Want to buy or sell something? Check the classifieds
  • The Fedora Lounge is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

The nicest comment I ever heard

steppenwolph

Familiar Face
Messages
59
Location
Middle of the Mitten
I was out with my wife at Victory, a local brew pub. It is a very 'hip' and casual place, so I kept my hat, a grey Optimo porkpie, on my head as my wife and I chatted and sipped an ale. One of the musicians playing there (it was some kind of open mike night then) stopped at our table on his way up to the stage to say that I was wearing the best hat he had ever seen. I told him that it was made in Chicago, and we had a nice conversation about a blues festival he attended there, where he had purchased the cap (a ballcap with a logo) that he was wearing. 'But yours is a lot nicer than mine,' he said as he walked up to the stage. My first compliment from a total stranger!
 

Phoenix_400

New in Town
Messages
9
Location
NC
Well, I suppose I can't call it the nicest yet. Today was my first day of becoming a true mad-hatter. Wore my Run A Muck hat to work today. Got 1 compliment and 1 "WHAT IS THA....I'm really startin' to wonder about you." lol

One of my friends (the wife of another friend) saw me when we both stopped into his work to visit during lunch break. She walks up behind me (as I had gotten there first) and immediately yells "BING!". Apparently I remind her of Bing Crosby with the hat. She's decided its going to be my new nickname...I can live with that. :D
 

Neophyte

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,445
Location
Chattanooga, TN
Earlier today, I was shopping at the grocery store. I was at the checkout lane, and a family (mother and two sons) was in front of me. While the mother was paying for her groceries, the eldest son (about 10 years old), said "That guy has a cool hat. Can I have one like that, Mommy!"
I told the kid that it was an Akubra Federation IV hat from Australia, and the mother told her son that they weren't going all the way too the other side of the world to get him a hat, and then gave me a look that said "Don't encourage him" (it was not a friendly face, I'll tell you that). I decided not to mention anything else. So...I guess it was the nicest comment I've heard so far.

It was amusing to say the least. :D :D :D :D :D
 

B.J. Hedberg

Practically Family
Messages
528
Location
Minnesota
My favorite comment came just this past winter as I left a bookstore at the mall wearing my navy Dobbs.

As I walked down the hall an older gentleman ran up behind me and grabbed my arm. I turned around to find the man apologizing for stopping me, and stating that he just wanted to let me know how sharp I looked in that hat. He went on to say that he used to wear hats all the time in his youth, and didn’t know why he stopped, but that he knew he never should have. Then he shook my hand and went on his way.

Whenever I think about that gentleman I always hope that he went out and found himself a new hat.

- B.J.
 

danofarlington

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,122
Location
Arlington, Virginia
Phoenix_400 said:
Well, I suppose I can't call it the nicest yet. Today was my first day of becoming a true mad-hatter. Wore my Run A Muck hat to work today. Got 1 compliment and 1 "WHAT IS THA....I'm really startin' to wonder about you." lol

One of my friends (the wife of another friend) saw me when we both stopped into his work to visit during lunch break. She walks up behind me (as I had gotten there first) and immediately yells "BING!". Apparently I remind her of Bing Crosby with the hat. She's decided its going to be my new nickname...I can live with that. :D
I'd take that.
 

Bruce Wayne

My Mail is Forwarded Here
I sat down to eat lunch today at the local restaurant & I was seated in a booth next to a group of older men & ladies (80s & 90s if I was to guess). One lady noticed me when I came thru the door, watched as I went thru the front entrance area. When I came to the dining area I took off my new Adnventurebilt that I was wearing & took a seat at the booth. The lady who noticed me complimented me on my "pretty fedora" & mentioned how I doffed it at the proper point in the establishment. When it was all said & done, they were all in agreement that it was good to see someone of the younger generation getting back into "proper headwear." That pretty much made my day. :)
 

Wyrd

Familiar Face
Messages
52
Location
United kingdom, England.
I got two comments in one day, people commenting on my lowly outback hat. first a somewhat mental but friendly (possibly homeless) man on the street said "thats a cool hat!" the second of the same day was in a bookstore and a guy my age or younger in a trilby came upto me and stated "hey sorry, this may sound strange coming from a stranger but that hat is really nice!" lol.

Also ive overheard some guys say "i want a hat like that" when ive walked past them in my jaxon fed,and a similair comment in my bowler. so far the good comments have out weighed the bad. but we shall see.
 

The Good

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,361
Location
California, USA
Wyrd said:
I got two comments in one day, people commenting on my lowly outback hat. first a somewhat mental but friendly (possibly homeless) man on the street said "thats a cool hat!" the second of the same day was in a bookstore and a guy my age or younger in a trilby came upto me and stated "hey sorry, this may sound strange coming from a stranger but that hat is really nice!" lol.

Also ive overheard some guys say "i want a hat like that" when ive walked past them in my jaxon fed,and a similair comment in my bowler. so far the good comments have out weighed the bad. but we shall see.


