Getting the nerve...

K.D. Lightner said:

The more you live in the future, the faster the future will arrive. It is arriving as we speak if I can discern from all the hats being worn at Inaugurations, concerts, and other events. When people begin to believe it is cool to wear a hat, they will all be wearing them. And you can tell your grandchildren you were pioneers.

karol

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What a cool way of looking at it! History has a tendency to come full-circle, so the notion of hats coming back may not be that far off.

I've been wearing a hat pretty much every day for the last 3 months. The push to do so came partly from a change in dresscode (from business casual to jacket or tie every day) and the fact that a 10 minute walk (straight into a north wind) to the bus and another 5 minutes waiting in Minnesota winter pretty much requires *some* approach to keeping your body heat trapped.

For those few who initially questioned it, explaining it as a way to keep my head warm made it easy.

Another thing to keep in mind is that, if you follow traditional ettiquette, removing your hat indoors, it isn't like it will be a permenant fixture on your head. I put mine on my head when I walk out the door and generally remove it whenever I would remove my coat. As such, when I arrive at a client site, the doctor's office or a restaurant, it's only on for a few minutes until I remove it. I think that goes a long way to removing the eccentric appearance of it. It's removed before anything other than basic greetings are done, which allows it to just be part of who you are when you walk in.

I don't draw attention to my overcoat either, so it's just a part of how I dress when going from place to place and when I'm outdoors and in public. As such, it's often the receptionist or other "front" personnel who most often see me in my hat and, otherwise, only if I put my hat on to leave will you see me putting it on in your office.

I'm not sure what I'm going to switch to once the snow melts and it's warm out. I've left the house a couple of times without the hat and apparently I've been wearing it long enough to feel completely naked without one.

Also keep in mind that I'm a web developer and live in a very blue collar area of the city, riding a bus full of blue-collar workers. This morning, I was by FAR the most formally dressed in a black hat, black overcoat, navy suit and a tie. Most others were wearing jeans and sneakers.

On the bus, I've found out that I'm both the "guy in a suit" and the "guy in a hat" along with being the "big guy who works with computers". What's that they say about no such thing as bad publicity?

I don't really wear a hat every day, but if I'm going out and I dressed really nice I will wear one. A week ago I had regional competition for my marketing club well for this you need to wear dress clothes, I also grabbed my fedora. There was a a man who worked for IBM there to be a judge. We were introduced to all the judges, I had my fedora in hand, shook his and in his hand he had a fedora as well. We began talking about hats and before long he gave me his information and was told to give him a call when I'm ready for a job interview.

Dave

Kwebs said:

There was a a man who worked for IBM there to be a judge. We were introduced to all the judges, I had my fedora in hand, shook his and in his hand he had a fedora as well. We began talking about hats and before long he gave me his information and was told to give him a call when I'm ready for a job interview.

Dave

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Very cool! Fedoras as icebreakers. I'm sure your personality had some impact, but maybe the hat gave you a bump up?

Thanks Slicksuit,

I am a nice guy , but this was just a regular introduction, his biggest complaint was that people today just didn't wear a fedora. His words were it shows some class.

Dave

For some reason, I never had to cull up the nerve to put on a fedora and walk out the door. Strangely, it was something I was instantly comfortable with doing. I know people look at me, but it just doesn't bother me. I don't know why, maybe sometimes I even like it.

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I have the same story. I bought the Dorfman Pacific Indy lid in March last year, and simply asked my friend, "Should I wear my Indy hat to school?" and she just simply replied, "Sure." So I did. The first few days, some teachers were trying to be smart and be taking role and be like "Umm...Indiana Jones?" or "Crocodile Dundee?" and I'd just play along. In fact, now most of my teachers ask me if I'm not feeling well if they see without it.
Since then, some losers trying to be smart try to make fun of the hat, which rolls off like water on a brand new Akubra. Alotta girls compliment me,though, and after vacation, a few asked if I had bought any new ones.
I think the only time i get self-conscious is if I don a suit. Even if its a pair of brown cords with a navy jacket, people talk more. I wore suspenders with a suit to school for the first time this week, and people talked, but more compliments than disses.

