The Social Meanings of Hats

[ledsled]

Here's a link to an interesting article by Diana Crane. It talks about the social meanings of hats at different periods in time. For example, hat a man wears out in public would represent the status of his family, where the woman's hat was more individual, and allowed for individual style preferences. I never thought of that! I won't paraphrase the article here, but it looks like it would be an interesting read for anyone wanting to learn about the history of hats.

http://www.press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago/117987.html

 

[Lorne]

Read the article

I printed and read that article. I'm not sure I would have equated hats and T-shirts, but I can see the author's point.

I think the question, at least for us here, is what social meaning does the hat have now. Also, the social meaning of various hat styles such as the full fedora vrs the stingy-brim (traditionalist vrs traditionaly rebelious?)

Oh well, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar...


Lorne

 

[ledsled]

interesting feedback

Since I posted the link to that article, I attended a graduation at a prep school. I knew I'd feel uncomfortable there, since I have much more humble roots. The article gave me the idea to go ahead and wear a hat, in hopes of making a "social statement". Since it was a hot humid day, I wore a straw hat. My older son commented that I looked like a "wealthy southern gentleman". I took that as a compliment! There were a few women with straw hats, but all the men were hatless. I believe the straw hat helped me fit in, as it gave me a presence I would not have had otherwise.

 

[RBH]

This one may need watching.

 

[4spurs]

Since I posted the link to that article, I attended a graduation at a prep school. I knew I'd feel uncomfortable there, since I have much more humble roots. The article gave me the idea to go ahead and wear a hat, in hopes of making a "social statement". Since it was a hot humid day, I wore a straw hat. My older son commented that I looked like a "wealthy southern gentleman". I took that as a compliment! There were a few women with straw hats, but all the men were hatless. I believe the straw hat helped me fit in, as it gave me a presence I would not have had otherwise.

Anyone who would sit out in the hot sun during a graduation and not wear a hat should have their head examined.

 

[Oldsarge]

Anyone who would sit out in the hot sun during a graduation and not wear a hat should have their head examined.

For blisters? Melanoma?

However, I agree. Having gone 'thin on top' years ago I learned that sunburn on the top of the head was no fun and that I should do whatever is necessary to avoid it. Yea, straws!

 

[PabloElFlamenco]

That's a very interesting article, indeed.
And, as I'm writing from Belgium a background rather distinct from the USA or England, culturally and social, I clearly noticed writer says "In France, each social class used hats differently" and "The use of hats to blur class boundaries appears to have occurred most frequently in England, to a lesser extent in the United States (particularly outside the workplace), and least in France".
Belgium clearly sticks to France: whilst in no way scientifically supported, my entirely subjective view is that "workers wore caps" and "gentlemen hats". This is not the USA, where I'm sure everybody wore hats and, sometimes, everybody wore caps...

 

[AtomicEraTom]

This was fascinating and well-written. I see the correlation between hats and t-shirts (prefer the hat, myself) and think it was a very fascinating comparison.

 

[thecardigankid]

I thought it was very interesting how much of a similarity between hats and social classes in the article relate to our own community here on the board. Now I'm not trying to define a line between anyone in The Fedora Lounge community, but if you look closely there are those that we all know of, who own several fine hats (and leather jackets) and seem to not bat an eye at the prices on some of them, where as there are others who dream of having the throw around cash to buy a certain item, and sometimes it takes several months or even years before they have the leniency to get that "one item" they have always wanted. Its the same with modern day society, kind of interesting in a way. I hope I am making sense here and not rambling on from lack of sleep.

 

[mayserwegener]

That's a very interesting article, indeed.
And, as I'm writing from Belgium a background rather distinct from the USA or England, culturally and social, I clearly noticed writer says "In France, each social class used hats differently" and "The use of hats to blur class boundaries appears to have occurred most frequently in England, to a lesser extent in the United States (particularly outside the workplace), and least in France".
Belgium clearly sticks to France: whilst in no way scientifically supported, my entirely subjective view is that "workers wore caps" and "gentlemen hats". This is not the USA, where I'm sure everybody wore hats and, sometimes, everybody wore caps...

Interesting. Here are some photos of famous German actor Hans Albers wearing caps in a couple of his publicity photos. These are not role related but on the casual side especially the last one which is from a later time period. It appears a fine cap was acceptable in certain settings in Germany too.

 

[EggHead]

Strangely, when I wear a dark fedora and dark coat or suit, salespeople in stores address me as "sir".

 

[Jedwbpm]

Strangely, when I wear a dark fedora and dark coat or suit, salespeople in stores address me as "sir".

They could address you as "Don"

Jeff

 

[EggHead]

They could address you as "Don"

Jeff

Yes, that would be more romantic.

 

[EggHead]

..but I never wear a smoking, because I don't smoke.

 

[HatsEnough]

Well, I found the article cursory, a bit confused on terms, and the linkage of hats to T-Shirts tangential and mostly unexplored. It is good to see someone trying to write about hats, though.

 

[T Rick]

Well, I found the article cursory, a bit confused on terms, and the linkage of hats to T-Shirts tangential and mostly unexplored. It is good to see someone trying to write about hats, though.

I agree, the transition in the article from hats to t shirts seemed rather abrupt and a bit "clunky". Interesting correlation, and not completely without merit, but it could have been much smoother.

 

[suitedcboy]

Yes, I admit it. I started wearing hats after I broke my legs so many times riding my chopper around kicking in doors of elderly people.
Those danged cell phone talking people kept running over me. Hat wearing is a much safer form of radicalism. I just don't look good in T shirts.

 

[Oldsarge]

I can't stand T-shirts. I only wear them gardening or exercising because they do a good job absorbing sweat. I wear hats to keep my head either shaded or warm. Of course, if I can keep my head either shaded or warm with style, so much the better.

 

[Fletch]

I don't associate hats to class. More to other affiliations - age, ethnicity, religion, cultural affiliations.

 

[HatsEnough]

I don't associate hats to class. More to other affiliations - age, ethnicity, religion, cultural affiliations.

Certain hats can be linked to class. But moreso in Europe than the USA.

i.e. Bowlers were most often of the middle class in England. Homburgs were often of the banker and political class there.

In America, even though all classes wore toppers between the 1850 and the 1880s, the hat itself was still considered an upper class hat (hence why lower classes tried to wear them to make themselves seem a step above). Cloth caps like newsboys were usually associated with working men or kids in the USA. But even these base ideals were crossed many times by people from different classes.

Headwear in the west never achieved the hard and fast rules as headwear in the ancient world or in third world cultures.