster look with the skull cap….
Shadows and headrests.
It not impossible, but it is difficult to light a TV/movie actor who is wearing a hat. The shadows get in the way. Thus Hollywood stopped showing men wearing hats, which meant that it became uncool. (Note: glasses are also difficult to deal with because of reflections. Glasses became uncool too.)
It is not really possible to wear a hat with a brim in the back in a modern car. The back-brim gets in the way. I believe this is why baseball hats are still popular while no other hats are — baseball hats have no back brim, hence no trouble wearing them while driving.
I’ve worn a fedora since the late 80s, when I was in my teens (yes, I’m an odd one). they’re hard to find these days, because there are fewer men’s specialty stores than ever before — nice hats are hard to come by.
I worked with a lady that makes great men’s hats in all of these styles. You should check them out:
http://www.harlemsheaven.com/hats-mens
She was one of the companies in the Clinton Foundation’s Urban Entrepreneur Initiative.
I have worn hats for about 13 years now and I have in my collection a trilby, a fedora, my trusty bowler for windy and cold winter days, an akubra, an a variation on the pork pie which my milliner in Cologne made for me.
I very well agree that hats should return, it might make people dress up better.
Nice article.
You left out: Never put your hat on the bed. (Bad luck, similar to opening an umbrella in the house.)
@Leisureguy:
I’ve never heard that one before Leisureguy. Thanks for sharing!
@Brant:
Thanks for sharing the link!
All that, and not a word on the boonie cap, a true 20th century original.
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Excellent article! Except, of course, for this last bit of nonsense: “Remove your hat during the national anthem and place it over your heart.”
For a woman, perhaps. In the name of idolatry? Never.
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A hat is a damned nuisance. Suppose you go out to eat wearing a hat. You can’t wear the damned thing while you’re eating, but there’s no place to put it. You can’t put it on the table. You can’t put it under your chair without getting it crushed. Got to a movie & it’s the same thing.
In the 1930’s & 40’s they had the infrastructure for taking care of hats (i.e., the hatcheck girl). Hatcheck girls have largely disappeared & unless they make a comeback (and they won’t), then hats aren’t practical.
I disagree that the decline of hat-wearing correlates with the rise of materialism. The decline of hats correlates with the decline of manners.
Why not bring back the codpiece, while we’re at it.
Not a fan of men without hats?
I think you got part of the National Anthem etiquette wrong. As a matter of etiquette, you should remove your hat during the anthem, but neither one’s hand nor one’s hat should be placed of the heart. That is for the Pledge of Allegiance.
As a matter of principle, I agree with Bill.
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I have been wearing hats for about a decade now. However in anticipation of a comeback in fashion I am growing out my hair and thinking of what headwear I can get rid of. We contrarians have to watch the barometer of style just like everyone else.
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Yes, if a lady enters the elevator…the hat should be removed.
To All you Hatless Hoi Polloi:
To answer the question: Why don’t men wear hats today? They’re just too damn expensive. You can’t get a decent hat for less than $250. I know the dollar is being debauched by the gang in D.C., but geez, $250?
I’ve worn hats for decades, both in summer and winter. Wouldn’t be caught dead without one. In fact, I wear a different hat every day of the work week. I am the only guy in downtown Denver that wears a hat consistently. People look at me rather strangely; the women look and smile. I have the fedora, the Homberg, two in fact, and a rancher’s 4X. As for the hat reappearing, I doubt it. This is the age of informality, immorality and total ignorance about what is really going on in the U.S.A. The mass man uniform is the uniform of the day, blue jeans, white sneakers and a short-sleeved polo shirt. Sic transit gloria!
In the last few years, I’ve come across these two brief pieces on the social importance of hats:
“The Thing About Hats” by Dale Meador
How headwear creates opportunities no other garment affords
http://www.pastordale.com/articles.asp?specific=16
“Use your head” by Theodore Dalrymple
Wearing proper hats — not hoods or woollen beanies — could encourage self-respect and civility in the young
The question is, is a society that countenances young punks’ “sagging” and their chickies sporting “dangerously low” jeans to flaunt their thongs too far gone for hat wearing to ever be a common practice again?
