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How do folks react to your hat wearing?
- Thread starter HamilcarBarca3
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Actually, I can't entertain with a hat compliment, but on the shoe topic, my grey suede Chelsea boots, I had from 2018 to 2019, were astonishing complimented. 
GHT
I'll Lock Up
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"How do you fancy meatballs for dinner tonight?" Asked my missus, knowing that I love meatballs. "Wonderful!" I said, smiling from ear to ear. "Well can go out and get some wine to go with them?" She answered. No problem, the old MG needs to have a regular stretch and as the sun was shining, what more of an excuse do I need to take it out and buy a bottle or three of France's finest Merlot?
There's a convenience store about a quarter of an hour's drive away, just the place to avoid queuing. Once there I quickly sniffed out the wine, well I would, can't resist Merlot. At the till the lady was very complimentary: "My dear," she said, I always get called my dear by ladies of a certain age, not that I'm complaining, it's just so old school, so flattering. "My dear, you look wonderful, so bright and summery, such a lovely shirt and topped off with a fine straw hat, it just makes me smile." "Thank you kind lady," I replied, adding, "now if you really want to smile, look out of the window." She did, saw the old MG and smiled a smile that just warms your heart. "Her name's Jessica," I informed her, "oh she's just so beautiful," the lady replied, then said, "Jessica?" In a sort questioning way.
I'm sure that I have told the Lounge this before, but those Loungers of a certain age will know that with age comes amnesia, so I can't remember if I did or didn't, so please indulge me, forgetfulness goes with the territory with us old farts.
"Jessica," I informed the lady, is my wife's name for the car, then I explained that my missus said: "She's a redhead, just like her famous namesake, she has a great body," by now the lady's smile was all but permanent, and she gave one of those guffaw type laughs when I added: "And she's got a great pair of hooters."
Just as I was paying for the wine I noticed, beside the till, a basket of sell by products being sold off for pennies, amongst them was a pack of two donuts. I'm not allowed donuts, but these were just a few pennies. How it happened I have no idea, but somehow the pack of donuts found their way into my shopping bag alongside the Merlot.
On the way home I found a remote stop where I could surreptitiously consume my illicit donuts, making sure that there was no trace of sugar, on me or in the car. My old MG is like a magnet, one huge bite of my donut and some fellow has pulled up, got his phone out and asked if he can photograph the car. I told him that I'm not allowed donuts, he promised that he wanted to send the photo to his Dad, he said that he wouldn't put it up on social media, so I agreed and got out of the car. "No, no," he cried, "you look so much the part, that hat, perfect, the shoes, shirt and sunglasses, just as you might have looked when your car was new." I got back in the car, he took his photos.
Why do I think that anytime soon Jessica and I will pop up on social media?
There's a convenience store about a quarter of an hour's drive away, just the place to avoid queuing. Once there I quickly sniffed out the wine, well I would, can't resist Merlot. At the till the lady was very complimentary: "My dear," she said, I always get called my dear by ladies of a certain age, not that I'm complaining, it's just so old school, so flattering. "My dear, you look wonderful, so bright and summery, such a lovely shirt and topped off with a fine straw hat, it just makes me smile." "Thank you kind lady," I replied, adding, "now if you really want to smile, look out of the window." She did, saw the old MG and smiled a smile that just warms your heart. "Her name's Jessica," I informed her, "oh she's just so beautiful," the lady replied, then said, "Jessica?" In a sort questioning way.
I'm sure that I have told the Lounge this before, but those Loungers of a certain age will know that with age comes amnesia, so I can't remember if I did or didn't, so please indulge me, forgetfulness goes with the territory with us old farts.
"Jessica," I informed the lady, is my wife's name for the car, then I explained that my missus said: "She's a redhead, just like her famous namesake, she has a great body," by now the lady's smile was all but permanent, and she gave one of those guffaw type laughs when I added: "And she's got a great pair of hooters."
Just as I was paying for the wine I noticed, beside the till, a basket of sell by products being sold off for pennies, amongst them was a pack of two donuts. I'm not allowed donuts, but these were just a few pennies. How it happened I have no idea, but somehow the pack of donuts found their way into my shopping bag alongside the Merlot.
On the way home I found a remote stop where I could surreptitiously consume my illicit donuts, making sure that there was no trace of sugar, on me or in the car. My old MG is like a magnet, one huge bite of my donut and some fellow has pulled up, got his phone out and asked if he can photograph the car. I told him that I'm not allowed donuts, he promised that he wanted to send the photo to his Dad, he said that he wouldn't put it up on social media, so I agreed and got out of the car. "No, no," he cried, "you look so much the part, that hat, perfect, the shoes, shirt and sunglasses, just as you might have looked when your car was new." I got back in the car, he took his photos.