Sometimes, you just don't know how people will react to you, and it may be positive. Ghos7a55assin's school stories reminds me of a friend of mine whose 7 year-old son was diagnosed with a severe vision problem and had to wear glasses -- thick-lensed glasses. His mother, thinking what it was like for her generation in grade school, wept. Her son, however, walked into his 2nd grade class and the girls just about attacked him "You look like Harry Potter!", they exclaimed. He became instantly the most sought-after and popular boy in the class.

They may think you are aping Indy or some other cultural icon, but many people will like that. Better they think you are a hero than a thug. And most people will accept you, if not instantly, then later on when they know and like you.

karol

I bought my first hat almost three years ago... a wool fedora, 20 bucks. I am a student at a California university, so summoning the courage to wear it never really came into play. (And I am a very shy guy, so that's saying something.) Eccentricities amongst students are givens... and I guess usually attributed to rebellion and such... whatever that means.

The first comment I received after purchase was -- You look like Indiana Jones. Actually, I never saw that coming. I just thought fedoras looked cool. I'd seen the Indiana Jones trilogy in early childhood and had little memory of it. Since then, I've rewatched the trilogy a few times with renewed love... (Though I have always been a Belloq man myself...)

At first, the indy thing was okay... or even enjoyed, but it wasn't long before I got sick of it. Though I'd prefer that any day to people calling me a cowboy... while I wear a fedora. That I'll never understand. Nothing against cowboys, but... what the heck?

It wasn't long before I got a couple more hats so I'd completed my green/gray/brown necessary color rotation and was able to wear a hat every day (I'd more accurately call it 5/7 days a week.) Now, it is definitely a trademark of mine and I have since ceased to even remember that I am wearing a hat while I walk around on campus, in town, San Francisco, Oakland, Los Angeles.

Although, lately, I have been growing more and more conscious of the rest of my wardrobe when wearing a fedora. At first, the fedora/T-shirt dynamic was common with me. Lately... I can't bring myself to do it anymore and sometimes feel dirty wearing a fedora too casually. Who knows.

Jack Scorpion said:

I bought my first hat almost three years ago... a wool fedora, 20 bucks.

(Though I have always been a Belloq man myself...)

Although, lately, I have been growing more and more conscious of the rest of my wardrobe when wearing a fedora. At first, the fedora/T-shirt dynamic was common with me. Lately... I can't bring myself to do it anymore and sometimes feel dirty wearing a fedora too casually. Who knows.

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Wow, 20 bones for a hat? Resale/Thrift shop find? Is this hat still in your rotation?
What is Belloq?
I think that a fedora usually calls for at least wool pants, but can look rebellious with jeans. I just don't want to be mistaken for one of those PC-gaming geeks who sometimes wear fedoras (nothing against them...I'm just a little too old for that, and don't want to appear like some kind of holdout -- but any appearance of fedoras is positiive, IMHO

Slicksuit said:

What is Belloq?

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Belloq = Bad guy in the first Indy movie, Raiders Of The Lost Ark. Wore a white panama.

Belloq

Well, I know I’m going back a few pages, but I wanted to address Sappy Swami’s fear of wearing vintage or retro inspired outfits around other retro or vintage enthusiasts. DO IT! Don’t fear any thing! When I started to buy vintage and wear it to dances, I was some what worried that what I had wasn’t as good as some others were. Well, soon I found out that was just a big mistake. Others loved what I wore and didn’t care if some of my outfit wasn’t 100% vintage. They loved the fact that I had the guts to try and do it to the best of my abilities. Well, I now have two closets full of original vintage. Most of which have flaws such as little moth bites and such. Funny, I wore a pear of pants from the 40’s that has one of the coolest strip patterns I have seen. But, there are a few holes in the legs that I know of but I have gotten complements on them! No one sees them unless they look real hard or I tell them abou it. The fact is, if you wear or want to wear vintage, you can’t get it new. It will be in used condition 90 to 99 % of the time. You may get lucky and find some in dead stock condition but that can cost. So you may have a 60’s fedora, well, who says that you can’t buy more? I find really cool older fedoras from time to time and they don’t really cost that much. The thing is to get out there and look.

Ok, now about wearing a hat in Public. I used to care and would wear what every one else was wearing. I still wasn’t popular. I wanted to be but, it wasn’t working. I decided to just do my own thing. I have been wearing fedoras since 1996 and I have a few good ones in my collection. I wear them to stores, malls, movies, dances and where ever. I would wear them to work, but I have a uniform I wear that requires a different hat. But, in my off time, it’s a fedora or another vintage hat.

