Q. I have worn baseball caps over the years, but never had any other hats (besides a Kangol). With a bit less hair and seeing how well some men pull off the look, I’m thinking about buying one or two. Are they in style and, if so, is there a hat style that works better than others? Can you give me some guidance?
A. I think the question is: Are you “a hat guy.” While almost anyone can be a hat guy, the type who wears hats well is the man with the self-confidence to feel comfortable in one. That’s a great part of the appeal . . . especially to women.
Two generations ago, a gentleman was not considered properly dressed without a hat – even for casual events. Just look at old photographs taken at baseball games; all the men were wearing hats. And I don’t mean baseball caps. No, they wore a real man’s hat, a fedora. Then in the 1960’s men’s hats disappeared. President Kennedy is often blamed because he removed his hat at his inauguration and, as a style icon, he influenced popular fashion. But probably the real reason was that automobiles were so low that hats were knocked off when men got into their cars.
Hats remained out of fashion for years. And many men who grew up during that era came to connect wearing a hat with their fathers’ and their grandfathers’ way of dressing. Recently that sort of stigma has disappeared. Probably partially because of the generations removed, young men don’t relate to a hat that way anymore.
Today, men choose hats for several reasons:
- Warmth
- Sun protection
- To cover a balding head
- Swagger and style
Hats are made of straw, paper, wool, and fur felt. Men have many options: from the wide-brimmed cowboy hat to the standard-brimmed, indented fedora and smaller-brimmed fedoras, as well as the visored newsboy cap. All these can be (and should be) personalized with their respective indented creases in the crown, their turned up or down brims, and the rakish angle at which they are worn. On a fedora, the brim can be shaped pretty much the way you want it – slightly up in the rear, snapped down in front for dash and style – or not. Men usually find the classic mid-size-brim and the newer narrow-brim fedoras to be the safest, most versatile choices.
These days a lot of aspiring cool guys wish they could look even a little bit like Matt Bomer, who plays the smooth former con-man on USA TV’s “White Collar.” (I describe him as “looking like a young Pierce Brosnan, only better.”) His character, a dapper dresser, usually wears the new skinny-brim fedora (his brim is probably less than two inches wide). Likewise, in the tough NFL negotiations, DeMaurice Smith, Executive Director of the NFL Players Association, has consistently enhanced his professional, but non-corporate, style with his own hat.
Since you are considering becoming a hat wearer but are not exactly sure which style is right for you, seek out a really good men’s hat store – if you can find one – and ask for advice from the owner or manager. Buying your first hat is not something to undertake lightly. It requires patience and a bit of flamboyance, though not necessarily a large outlay of cash. Try on different styles, colors, and brims; check yourself out objectively in the mirror. Take your time. Hats are different from other articles of clothing: since they are so close to your face, they create a link between your appearance and your interior. Choose one that works with your face, your personal style, and especially your comfort zone.
Adding a hat to your wardrobe can be as simple as picking up an inexpensive hat from a street vendor or finding a well-priced one online from Block hats or Kangol. Or it can be as elaborate as ordering online a totally custom-made “investment” Panama hat from Brent Black’s amazing website, www.brentblack.com (the site is an experience in itself!): The Panama Hat Company of the Pacific, (888) 658-6500 or (808) 262-2892. While you may find it hard to believe, his handmade straw hats begin at over $500 and go on up. My daughter-in-law recently ordered such an extravagant gift for my oldest son, despite his (financial) protests. She said it was in response to all the jewelry he had given her over the years. He loves it.
Mr. Black explained to me the single greatest reason why straw hats get damaged: “Everyone in the movies that you’ve ever seen handles his hat wrong – by grabbing it by the crown. It gets the hat dirty, it sharpens the crown creases, and it causes the straw to tear. A hat should be handled by the brim with the fingertips – soft hands, please! This is true for felt and for straw, but especially for straw hats.”
An old theory was that in difficult economic times, when a man couldn’t afford a new suit, he would perk up his wardrobe with a hat. That may or may not be today’s motivation, but a man wearing a dashing hat is still a head-turner with unabashed sex appeal . . . just ask any woman.
Have questions of your own? Feel free to email me at Lois.Fenton@prodigy.net
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