Two in one day, and both good comments? That's good to hear. In my experience, all of the positive comments have outweighed any negatives. Really, if you're not afraid to wear a hat that's different from the norm, you'll likely be complimented for "pulling it off" well by friendly strangers.
 

thebroker

One of the Regulars
Messages
108
Location
Middlesboro, KY
Several months ago after investing in my first Panama OR, a dear friend of mine who is in her seventies said to me "I never realized until I saw you just now in that Open Road hat how much you look like my Daddy. Come to think of it, you act a lot like him too.". Her father was a decorated US Marshal and local legend...a man I've heard so many great things about and looked up to over the years although I never got to know him. I was honored that a new hat sparked a memory like that with her and caused her to compare me to such a great man.

Also, recently, a local political leader who I have a tremendous amount of respect for, took my hat off the rack at City Hall and told me how sharp it was, and tried it on. He said I was a sharp dresser, and he wished he had a hat like mine. I went home and ordered one for him right away. :)
 

Pompidou

One Too Many
Messages
1,242
Location
Plainfield, CT
Lately, I find I need to carry a pen and pad anywhere I go, because I get asked all the time, "Where did you get your hat?" Then I write down a couple of addresses - delmonicohatter.com if they want to shop premade, or vintagesilhouettes.com if they want custom. I doubt any of the people I've referred made any purchases, though. They doubletaked at even the 150.00 of a premade hat, and needed a chair when we got into the 300+ price range. Who knows...
 

Elgin1924

New in Town
Messages
49
Location
New Zealand
I get a lot of comments from older people.

Come to think of it, some of them seem a bit supicious of me. I walked past an older man today (with a flat cap and moustache), and the look he gave just screamed "Whatever will they think of next."
 

The Good

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,361
Location
California, USA
Elgin1924 said:
I get a lot of comments from older people.

Come to think of it, some of them seem a bit supicious of me. I walked past an older man today (with a flat cap and moustache), and the look he gave just screamed "Whatever will they think of next."


Coincidentally, most of my compliments, let alone comments directed towards me wearing a hat, are actually from older people, or college-aged girls at or around my own age. I can't recall receiving compliments from too many guys my age, or even middle aged men though. I do however go out of my way sometimes to compliment another person for wearing a nice hat.
 

Nick D

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,166
Location
Upper Michigan
I was at the department party for one of my colleagues who just recieved her PhD, wearing a grey db suit with black cap-toe shoes and a blue '30s tie (had my bowler too, but that was set aside). One of the other students just finishing his MA told me I was the most dapper person he's ever known.
 

Yeps

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,456
Location
Philly
J B said:
Coincidentally, most of my compliments, let alone comments directed towards me wearing a hat, are actually from older people, or college-aged girls at or around my own age. I can't recall receiving compliments from too many guys my age, or even middle aged men though. I do however go out of my way sometimes to compliment another person for wearing a nice hat.

Most of my compliments come from middle aged to elderly black women. I have no idea why this is. Also older black men, but a little less. Most white people don't compliment my hats as much. *Please don't take this as racism, it is just an interesting observation, not a judgment of any kind.*
 

B.J. Hedberg

Practically Family
Messages
528
Location
Minnesota
thebroker said:
Also, recently, a local political leader who I have a tremendous amount of respect for, took my hat off the rack at City Hall and told me how sharp it was, and tried it on. He said I was a sharp dresser, and he wished he had a hat like mine. I went home and ordered one for him right away. :)

:eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

Your story reminded me of the time I was down at the state capitol for a meeting. As I was perusing the statuary in my pearl Biltmore and black overcoat, a tour guide walked by and mistakenly mentioned to her group that I was a member of the House. Immediately I received several positive comments on the hat, and being a gentleman and not wanting to embarrass the guide, said thank you and moved on quickly. Of course most folks just tell politicians what they want to hear, so I may well have looked awful in that cap. :D
 

Fedora Jay

Familiar Face
Messages
80
Location
Anaheim, CA
I totally forgot, about a month ago I took my wife to the premiere of the Lion King in Costa Mesa, CA. We always dress nice when we go to the theater, her in a dress and I in an inexpensive black off-the-rack sports jacket, slacks, and dress loafes. We stopped on the way to pick up the tickets at will-call to get a program from a lady outside. She kept gushing about how good we looked all dressed up, and how much she loved my fedora, and how so few people dressed up for the theater anymore. That really made our night, especially after seeing all the people in the crowd in T-shirts and/or shorts!
 
Messages
15,276
Location
Somewhere south of crazy
So today is a nice summer day in Ohio. I meet my wife for lunch and we decide to walk down the street to a pub. I'm wearing a light-colored Open Road with diamond crease. We are stopped at the cross walk, waiting for the light to change, when a group of teens approaches, not doing anything really bad, just being boisterous as teens will be. I steel myself for a possible wisecrack about the hat.

A young girl calls out-"Hey, I like your hat--It's cute" ?cute? Anyway, I say thanks and think to myself:

Shame on me for expecting the worst from these kids.

I guess Northeast Ohio is not such a bad place to be.

What-if- I was 35 years younger?
 

Forum statistics

Threads
108,940
Messages
3,071,124
Members
54,003
Latest member
brendastoner
Top