Hats aren’t the quintessential article of clothing they once were but are still worn for fashion and for function. Knowing when to remove a hat is as important as wearing the right hat for the occasion and to avoid looking like a cunt ( Anyone who wears a baseball cap). Gentlemen remove their hats when indoors.Exceptions include various transport vehicles or sporting stadia.
Throughout history hats identified social standing and removing a hat was a gesture of respect and good manners.Men took off their hats in Christian churches, when they entered someone’s home, when greeting a superior and always in the presence of a lady. Ladies were entirely exempt from “hat rules,” wearing them whenever and where ever they wished. While some of these customs are now passé , even in today’s casual and banal culture men and women still remove their hats as a sign of courtesy. Unlike Lewis Hamilton who recently wore a silly pork-pie hat for his indoor interview and had his ridiculous earrings jutting out from the sides.
I own the following hats.
Black silk top hat (morning suit)
Assorted flat tweed hats (golf and shooting)
Several Panama hats.
I liked Jeremy Clarkson's stuffed Beaver hat in the recent Patagonia Top Gear special.