At any rate, I now add your offering to my “hats collection” … Thx!!
Oops …
“Use your head” by Theodore Dalrymple
Wearing proper hats — not hoods or woollen beanies — could encourage self-respect and civility in the young
http://www.spectator.co.uk/the-magazine/cartoons/14589/use-your-head.thtml
I’m in my mid-1940s and have worn a fedora or variation for more than 20 years–even before my hair began to recede–in part to look more the part when beginning as a journalist. I flirted with hat wearing in college, too.
Hats add dash, class and distinction, and finish off a “look.” I wear mine enough that around my town I am “the guy who wears that hat.” And my wife can locate me better in crowds.
I also find that late at night, in some establishments, young women who are sufficiently into their enjoyment, all the sudden find my hat attractive and want to wear it while dancing. I have to watch this; the hat could walk off on somebody else’s pretty head. And some women look smashing in brimmed hats.
My wife also inherited a couple of straw trilbys from her Mississippi grandfather that I love, but she is disinclined to let me wear them as they are, well, quite old.
I try to follow the rules about hats in various public spaces, except in crowded galleries and such, or where there isn’t a nearby hat hook. I consider corridors and elevators outdoors. Once I get to where I’m going, the hat for the most part goes elsewhere and off my noggin. I don’t see the complaints about where to put the hat indoors; I’ve stowed my hat under my seat in restaurants often enough. Yes, your hair can get messy–this is why the marvelous comb is good to carry.
I’ve bought of my favorite hats at vintage stores, where some repros cost less than $60. I couldn’t spend $250 on a hat.
Film.geeks.tahoe mentioned the three-cornered hat. I wore those, too, when doing living history and had one made, still have it, and wear it for parties and such. My wife painted me wearing it for a recent exhibition. (http://amieoliver.net/)
@Frank-
Thank you for those great links. I couldn’t quite put my finger on exactly what makes hats so fantastic, but those articles articulated it perfectly. Since we’ve now covered the “how” of hats, I think I will incorporate those articles into a follow-up post that will explain the “whys” of hat wearing.
I’m a hat guy. I have a hard time not buying a hat whenever I’m in a hat store or see a hat vendor. Although none are particularly expensive, they are fun to wear. A good place for some interesting head wear is at a Jazz fest. I have a pork pie hat for the Monterey Jazz Fest. Although the topic is hats, what about berets and caps? John Wayne wore a beret (a green one). The baseball cap often is the acceptable headgear for movie directors for some reason.
I’ve been wearing a flat brim cap, and occaisionally my Stetson (cowboy hat), for a couple years now. I also have a corn cob pipe which I carry with me from time to time, also for about two years. Consider me ahead of the curve!
I wear a hat all the time. Unfortunately, I don’t usually follow hat etiquette because my particular hat leaves a mushroom-like shape to my hair. What I’d like to see is an article about keeping your hair presentable under a hat.
I love my trilby, but I have had so much criticism because I wear a trenchcoat with it. My mrs says she won’t go out with me dressed like that and says I get strange looks and I look wierd, someone told me I look homosexual, althugh 2 ppl say I look very smart, others say it looks ridiculous….its a damn shame because I love the dress code of the 50s 60s press/business/private detective style. Maybe I am pushing it a bit for 2008, I would like your honest opinions, I am thick skinned and can take a lot of flak before being offended, so fire away, I need o find a level of acceptance for this dress code/statement.
http://www.telewester.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/images/TrTr.jpg
I love my trilby, but I have had so much criticism because I wear a trenchcoat with it. I have been called a flasher. My mrs says she won’t go out with me dressed like that and says I get strange looks and I look wierd, someone told me I look homosexual, although some ppl say I look very smart, others say it looks ridiculous….its a damn shame because I love the dress code of the 50s 60s press/business/private detective style. Maybe I am pushing it a bit for 2008, I would like your honest opinions, I am thick skinned and can take a lot of flak before being offended, so fire away, I need o find a level of acceptance for this dress code/statement.
http://www.telewester.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/images/TrTr.jpg
Speaking as the owner of a wide variety of hats, with a preference for fedoras, I’m happy to see proper headgear getting its deserved nod on this blog of manliness. I do hope it sees a resurgence, I’ve been saying it’ll come back for a couple years now. Though perhaps that’s just wishful thinking on my fashion-deprived part.
