Hats Part 2

Pappy’s Rules for hats…

The following rules have nothing to do with the etiquette of wearing hats that I mentioned in “Where have all the hats gone…” In fact, what follows are not rules per se, but more guidelines that I believe in.

Rule 1.  Everyone can wear a hat but every hat doesn’t “fit” every wearer or occasion. There are many different styles of hats in the world – flat caps, Bowlers, Fedoras, Panamas, Pork Pie, Boaters, Cowboy, Sombreros, etc. (Stetson is a brand more than a style, by the way)

If you are going to wear a hat that the style suits your face. These days, I wear mostly Fedoras or Panama style hats and ball caps because they look natural on me. (I personally wouldn’t wear a Boater type hat because I think they look ridiculous, but that’s just me.)  By suiting your face, I mean the hat style should complement the shape of your face.  If you have a short, round face then look for a hat with a high crown and a medium brim. This will make your face look longer. If you have a long face then you should look for a wide brim and shorter crown which will make your face look shorter.

Rule 2. The hat you wear should fit the occasion and the clothes you wear. Look, we’ve all seen characters looking like rejects from Mad Max movies wearing Top Hats. I’ve seen men wearing tuxedos wearing baseball caps. I’ve seen young men wearing felt Fedoras while wearing tank tops, swim shorts and flip flops. They are all wrong! The hats just don’t look good with the attire, they just look comical.

If you are wearing t-shirts and shorts, you don’t grab a top hat, you choose a ball cap, flat cap or straw beach hat.  My personal rule is that I don’t wear a Fedora or Panama style hat when wearing shorts and sandals. I save those styles and flat caps for long pants (even jeans) and shirts with collars or dressy V-neck pull overs. I also wear the Fedoras or Panamas when wearing a suit or sports coat.

Where have all the hat wearers gone

3 other points

1. Wear felt hats like a Fedora in the cooler months and straw hats (some Fedoras or Panama style) in the warmer months.
2. Consider how the color of the hat matches the clothing you are wearing. If you are wearing a black or dark colored suit, you don’t really want to wear a bright red Fedora, for example. Gray, white or black hats are versatile and will usually work with any color suit. Brown Hats look good with brown or green suits. Green hats work with green, tan or light brown suits.
3. Wear the hat you have confidence in. If you are constantly fretting about how the hat is sitting on your head then you may be wearing the wrong hat. Once you put the hat on your head, it should be an afterthought. It should just sit there like it belongs on your head.

Hat shops I like in New Orleans:

Goorin Brothers

Meyer the Hatter

(© J. Gibson Creative Services 2017)