Why do I think that anytime soon Jessica and I will pop up on social media?
Short Balding Guy
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You, your lovely wife and beloved MG cut fine figures in your neighborhood. Heck I would ask to take a pic with you. Thanks for sharing your adventures.
As to donuts, in moderation they will not kill you. My fav's are Krispy Kreme glazed Cruellers. Pre pandemic, every now and them I stop for one. Thanks for sharing your adventures.
Disclaimer: I was a partner (1 of 3 ) who owned a Krispy Kreme nearly 18 years ago. I more than doubled my investment stake in 2+ years. Sold my stake to my partners for other reasons. It was a real money maker! Shortly after I left, Corporate got spanked by the government (inappropriate accounting practices) and Wall Street for "bad business" practices and this business closed as a result.
Cheers.
GHT
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Did you know that the Krispy Kreme donut concept was exported to Europe? Well at least to the UK. Back in the years when I was in business, one of my employees, invited me and my wife to his wedding. Top of the menu at his reception was Krispy Kreme donuts.
GHT
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"I saw the car first," said a voice behind me as I stood at the back of the supermarket queue. "Sorry," I said to the voice, "do you mean my MG?" "It's not everyday that you see such a fine classic," he added, "but then I saw your hat, never have I seen a straw gangster hat." "If that's a compliment, thank you," I replied. By now others were looking at "the gangster hat." The owner of the voice went on, "and then you stepped out of the car." "They won't let me drive it into the store," I replied, causing yet more heads to turn and look. The owner of the voice smiled.
Looking at my trousers he said: "They are singularly ridiculous and delightful, yet they are one of the silliest pant designs ever conceived. And there’s no reason to think they won’t be back in fashion again at some point." "Is that an insult or a compliment?" I asked, "Oh man," he answered, "I wore the flared jeans in the 1970's," then said, "I'm still unable to look at those photos from back then." "Can I photograph you?" He asked, then others pointed their phones at me, without asking, "you might as well," i told him, at least you had the courtesy to ask.
Am I going to end up on social media under the heading: "Dick of the Day?" Everyone laughed at that. As the queue shuffled forward, I scribbled down the fellow's comments on the back of my shopping list. It's not everyday that you get an insulting compliment, delivered with such eloquence. When I got home I told my missus what he had said about the fine trousers she had made for me. "What was he wearing?" She enquired, "something non-descript," I answered, "tell you the truth, I don't even remember." "Says it all," replied my missus, adding, "they used to hide your belly, but this lockdown has caused you to pile on a few pounds." She's not wrong.
Guess I had better show you her fine work, though it's probably been seen elsewhere. By way of contrast I looked up those flared jeans of the 1970's.
Looking at my trousers he said: "They are singularly ridiculous and delightful, yet they are one of the silliest pant designs ever conceived. And there’s no reason to think they won’t be back in fashion again at some point." "Is that an insult or a compliment?" I asked, "Oh man," he answered, "I wore the flared jeans in the 1970's," then said, "I'm still unable to look at those photos from back then." "Can I photograph you?" He asked, then others pointed their phones at me, without asking, "you might as well," i told him, at least you had the courtesy to ask.
Am I going to end up on social media under the heading: "Dick of the Day?" Everyone laughed at that. As the queue shuffled forward, I scribbled down the fellow's comments on the back of my shopping list. It's not everyday that you get an insulting compliment, delivered with such eloquence. When I got home I told my missus what he had said about the fine trousers she had made for me. "What was he wearing?" She enquired, "something non-descript," I answered, "tell you the truth, I don't even remember." "Says it all," replied my missus, adding, "they used to hide your belly, but this lockdown has caused you to pile on a few pounds." She's not wrong.
Guess I had better show you her fine work, though it's probably been seen elsewhere. By way of contrast I looked up those flared jeans of the 1970's.
GHT
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Comes to something when the highlight of the week is to dress up vintage style and go shopping. Hand on heart, I know that my appearance is not your everyday dress for the weekly shop, nor is it the usual mode of transport to arrive in a seventy year old car, but the gang of friends that we enjoy a social scene with, all dress as we do, they too like to dress up and turn heads when out shopping. We all then exchange reactions. What a sad lot we are.
Tiki Tom
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I was going into the hospital to visit a friend. I was wearing a light weight, light tan colored fedora with a 2 inch ribbon, brim down in front, up in back.
