The confidence for the hat

[epic610]

the line...

between statement and over-statement can be tricky to accurately define!

 

[snowslider]

I figures that everyone who has donned a hat on a regular basis has atleast thought about these things, and this is the response I was hoping for. I'm enjoying reading the responses.

I even went through it a little myself, come to think of it in high school, I wanted to grow my hair long in the front. All the kids I hung out with did it and stuck it under a cap when they could, to hold it out of their face. and as mine grew longer it curled in such a way that I just knew a hat would flatten it out... and it did. but the bill, I could not get comfortable with, so I wore it backwards... even wearing it backwards was a transition for me then (but who's not uncomfortable in those high-school days?)

...and only about 20 years later do I begin to turn it around. I find that the more time i spend with hats the more i want one. odd.

 

[jake_fink]

"There's nothing more ridiculous than a man chasing his hat."

-Tom Reagan, Miller's Crossing

Except for a man trying to catch a hat on the end of a wind trolley as it flaps about like a bird on a leash.

 

[Damon Falzone]

Snowslider, life is too short--do what you want and don't worry what others might think. It's just a hat. It's not like something permanent like a tatoo. Besides, you'll be warmer in the winter and protected from the sun in the summer. And I guarantee that you'll look better than the other guys in ball caps. Be brave!

 

[carebear]

Besides, you'll be warmer in the winter and protected from the sun in the summer.

I like the snide "nice hat" comments best when it's raining or snowing and the commentee completely misses the ironic vision of which one of us is "cool" and which one of us doesn't have water matting his hair and running down his face.

 

[bolthead]

"Not silly at all!
If you poke around here, you'll find a post from me a few years ago saying something about feeling goofy pumping gas in a fedora. This week I realized I always did it that way, and would feel silly without."

What a coincidence, I just did this today....I do it all the time though actually.

 

[thunderw21]

Wearing a fedora allows me to justify within my self the search for who I'm trying to be. Aside from it being just novelty or a hobby, it's a statement , a signpost if you will , that I'm saying to the world " There's something more under this hat and it's up to you to embrace it or walk away" I've always said that If you don't like what I say or do there's a stool at the other end of the bar you can go sit on....

Excellent, I wholeheartedly agree.

 

[Jovan]

I have to wear a baseball cap at work all the time. As such, I've gotten used to the feeling of wearing a hat more. I think this will help a bit if I decide to get into hats.

 

[OldSkoolFrat]

Pop it on and go out. You will get looks, just tip your hat to them and walk on. They will all think you are, "connected," And indeed, you are connected to us.

 

[Bantam Man]

Wear it with pride!

But when I ask myself this question I always get the same answer. Wearing a fedora allows me to justify within my self the search for who I'm trying to be. Aside from it being just novelty or a hobby, it's a statement , a signpost if you will , that I'm saying to the world " There's something more under this hat and it's up to you to embrace it or walk away" I've always said that If you don't like what I say or do there's a stool at the other end of the bar you can go sit on....

What he said!!

fftopic: And perhaps this is also why I feel more at home with a hat than with a cap.
It's not to provoke the cap wearers, but a cap expresses humbleness to me. (Perhaps because it was the kind of headwear with which the lower classes went?) A hat, preferably one with a high crown, expresses pride.

 

[Dr Doran]

When feeling self-conscious in public, just remember that no one really cares about you, and in response to this, cultivate a resigned, slightly irritable, annoyed demeanor and no one will dare to say anything to you (if that is what you are worried about). Look exhausted, and a bit angry. Do something that exhausts you first, like 100 pushups before leaving the house, so it won't be a put-on. Go out like that a few times and people will translate that as confidence. A few more times and you genuinely will not care and everyone will know and not mess with you.

 

[carebear]

And... you'll be totally buff.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

hmmm, well, how to be politik?

A fedora makes no statement about me or what/who i'm trying to be. It's a hat. I would not be lost without it. It looks good. Like everything else, it's about aesthetics.

bk

 

[kokopelli]

Late response

I can relate to your post and I do think it takes "a little something" to wear a hat these days. It could be confidence, brashness, ambivalence, etc.. who knows really. I wear a Stetson Cattleman with a horsehair band, Roper shirts, Levi's 501's, Tony Lama leather and horsehair belt, a Scully suede jacket and either Post, Justin or Lucchese snip toe boots! At church yesterday a covey of young girls walked past and could hardly contain themselves. The older ladies 60+ generally give a nice big smile and their face lights up. The women in the 30 to 60 range are the ones that I get a kick out of. They normally start at the boots and work their way up, ending with an embarrassed smile most of the time. So.. the question is "what are they thinking"? Could be "look at the goofy redneck" or "can you believe that", either way I find it entertaining. It's like I tell my single friends "you must first get their attention".. Ron

