Who Killed Men's Hats? Think Of A Three Letter Word Beginning With 'I'

NPR ^ | Robert Krulwich

[Daffynition]

A hundred years ago — and that's when this picture was taken, in 1912 — men didn't leave home without a hat. Boys wore caps. This is a socialist political rally in Union Square in Manhattan. There may be a bare head or two in this crowd, but I think those heads are women's.

[Vision]

Also, notice the sign: “Agitate.” They’ve been at it forever.

[GrandJediMasterYoda]

JFK would have wore a hat as well if he was bald but he still had the hairline of a 10 year old into his 40s. For some reason certain Irish men never lose a follicle of hair nor even go gray. Reagan was another example.

[Paladin2]

It’s the revenge of the beavers.

[driftless2]

My dad was a salesman, and he wore a fedora every day of his working life. And he always wore his hat while driving his car. He never once wore a baseball cap or any other kind of hat. I take that back...he did wear some sort of cap while playing golf. Playing golf allows you to wear all sorts of weird clothes you normally wouldn't wear.

The real reason most men stopped wearing fedoras is they thought they looked silly in them. Men found out they can look silly without having to wear fedoras. I think wearing bermuda shorts and fedoras just didn't look good. They found baseball caps went well with shorts, knobby knees, and black sneakers. They still looked silly but not quite as silly. So men kept the bermuda shorts and ditched the fedoras. That's the real reason folks, bermuda shorts.

[BigCinBigD]

When I’m not inside I’m in a hat of some type. I have a water proof fedora 100% wool that’s at least 15 years old. I call it my rain hat. Still as good today as when new.

[wally_bert]

I could never stand wearing a hat or ballcap. As a kid I got plenty of grief growing up on the farm by everyone.

The marxist next door always wears a hat of some kind.

[wally_bert]

I will stop at the 80s for a hat photo. As a rule I don't care for them on people but make an exception here.

[afraidfortherepublic]

Modern restaurants — and even churches == have no place for a man’s hat. A man must remove his hat to eat, or in church — unless he’s a Texan. There are no hat racks, or little clips on the backs of the pew, anymore. So, what do you do with it indoors?

[kitkat]

>>>I thought it was kennedy who changed things as the first president to go out in public without a hat?>>>

You’re right.

[Daffynition]

I think there was a flap about his top hat at his inauguration.

[squarebarb]

The answer as to why people don’t wear hats anymore is simple; we live indoors all the time now, or are protected from the weather by air conditioning, driving everywhere, and etc.

At that time people were outdoors more. They walked city streets to go somewhere instead of driving. They were more subject to the weather, hot sun and rain etc. So they needed hats.

[Oratam]

There's a book, Hatless Jack, that explores the myth that JFK ended hat-wearing for men, something that men had done since, well, forever.

The author uncovered proof that hat-wearing was on its way out since the early 20th century at least for mostly obvious reasons. One reason I hadn't thought of was resentment over the explosion in hat-checking whenever you entered a restaurant, bar, or club. Men recognized a racket when they saw it and refused to play the game.

Also, Jack Kennedy did indeed wear a hat. He didn't like being photographed wearing one as it altered his appearance drastically by making his eyes too prominent or so claimed the author.

[left that other site]

Interesting...all the examples of hatted men are Socialist Rallies, then the ultimate blame for hatlessness is attributed to Ike, The Automobile, The National Highway System, and INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM to travel in one’s own vehicle as opposed to the Collective Public Transportation System.

So are hats the the symbol of slavery to the collective (like BORG Implants) and Hatlessness the symbol of True American freedom?

Weird Hypothesis.

Especially since SOME people EXPRESS their Individuality with WEIRD hats! LOL!

[Eric in the Ozarks]

My grandfather on my mom’s side was a Northern Irishman.
He had a full head of gray hair until her passed on at 88 years.

[Daffynition]

Growing up....picking out your *Easter hat* was a joyous ritual. There were several millinery shops on every Main St. Kids today, wouldn't know what a millinery shop was :(

[Daffynition]

Commando Cody! LOL

[Carriage Hill]

She wears it well! Very pretty.

[Carriage Hill]

God gave me a lap for temporary storage of both of my hats, in Church. In a restaurant, a vacant chair/table will do; otherwise, next to my chair:

Stetson ‘Indy’ Fedora:
http://www.villagehatshop.com/dorfman-pacific_indiana-jones_furfelt_fedora.html

Stetson ‘Outback’ Straw:
http://www.villagehatshop.com/stetson-hilton-outback-hat-natural.html

I have a full head of hair at 62, too. How long that’ll last is anyone’s guess. LOL.

[Calvin Locke]

I think there was a flap about his top hat at his inauguration.

In the original Charlie Chan novel (1920s?), a proper Bostonian is sent by his family to retrieve his wayward aunt from Hawaii.

It's train to SF, and boarding the ship to Hawaii, a young coed gives him grief about his top hat hat box - "...in the tropics? Really?" He chucks it over the side, and immediately regrets getting rid of the box, a present from his mother, but relieved he doesn't have to haul it, and its contents around.

[2nd Bn, 11th Mar]

Interesting perspective in this article.

I remember my parents both wearing hats in the 50’s and into the 60’s. My father had some of those gray Fedora types - he was in sales and later an executive.

And being a Marine for almost 30 years, meant a lot of time under hats for me. Only we called them covers.

Now, as an ORF (Old Retired Fart), my hats are mostly baseball caps...Go Cubs Go...or wide brimmed to provide protection from the sun.