Young man who takes my temperature as I walk in the door: “Are you Australian?”
Me: “No, American. Why?”
Him: “Cool hat. I thought you must be Australian.”
Just another reminder that everyone has their own engrained perceptions.
Young man who takes my temperature as I walk in the door: “Are you Australian?”
Me: “No, American. Why?”
Him: “Cool hat. I thought you must be Australian.”
Just another reminder that everyone has their own engrained perceptions.
@Tiki Tom I had a similar experience when I first started wearing hats in college. I've always been the outdoorsy type (hence my username) and would often wear a canvas hat to and from classes, and occasionally would be asked if I was Canadian because of my outdoorsy nature.
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You needed a buffalo plaid mackinaw to seal the deal!
GHT
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The 'rules' during our country's corona virus lockdown, has permitted folks to shop, and that's about all we have been allowed to do. Whilst I was stationary at a red traffic light, a motorbike cop, pulled alongside and asked me to pull over to a safe place once the lights changed to green. Now out of the way of any traffic, the police officer told me that joy riding in my vintage MG wasn't in the spirit of lockdown. "I'm going shopping for provisions," I explained, "and the rules don't say that I have to drive in a modern car and look like a scruff that's just got out of bed." He saw my shopping bags, and my shopping list, both were on the front seat of the MG, "That's a fair point," he conceded and allowed me on my way.
"Your shoes are amazing," the lady behind me was, like me, waiting for an empty till. We were queuing to use the self service tills, something that I try to avoid, but the queue for a checkout till snaked half way around the store. "Thank you," I replied. She then said,"I've just realised that your hat matches your shoes in that they are both navy and cream." "It's called co-ordinates," I told her. At that moment two tills became vacant and we scanned our purchases. As always, I did something wrong and the light flashed to call an assistant. The same thing happened to the lady too. The assistant arrived and the lady kindly said that the gentleman was first, "thank you," I said, smiling, and as she resumed scanning, I added that my thanks wasn't for letting me go first, she turned around to look at me, "it was for calling me a gentleman." She laughed and said, "oh but you are." Well if you say so, and thanks again."
Tina is busy with a project that she sewing together, I will show you the finished result when it's done. I don't want to disturb her just to take a photo, so here's a recycled picture with the shoes that caused such a remark.
Boomerang
One of the Regulars
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I started a new job this week and a couple of the younger guys have taken a liking to my hat-wearing. I've never seen either of these two without ball caps on their heads, so maybe they're considering branching-out.
The second one to comment had some pointed questions, and clearly has an interest. The first guy however, dropped one of those "first thing that comes to mind" comments with this response to my Bluegrass Green Camp Draft... "Hey, nice hat Crocodile Dundee." I think the Australian connection was a lucky shot.
The second one to comment had some pointed questions, and clearly has an interest. The first guy however, dropped one of those "first thing that comes to mind" comments with this response to my Bluegrass Green Camp Draft... "Hey, nice hat Crocodile Dundee." I think the Australian connection was a lucky shot.
GHT
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You should have said: "Who?"
Boomerang
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He's a high-energy guy. I was left in stunned silence staring slack-jawed at a cloud of dust where my co-worker used to be.
Here is an interesting coda to my post above...
It has been made very clear to me over the course of my first week in this workspace that I am flat-out encouraged to "hat up" at my desk, if I so desire. Ball caps are the culture (even the owner wore a ball cap all day), but they like my full-brim fur felts, and they want to see me wear them. After 20 years in a corporate office environment, this is quite a change of pace! So today I wore the Silver Belly Camp Draft (cattleman crease version) all day long. I received nothing but appreciative smiles and thumbs-ups. Besides the comfort of wearing the hat, the acceptance of wearing it indoors was strangely empowering.
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GHT
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Not finished yet but here's a sneak preview. First photo is of our Godson and his new baby boy. Tina made the little guy's cuffed jeans, now she's working on something to compliment them, the tiniest Aloha shirt that she has ever made:
Now we need to get him into a lifelong hat wearing habit.
GHT
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As promised, here's the finished result. The pictures show the whole shirt, then the pocket and panel detail, that's followed by the hemline. You will see that Tina has fashioned the hem into brief's for the little fellow to stick his legs through. This is so the shirt won't ride up, it's also to accommodate his nappy/diaper, or as my missus euphemistically calls it, the drip tray. The last picture shows the final detail, cuffed hems. Sorry about drifting off topic, no doubt another comment will soon be posted.
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"the drip tray".
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