It's like asking if the man makes the hat, or does the hat make the man?

but in a previous topic about new hat wearers... it was brought up on a few occasions that it takes the right amount of confidence, to wear a hat.
or that one must be confident (comfortable) about it when doing so.

that is part of my dilemma. when it's just me and a mirror, i think i'm OK. when i step out in to this cruel world.

now as a younger lad, i had funny hair and dirty clothes so i was used to looks etc. but as a 33 yr old i'd rather blend in.
but then again not always.

silly topic i know, but i'd like to hear what everyone here has to say about confidence, attitude and your hat. i'm sure for some it's just as natural as can be, but it is not for all, i know.

 

[dorward]

I can relate to your post and I do think it takes "a little something" to wear a hat these days. It could be confidence, brashness, ambivalence, etc.. who knows really.

London weather at this time of year did it for me. Moving to a city where you use public transport to get anywhere instead of driving everywhere really does a good job of encouraging you to find something other then a Peugeot to protect your head from the rain and cold.

 

[pgoat]

When feeling self-conscious in public, just remember that no one really cares about you, and in response to this, cultivate a resigned, slightly irritable, annoyed demeanor and no one will dare to say anything to you (if that is what you are worried about). Look exhausted, and a bit angry. Do something that exhausts you first, like 100 pushups before leaving the house, so it won't be a put-on. Go out like that a few times and people will translate that as confidence. A few more times and you genuinely will not care and everyone will know and not mess with you.

what he said. Doran's got it down

actually I think Dorward is right too - it makes a bit of difference where you don a hat at first. when I lived in the suburbs, with a more homgenous demographic, any idiosyncratic dress or behavior stuck out more noticably. In a more crowded city with mixed ethnicities and cultures, it's much more 'anything goes'. Not only are people used to seeing a wide variety of dress, they are too busy rushing from a to b to stop and notice. let alone give a damn.

Certainly, as mentioned, high school can be more cruel. My hat's off to any youngin with the chutzpah to wear a distinctive hat or hairstyle or just plain be themselves. It's absolutely doable of course, but we've all been there and it can often seem catastrophic making peace with your self image in those years. I know you keep hearing negative stuff about how our young folk are going to hell in a handbasket, but when I see how smart and self-assured some teens are today, it impresses me immensely. Without even seeing them I also tip my hat to the parents of those kids, as they most likely have a lot to do with how they turned out.

 

[Michaelson]

You need to wear your hats to get them to 'personalize' themselves to YOUR style of wear and handling too.

The one thing that will draw attention to you is a hat that looks like it's so brand new that it just doesn't 'fit' your style. A hat that has been worn, handled, and is treated like it's just another part of your clothing is pretty much ignored, as it's (as has been pointed out above) an accessory to your outfit. It looks good, but it's being worn to keep the sun and rain off your head, and warm when it's cold...nothing more. Oh, and it's neat looking as well.

Nothing more.

Oh, and I'm not saying not keeping the hat looking neat....just not 'brand new out of the box' looking, if you follow my thought process here.

If you look like you're trying to 'make a statement', as most items worn to draw attention are, then you WILL draw attention, attitude/confidence showing or not.

Make your hat(s) a part of you, and no one will even give you a side glance.

Just a passing thought....

Regards! Michaelson

 

[dorward]

actually I think Dorward is right too - it makes a bit of difference where you don a hat at first. when I lived in the suburbs, with a more homgenous demographic, any idiosyncratic dress or behavior stuck out more noticably. In a more crowded city with mixed ethnicities and cultures, it's much more 'anything goes'.

Actually, I meant that the need to be outside in nasty weather overcame any fears I had of negative commentary and odd looks.

You are right though, living in a metropolis where you see some very strange get ups means that a hat rarely gets a second glance.

It will be interesting, but hopefully not too painful, to see what happens next year. I'm going to be moving outside the M25 over the Christmas break as I've finally managed to get a completion date for my new apartment, the one downside of the area is the number of chavs in it

 

[Havana]

Michaelson is right (as usual). A well worn or even slightly soiled hat seems to get much less attention than a fresh one. You and your hat have to look like you belong together - a team. It may take a little time to get to that point.
You'll have to preservere and get people accustomed to seeing you in a hat. In the beginning, you'll hear, "What with the hat?" or other less intelligent comments. Later on, you'll hear nothing or "So where's your hat today?" If you need any motivation, ladies seem to respond very positively to a man in a hat.

 

[BORNTOOLATE]

Wearing my hats forces me to feel and act more confidently. I actually get quite a few compliments from strangers. I think most poeple enjoy seeing something out of the ordinary and worn with pride. Just don't be a dork.