I wear a beret that I bought in Italy (over 2 years ago) almost every day. I’m an artist, but despite the cliche, no one seems to wear them anymore. But for me, it’s comfortable, flexible and has become a signature item.
Keeping the crease: Oh yes ! I’ve been an advocate for wearing hats, in particular the good old Fedora ever since my teens in the 80’s. As you said: it’s not only stilish, its first of all especially functional. I’ve owned a great white Stetson, a Black Gatsby and some others and wore’m all to shreds. After a few sad Fedora-less years (hard to find a good – second hand – hat: key is the exact right size) Many a person has asked me:”How do you keep the characteristic shape so well defined ? We’ve tried everything from starch and careful only touching the sides to clothespins and what all, but it allways loses the shape in wich it was bought”.
The answer is so obviously simple: It’s also a just plain functional consequence of the proper way to handle it. You said:”Pick it up by the top to lift”, this doesn’t go for a Fedora. The key is, as I’ve learned from Bogart long ago (You should also write an article about manly smoking: Humph has the perfect technique which I learned to master) to pick it up from the front, also when handling it putting it on or of (never pick it by the brim, it makes it sloppy): Thumb in one dent, middle finger in the other, index finger in the valley. Presto !
Love the website !
After: …”a few sad Fedora-less years…” it should have said:”I am now again the proud owner of an amazing green velvet German make.
The reason the hat will never come back is that we shower daily and wash our hair. Men in the early decades of this century bathed maybe once per week, if that much. It was seen as vain to bath more often. The hair was greased/brylcreem and hats were worn as a type of cover. This has seen a resurgence in the 90’s with the gel- combed forward hair cover by ball caps to keep the hair protected. It’s a wet look thing unlikely to return
This is music to my ears. Hats are starting to show up everywhere. Guys like Clooney and Pitt are making the traditional Fedora’s and Caps look great again!!! It is just ashame that many of the better hat makers have gone away. At least hatmakers like Borsalino, Biltmore and Stetson are still around to see this.
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In Regards To the Flat Hat,
I think we should get all our priests wearing those again ala Bing Crosby/Father O’Malley in “Going My Way.” Seriously, the black cassock/flathat combo has not yet been surpassed from what I’ve seen in terms of general classiness, approachability, eccentricity and all around awesomeness.
Hmm, I would say that what Sinatra is wearing above isa trilby, not a fedora. The distinction is in the size (width) of the brim.
I’d have to say that the fedora has risen and died again, thanks to hipsters. it’s no longer trend setting, just irritating.
I might have to go with porkpie.
One of the most fun hats left out from here is the scally cap.
Often worn by the Irish in the years past, you have to have a certain attitude and look to wear it, and if you do it is badass
I would like to see a scally cap, would you by any chance have a pic of one or link? Was this the one that had a pip in the top and looked like a flattened pumpkin?
Found them, but I’m not impressed. They appear to be no different than what old men wear in the country for the toffs.
I thought they would have been more like those big things with pips in the middle that they wore in Chicago in the 20s
Where can I purchase a flat cap like the ones in the picture?
@Michael-
I’m a fan of dadshats.com. Good selection and a wide variety of quality and price.
I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE MY OWN HATS
i lik the hats they are very cool
Sometimes guys look ugly in flat caps. But sometimes they can really pull it off.
http://www.roo7oman.com/vb
Nothing can impart personality except having one. That is the heart of being a man.
I think the hats went away when dressing up went away. People used to get dressed up to got out to eat, to go see a movie, to go to a baseball game, going to church. That just doesn’t happen anymore. I actually wouldn’t mind putting on a suit to go out.
I agree with all that Ethan Shuster has to add. I also recall when the dress-down era started, 1965. We all, as early 20 year olds wore sport coat, or suits, when we went out. I wore a suit to work. But even then hats were not in style for our age group. The era that fought WWII still wore hats, and perhape the transition to the youth culture, is what sounded the death null to this item.