Like Kentucky Blues said, it’s all about wearing it in the right places. Take it off when meeting a new client or when talking to a lady. Take it off in the office or some one’s home. Take it off wile in church and eating establishments. And take it off at dances!!! I have never seen any vintage photos of any jitterbugs wear their hats on the floor.

I was bold in my own way for two years. I was a Missionary for my Church and I wore a hat the whole time. The only time I didn’t wear a hat was in the summer months. In the winter time I wore a fedora and I would take it off in the presents of people we met to show respect and that I had manners. I was the only Missionary who wore a fedora and it wasn’t hard for me since I wore one for years before my mission. Other missionaries I served with didn’t understand why I wore a hat like that but, they eventually accepted it.

Keep wearing them hats men!

Root.

Wildroot,

If I may ask, where did you serve your mission?

I served in the Buenos Aires North Mission '90-'91.

Micah


P.S. What was your Mission Presidents reaction to you wearing a fedora? My Mission President was from Argentina and occasionally would wear a stingy brim fedora.

Well, I served in the Canada Winnipeg Manitoba Mission from 2001 -2003. I wore vintage suits and ties on my mission. On some P-day's I would go to some vintage shops in Down Town Winnipeg. It was a great mission to serve in. As for my Mission Pres, well he wasn't to keen on it. He told me that missionaries don't wear hats in this mission then I mentioned that it said to bring a hat in my mission call. He said that meant a knit cap or beanie. I said, well you can interpret that any way you like. I saw hat and I'm wearing a hat. He was ok about it. Most people I talked to liked it and we would get people talking to us because of it. So, it was a nice ice breaker in some cases.

Root.

Thanks for the reply. It is great to have an icebreaker as a missionary, mine was being from Las Vegas, everyone knows about Vegas through the casinos and boxing.

Back to the topic of the thread, we had an interesting young man come in today to apply for a job, he was dressed all in black, jeans torn, eye makeup, etc (kind of Marylin Manson-ish) and wearing a cheap wool hat that had a brim like a homburg but a flat crown like a top hat. It is guys like that that give people who wear hats a bad reputation and make it more difficult to be taken seriously while wearing a hat. (Now that I think of it though he had enough respect to take the hat off when entering the building)

P.S. Can you imagine going to a apply for a job looking like that, and let me tell you I have seen much worse.

Wild Root said:

...He said that meant a knit cap or beanie....

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You sure he didn't say "toque"?

David

I agree that his style of dress may erode respect for hats in general. It's too bad that some people can't see past the hat in their assumptions. I suppose that the same is true of the Indiana Jones movies and our hats? (I'm not trying to emulate the movie in wearing my hat -- I just like the look and vintage style in general).

Judge each person individually - by their accomplishments and personality. A suppose a plus to this, though, is fedoras tend to be worn with nicer clothes, and the compliments I get on that are nice!

It was this thread that actually made me think about signing up into your fine group. Here's my story which may give you ladies and gents something to ponder: I've been wearing cowboy hats every day for about 20 years, often to the consternation of those around me. I am just recently moving toward the - to me - modern 20th century fedoras.
Anyway, one day I'm walking down the hall at work and the owner of the company turns the corner in front of me. I'm holding my hat in my hand. He asks me why I'm carrying a hat. I responded that my grandfather told me not to wear a hat inside most buildings, so that's why I'm carrying it.
By this time, there's a crowd around us - as there would be any time the owner is in with the regular people. I am thinking that this may not have been the best response to give to a very rich guy who also signs my paycheck.
He says "it's my building, you can wear your hat inside here whenever you want." Then, he turns to all the other people and says "That doesn't apply to baseball caps."
While half a dozen guys tear their caps off, I say thanks and continue down the hall. Within six months, the owner calls me into his office to show me his new hat -- and I've had several promotions at work (which is why I'm now looking at fedoras and vintage clothes... might as well look better than I did before).
One never knows what a hat may gain you. For me, I believe I'll wear one.

Thats a great story DBLIII! See how sometimes life has a way of surprising us! I think if you approach life in general with respect for others and carry yourself with what you feel is your best and own personal style you won't go wrong. It reminds me of a wonderful quote I heard.
"We must become ourselves before someone else does" (Robert Hunter)