As a practical matter for me a hat has been a necessity when the temperature gets below 25. It has always amused me how people will go bareheaded in these cold temperatures to remain true to what they believe is their style.
If you have a healthy head of hair, why would you cover it up?
I am 30 and have taken to wearing khakis/button shirt/tie/fedora or flat hat to work and, let me tell you…it WORKS. I get compliments constantly. And, to be honest, I get treated differently in public. People say “sir” and things of that nature. You feel as if you have more gravitas. I have always done hats (for about 12 years since college…we had a J. Press that had an excellent hat collection) but the whole ensemble is both easy to pull off, cheap (old navy khakis and some dress shirts from macys), and BOOM…you are distinctive in a crowd.
“Obviously you cannot pair a fedora with jeans and a polo. They are only an appropriate accent for dressier outfits”
Sombody forgot to tell Indiana Jones.
I have everyday a hat on. I don’t leave the house without one
http://www.flickr.com/photos/retro_mark/1934806882/in/set-72157600948185052/
Greetings: Mark Davids
Of course men should wear hats!
Its what completes the outfit of anyone with style.
I’m a lady and I leave house rarely without wearing a hat.
Of all the manly men pictured above, only Gene Hackman and Al Pacino are still alive.
Don’t wear a hat … unless you want to die.
I have a federoa I won from my friend. I don’t wear it as often asI’d like to but I still think its one of my best accesories. I recently started wearing it more often because of my interest in Tom Waits, Brett I’d like to ask your opinion on him. you seem to have good taste in music. i’m saying this in regards to all your Sinatra references.
I look ridiculous in baseball caps, beanies, flat caps, etc.
I stepped into Bernie Utz Hats here in Seattle and tried on a few “stingy-brim” fedoras, finding one that looked good. It rains here incessantly, but rarely hard enough to justify an umbrella; even a stingy brim keeps it off my glasses.
I’ve picked up a couple more there, including a Borsalino and a Bailey straw fedora that will hopefully spare me from skin cancer.
“Obviously you cannot pair a fedora with jeans and a polo. They are only an appropriate accent for dressier outfits�
Sombody forgot to tell Indiana Jones.
…or me. A stingy-brim fedora works well enough with jeans and a polo to garner me compliments everywhere I go. Bernie Utz gives you a little crack-bag full of feathers of various colors. It drives women wild when your feather matches the polo. I don’t know why – it just does.
@Tom-I actually would take back that bit of advice now. I’ve started wearing my fedora with jeans and t-shirts and I openly admit it looks great. I might have to try the feather thing too.
Thanks for great article.
We are running on-line hat shop http://www.HatsFromOZ.com.au and were mainly concentrating on ladies fashion hats. Our men’s range is somewhat limited, but we will be working on it.
So many ideas of new “old” styles!
Hope you don’t mind if I place a link to this article on our site.
I’m a young man. At only 21 years old, in college, I’m surrounded perpetually with other young men that don’t even begin to understand the subtleties of men’s fashion and manners. I began wearing a hat a few years back and have gotten nothing but positive feedback about it. I have even began to encourage others to look for hats appropriate for their face shapes.
I absolutely love this site and all of it’s goings-on. Great job.
Thanks for reading. I’m glad you like the site and I’m happy you’re helping bring back the hat.
It’s funny…. some people think hats are terribly outdated, but like you, whenever I wear mine I get nothing but compliments on it.
“Bringing back the Hat” is a great article…. I’m glad I looked back at it, as I just recently joined this Great site. I agree somewhat that hairstyles have something to do with it and I one reason to purchase was to protect my buzzed head (temporary thing). Personally I have never worn a hat, because I never found one that looked right on me. Thanks to Brett I found a wonderful little hat shop in historic downtown Tulsa and I am now the proud owner of a Borsalino Straw Fedora, and I plan to purchase others. I wore it for the 1st time yesterday and got MANY compliments, from both ladies and men. I think the straw can be paired with nice jeans and a nice shirt and it definitely can define your look.. I’m posting a pic/link of me with my new hat.
http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii53/greasy_kidstuff/MyNewBorsalinoHatpurchasedon8-21-08.jpg
Men in baseball caps, on backwards, etc. make me nuts. I saw a guy, had to be 35 years old. He was normal looking, if you accept his earrings and his backward baseball cap and stupid short pants (not shorts) and unlaced tennis shoes. He was shopping at Wal-Mart with an attractive looking wife and two boys about 10 years old. He looked stupid and juvenile.
Baseball caps in nice restaurants or the theater; do I have permission to knock that stupid piece of crap off your stupid head?
What about berets? I don’t mean that armoured kangol thing Jamie Hyneman from “Mythbusters” wears, but a simple, soft Basque-style beret..
And you young fellers, unless you’re part of the “Artificial Alopecia is COOL” herd (head shavers) don’t know about how much getting the top of your naturally-occurring “Friar tuck” fried by the sun hurts…
I wear a broad-brimmed cotton duck hat w/a ventilated crown my Friend bought for me at the farm store. Won’t go out on a sunny day without it.
The Fedora is the best hat because of its good look and that it was worn commonly by gangsters. I’m a gangster, so I’d know.
By the way don’t listen to John of Indiana’s advice
Thanks for reading. I’m glad you like the site and I’m happy you’re helping bring back the hat
The Fedora is the best hat because of its good look and that it was worn commonly by gangsters. I’m a gangster, so I’d know.
دردشه
http://www.roo7oman.com
I have worn a fedora with boots, jeans, and a dress shirt. It works. Jeans go just fine with a fedora for a western look.
It’s a cover, not a hat and the real men of the US MARINE CORPS are never without theirs. Your cover completes your outfit men; It keeps the sun out of your eyes too.
Fedoras are awesome. Everyone should wear them. I can’t believe some of the ignorant comments on this page – “real men don’t accessorize” – WTF!?!? It’s a hat, not a matching purse. Christ. I’m sure that’s the kind of person who wears flip-flops to a restaurant.
And yes they work with jeans. But they have to be slim fitting jeans, not baggy or too light-colored. You can wear them with any outfit as long as the outfit is neat and clean.
Hats, I love hats I am a 52 yr old Englishman and my Dad always wore a Trilby and looked so good in it he pulled more women than I ever had. He did base himself on Frank Sinatra and with his blue eyes did actualy look like him. So I bought myself a trilby and I do look good in it much the same as my father, but unlike him in the fifties and sixties I cant wear it day to day in the street because people would think I am wierd, but saying that as you get older you can get away with it.
Bring back HATS. All the best Alan.
( better known as Al the hat)
I’m glad to see hats are making a serious comeback. In my area, historically fedoras weren’t just for businessmen. Many a farmer in my area from before Great Depression up through the 1960’s wore a fedora in his work clothes for the practical reasons of keeping the sun off of his head, out of his eyes, and off his ears and neck.
Because of that, I see nothing wrong with wearing a fedora in jeans, but I do think if you are going to wear one, you do need to at least either lose the T-shirt and go with a button-up shirt, or wear a jacket with the fedora, preferably in a matching color. I think your shoes should match the jacket and fedora in color too, but they don’t necessarily have to be dressy.
So as a college student who wears mostly jeans and t-shirts, what type of hat should I purchase? I’ve been looking to get one with a little more class than a baseball cap, but can’t find a good one.
@Adam
Hat or no, lose the T Shirt! You’re going to be a working professional in a few years, and now is the time to start looking like it. Even for casual days, there are a whole host of easy alternatives that put you on a whole other level than jeans and tshirt: Polos, rugby etc. A step above would a dress shirt plus jeans and decent shoes (athletic shoes are for athletics). It will get you noticed by professors, and (even better) the ladies.
For the hats above, you do really need a coat of some kind, but that doesn’t mean you have to go all pin-stripe and pocket-pocket square. Any of the name brands (from Old Navy to RL Polo) sell casual type jackets for not too much, twill or corduroy, for instance. Jackets go with dress shirts (tie or no), never polos.
As for hats, look online. A modest wool felt hat will cost $35 or so. Don’t buy one that is sized by S M L, buy one sized in fractions of inches. Fur felt will be $100+. For your casual college guy look, consider a cheap panama hat (white woven straw – classy summer hat). Don’t bother committing a fortune for now, figure out what works for you first.
@Alex-
A flat cap or a casual looking trilby work very well with a t-shirt and jeans.
@Adam –
I know someone’s already told you to lose the jeans and t-shirt, but I disagree. Currently, these are legitimate fashion options, although who knows how long that will last. It is especially effective if worn with an interesting and well-chosen belt. Check out the Guess line for reference as to what is currently being worn, and then avoid Guess because it’s pretentious crap.
As for a hat, a flat cap is perfect. The ones pictured above are a product of their era and are hideously oversized by today’s standards. A decent tweed cap worn over short hair, especially if you can pull off sideburns and some five o’clock shadow, is an excellent accessory to upscale casual clothing. I see urban professionals and DJs pull the look off all the time. I can’t usually do it myself, because I wear my hair somewhat long and shaggy, and it sticks out the bottom of a cap in an unbecoming way.
Good luck finding un beau chapeau.
hats seem to go back just a few years…this “trend” is nothing more than
a rehash of the same old thing, which seemed to work. baseball caps are
not hats to be worn by anyone either older than 8 yrs.,or people not playing
baseball. look around at the others wearing baseball caps, and tell me if
you want to look this stupid. As for the rest of the juvenile come-backs in this
amazingly dull blog, 90% of you are obviously completely unaware of the
history of mens’ fashion-a photo of each of you would assuredly prove me right
on that point… long story short-grow up, kids, and dress like a man. Life’s too
short to dress like a slob.
i think hats are a very cool fashion and i think it is a shame that not many people wear them because people look cool when they wear them. i have a trilby at home and i feel cool as when i wear it
I am a woman and I find men that wear hats properly very manly and sexy…I am also young (26). Men really should wear hats if they look good in them.
totally agree, hats are awsome. i have an indiana jones fedora that i love to wear with my outfits, it really is very cool and i could give a crap what other ppl think. btw, i was a model a couple years ago so i am considered attractive by many, which i was blessed with, so i think that i make my hat look good on me, but i agree not everyone today can get away with wearing a hat, you have to have that look.
Hats are cool. Keep your head warm and the sun
out of your eyes too.
thanks from tony
I’ve been wearing a flat cap since 1975 when I visited Chicago and the taxi driver had a nice little dark brown suede one on, and took me to where he bought it. I wear them mostly during the cold months, and have a pretty nice select few. Whether it’s the scottish wool with ear flaps,or the newer Coleman wool and cashmere. I have an old fedora for the rain, as well as beaver felt shortbrim, or porkpie. I have plenty of hair up top, but nothing keeps you warm like a nice hat.
Writing from the north of England. I love hats, and the suit/overcoat/silk scarf/hat look suits me and looks manly. I tend to wear a dark fedora of trilby in colder weather, and a black and white interwoven straw hat in the summer. I’ve always admired Frank Sinatrs’s style, and my Dad, who was the most manly man you’d ever meet had a selection of brimmed type hats, so a few years ago I took the plunge with a dark grey fedora. Now, despite still having a full head of hair, I rarely leave the house without a suitable hat. If you haven’t got one, give it a go.
On the National Anthem:
SALUTING the FLAG in CIVILIAN CLOTHING: Public Law 110-181, Section 594: signed by the President 28 January 2008. SEC. 594. CONDUCT BY MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES AND VETERANS OUT OF UNIFORM DURING HOISTING, LOWERING, OR PASSING OF UNITED STATES FLAG. Section 9 of title 4, United States Code, is amended by striking “all persons present” and all that follows through the end of the section and inserting the following: “all persons present in uniform should render the military salute. Members of the Armed Forces and veterans who are present but not in uniform may render the military salute. All other persons present should face the flag and stand at attention with their right hand over the heart, or if applicable, remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart. Citizens of other countries present should stand at attention. All such conduct toward the flag in a moving column should be rendered at the moment the flag passes”.
For all of you knuckledraggers that take the piss out of men wearing hats in England, think again, National service is on its way back!!!!!
I just happened to buy a black fedora at a second hand store a few years ago. The hat was identical to one my grandfather left me (and I later lost at college) when he died back in the 60’s.( I was just a child then but always wore Grandpas hat when he put it on the hat rack) This hat is vintage 40’s and looks like it could have come from MGM’s wardrobe dept. I started wearing it for practical purposes ( keeping wind, rain, snow and cold at bay) but starting wearing it more often after all the compliments I received from people. Women love the look with an overcoat and tie and men either compliment me or shoot me a jealous look of disgust because they either do not have the balls or the goods to pull off such a look. BUY A HAT AND WATCH YOUR LUCK WITH THE LADIES GO OFF THE CHARTS!
My man wears hats almost every day, all sorts. I find it very attractive to see him in them, and he carries it off well. Whether he’s in his homburg, fedora, summer straw, his Russian fur in the winter, his irish cap, or his western stetson, he comes of rather debonair…
I have a collection of flat caps that I wear almost every day. I used to get a few looks when I started wearing them about 8 years ago or so, but I noticed that I don’t get many lately. I’ve seen more and more hats about lately, so I guess people are getting used to them again.
In this day and age where ugly rubber clogs with holes in them is a “hot shoe”, people visit the President wearing flip-flops into the Oval Office, and guys wear pants with half of their underwear showing; I don’t see any room for any sort of hat that doesn’t have the logo of some sports team/Nascar person.
Check out this kid’s effort, sponsored by Stetson, to bring the hat back at the prez inauguration and raise money for childrens cancer charity at the same time. HatForObama.com.
I disagree with your assertion that fedoras cannot be worn with jeans and a polo. For years, American men wore fedoras with anything. They even wore them as work hats. I fedora – especially a straw one – could be perfectly fine with jeans and polos. I wear panama-style fedoras with shorts and polos.
My guy wears lots of hats. I also wear lots of hats. It’s fun, it’s stylish, and many times it’s practical. We get tons of compliments. We enjoy it. We don’t care if it’s in fashion or not. We do it because we want to.
Do you think I can pull off a fedora with a button up shirt, rolled up sleeves, nice jeans, and loafers? I understand why I cannot do it with a tshirt or polo shirt, but once you add a button up shirt, it seems more appropriate.
Great Post, hats are the coolest accessory a man can wear.
Here a nice post about Frank’s Hat
http://www.dominichalpin.com/site/Franks_Hat.html
I wear a suit and tie everyday and my wife has suggested I wear a hat (she bought me 3 for Christmas). I wear them to church (removing inside of course) and for social events but have resisted wearing them to work as no one else wears one. She says they complete my outfits and I should wear them every day.
Opinions? By the way they are Hombergs. I also got a bowler from my inlaws.
The only other hat I usually wear is my top hat to go with my white tie.
I appreciate advice on this.
Wow, there’s alot of debate here over this topic.
I don’t always wear a hat, but do sometimes wear baseball caps(never backwards) and last fall acquired a nice, new, black fedora to wear for the winter.
I’ve gotten many comments; all positive. I guess it’s a good look for me. I wear it with just about anything. It makes me feel like Bogart, and I’ve been told I have a classic 1940’s style about myself.
For anyone interested in this hat, it’s a Bailey of Hollywood and the model is the “Carson”. It’s a purchase I don’t regret.
I am dying to know what type of fedora James Edgar Olmos wears in the film American Me. Its a straw styled fedora and is worn in modern films by Latino gang members . Its straw and the brim is down. I can not find one for the life of me. Please help if possible.
I rodeo professional and ranch. As such I wear a cowboy hat. However my hats are often custom made of pure beaver (for winter/cooler months), and high quality panama straw for the s6mmer months. My hats are always neatly shaped (I do it myself this in of itslef seems like a lost art).
I personally find it more than annoying when someone wears a cowboy hat improperly. (Backwards is the worst, the front of the hat is the side with the narrow shape in the brim, the buckle or bow of the hat band should also always be ont he left side of the head).
I also can’t stand the newer fad with cheap causal looking cowboy hats that frat guys/girls seem to love to wear to any sort of outdoor event/ country music concert.
I can stand these types of hats and for people who do wear actual cowboy hats and have a knowledge of them its more than a little insulting when these people seem to associate their hats with yours.
As for etiquette I take my hat off for curch and the national anthem. Thats about it. I really don’t care how “high class” a restaruant is I do not feel like placing a $1,000 custom made hat on the ground or a rack or somewhere else to be stolen or damaged.
Wearing fedoras and such is a fine line. Some people look cool, others come off as douches. Reading some of the comments, I’d say there’s both going on right now.
I got this nice black fedora from my father who no longer wheres it and I simply love it. My fiance doesn’t care much for it but I have gotten nothing but good feedback from others regarding its looks. It is black felt with a checkered black band around it and super comfortable and on top of that it is a nice change from my usual baseball cap. Contrary to what a previous post says, fedoras (while not traditionally) can be worn with a nice pair of jeans and even a t-shirt. I often wear mine this way with a casual black jacket and it looks very nice.
A very thought provoking article. I have been wearing hats since the mid 80s, and have always received compliments from both genders. Clearly, it works wonders if one is wearing a bespoke suit or smart clothes. Two weeks ago I found a homburg in mint condition in a second hand shop, and I cannot wait to see the reaction of my friends.
One interesting fact I have discovered, are the amount of women who will want to put my hat on. Just watch the fashion industry try to make hat wearing for men the “new” thing, especially after the impact of the excellent “Mad Men” series.
Forget about the likes of Zac Effron etc, Don Draper is more likely to have a bigger and longer lasting influence…..
I cannot agree with you hat fans.
I’m 46, and my father wore a beaver hat all his life — but he was born in 1914 and was well into adulthood when Bogart was a box-office mainstay.
But now? I’m sorry, but you guys look ridiculous. It’s an affectation and it screams “Look at me; I’m a nerd.” You might as well go around wearing a Starfleet tunic or speaking Klingon.
If you’re under 70, you’ve got no business wearing any hat other than a baseball cap (but please – never backwards) or a cowboy hat. (And don’t wear the latter unless you’ve got some crops to bring in or some cattle to manage.)
hi great article.
I rock the Jughead beanie and get nothing but positive reactions from both sexes. i also eschew my generation’s (i am 29) habit of wearing the baseball cap practically falling off on the side of the head.
Jughead beanies get you laid…
I wear hats all the time. I have differnt colors and styles for different occasions. I always get great compliments. I think if you are wearing the hat because you like it, then great. But if you’re wearing one trying to be “cool” you’re just going to look stupid.
Women look great in hats too. My wife was always against hats she said he face was to round. However I got her a couple and she started wearing them and getting compliments. Now, she has more hats than I do. Wears them every Sunday and has a hat that matches ever over coat. It looks classy and lady like. I hope our daughter likes hats too.
I can’t stand twats who don’t remove their hat during national anthems. And not just their own. If you’re at a sporting event or somewhere where they play multiple anthems, take your hat off and remain standing for all anthems. It’s a sign of respect.
Great article. Just want to second that Summer-wear for anywhere warm should include a straw Panama hat. Can be worn with anything other than a T-shirt. And why wear a T-shirt in public anyway?
Awesome article!
I spent a year looking for a good fedora – I have a big head, and could never find anything bigger then a medium. Finally, I was a Virgin Records in Hollywood (just before they closed down) and found an amazing black w/white pinstripes fedora made by Quicksilver. It has their logo embroidered (sp?) on the left side, just before the pinch and a smaller silver logo on the band above the brim.
I wear it pretty much everywhere I go – when I’m at work it hangs off the corner of my monitor (which only works if you have some form of flat panel) and looks very slick. At home it hangs off the corner of a chair behind my computer – again, looking very slick. Being in Southern California it’s mostly used to keep the sun out of my eyes, but on the few occasions when it’s actually rained it’s been a life saver.