What ever happened to hat etiquette?

[Nice Guy Eddie 13419]

If someone’s house or place of business expect you to take off your hat, then I would expect them to provide a hat rack.  Which you don’t see too often.  

My guess is that this is an old tradition rooted in European-American heritage that becomes less important over time.  Also since hats for men dropped off in popularity for a few decades before the ballcap became so big, the hat etiquette fell to the side.

taking your hat off seems to imply respect or submissiveness to the host.  Think of the term of going to ask the bank for a loan extension with “hat in hand.”  

[WhatTheBuck 28725]

7 hours ago, Hate said:

Still nobody has answered why removing your hat indoors became a thing. Why is it rude to wear a hat indoors?

Why is it socially unacceptable to drape oneself in velvet?

[Trey3216 15325]

17 hours ago, Cheeseweasel said:

Easy to tell. Elbows out = cowboy. Elbows in = Frenchman. 

Flag up at Pancho’s = Possible Frenchman 

[NBMisha 224]

"Hats off" is certainly a term of respect.  Not submissiveness.  Perhaps that is a nuance imperceptible to some, fairly enough.

But it is a generational thing, as Pelosi said.  Motherfuckers.

[Nice Guy Eddie 13419]

4 minutes ago, NBMisha said:

"Hats off" is certainly a term of respect.  Not submissiveness.  Perhaps that is a nuance imperceptible to some, fairly enough.

But it is a generational thing, as Pelosi said.  Motherfuckers.

It can be a sign of respect but not doing it doesn't mean disrespect.  If you don't buy into the etiquette then you're not being rude.  

Personally I think the current trend of wearing ballcaps everywhere is more of a sign of the overall fashion trend of being a informal as possible.  

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

Just now, Nice Guy Eddie said:

It can be a sign of respect but not doing it doesn't mean disrespect.  If you don't buy into the etiquette then you're not being rude.  

Personally I think the current trend of wearing ballcaps everywhere is more of a sign of the overall fashion trend of being a informal as possible.  

Pretty much this. Our society is far less structured, and formal today.  Hell back in the day you wouldn't go outside in 50 degree weather without a coat. Today you see people in shorts and flip flops in 30 degree weather.  It's a maaaaaaaaaaaaaaad world.

[TwiceHorn 31348]

In addition to whats already been posted, until the advent of the ballcap, a hat was an article of outerwear like a raincoat or overcoat.  You generally don't wear those indoors. Same with the hat. 

I have worn ballcaps all my life when I could get away with it. Both as a "cap shower" or to avoid having to dry/style unruly hair (more the latter). Ironically that pain in the ass hair has departed.

Now I wear caps to protect my scalp.  Sunscreen on your scalp mixes with sweat and runs in your eyes and is extremely uncomfortable, as is sweat generally. You have no idea how much sweat and oil your hair soaks up til you aint got none. 

Wearing a hat outdoors is so habitual for me that I often forget to take it off inside but will do so if reminded. 

[hookemATL 11612]

What’s a bigger olds no-no...not taking off a hat indoors or not taking off a hat for the national anthem?

[Netzer 157]

 

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

2 minutes ago, hookemATL said:

What’s a bigger olds no-no...not taking off a hat indoors or not taking off a hat for the national anthem?

If you have to ask that question....

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

4 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

In addition to whats already been posted, until the advent of the ballcap, a hat was an article of outerwear like a raincoat or overcoat.  You generally don't wear those indoors. Same with the hat. 

I have worn ballcaps all my life when I could get away with it. Both as a "cap shower" or to avoid having to dry/style unruly hair (more the latter). Ironically that pain in the ass hair has departed.

Now I wear caps to protect my scalp.  Sunscreen on your scalp mixes with sweat and runs in your eyes and is extremely uncomfortable, as is sweat generally. You have no idea how much sweat and oil your hair soaks up til you aint got none. 

Wearing a hat outdoors is so habitual for me that I often forget to take it off inside but will do so if reminded. 

EXHIBIT A:  Wearing a ball cap all the time leads to baldness...

[Nice Guy Eddie 13419]

19 minutes ago, hookemATL said:

What’s a bigger olds no-no...not taking off a hat indoors or not taking off a hat for the national anthem?

I find that more women don’t take off their ball cap during national anthems at games. 

I don’t think that wearing a hat during the anthem is disrespectful to the country but I do it because it’s the norm to do so.  It’s a battle not worth fighting. 

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

Just now, Nice Guy Eddie said:

I find that more women don’t take off their ball cap during national anthems at games. 

I don’t think that wearing a hat during the anthem is disrespectful to the country but I do it because it’s the norm to do so.  It’s a battle not worth fighting. 

Not the country no, to the people who gave their lives defending the flag, yes.  It's a sign of respect to those folks IMO.

[Nice Guy Eddie 13419]

Just now, Onboard 2.0 said:

Not the country no, to the people who gave their lives defending the flag, yes.  It's a sign of respect to those folks IMO.

To each their own but the national anthem and the flag are NOT about the military.   

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

1 minute ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

To each their own but the national anthem and the flag are NOT about the military.   

Well it's kind of hard to separate the two. It's the military folks that have died defending the flag and country. So while its not about the military per se, It is honoring those folks and the flag. 

 

I'd rather see America the beautiful as our anthem.

[hookemATL 11612]

1 minute ago, Onboard 2.0 said:

I'd rather see America the beautiful as our anthem.

The Ray Charles version plz

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

Just now, hookemATL said:

The Ray Charles version plz

Well of course, especially if everyone  can sing it like that at a football game....  

[hookemATL 11612]

1 minute ago, Onboard 2.0 said:

Well of course, especially if everyone  can sing it like that at a football game....  

Jamie Foxx is still alive...

[pyrohornIII 4812]

I'm not sure wearing ball caps actually causes baldness, but I do think it exacerbates it.  It is shocking to me how many young guys turn bald faster.  Maybe that points to more steroid use tho, not ballcaps.   I wore a gimme cap all through high school, but stopped when i got to college and have a full head of hair yet.  That was about the time men started blow drying hair and all that, so caps just went away since they left those unsightly hat-hair rings!  I do remember though that they would make you take caps off in class at the time.  Not sure about the dining halls, though really few wore caps, except to ball games for defense from the sun. 

[Nice Guy Eddie 13419]

13 minutes ago, Onboard 2.0 said:

Well it's kind of hard to separate the two. It's the military folks that have died defending the flag and country. So while its not about the military per se, It is honoring those folks and the flag. 

Once again to each their own. Standing and singing the anthem are not about honoring the military.  It’s honoring the country. But I understand how and why people believe otherwise. 

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

22 minutes ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

Once again to each their own. Standing and singing the anthem are not about honoring the military.  It’s honoring the country. But I understand how and why people believe otherwise. 

Yeah cause the song hasn't got a single word about battle, war or victory over a military foe.

[NoRagrets 1125]

When I think of hats being worn inside, I think of insecure balding dudes.

[abuelo gringo 321]

 

[Nice Guy Eddie 13419]

11 minutes ago, Onboard 2.0 said:

Yeah cause the song hasn't got a single word about battle, war or victory over a military foe.

So you want to take the anthem literally?   

[Rusty Shackelford 414]

Good Lord, some of y’all... I’m just going to say “autism speaks”

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

35 minutes ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

So you want to take the anthem literally?   

Uhh, no. I'm just saying you can't remove the military aspect of a song written during a siege with much of the songs subject matter being about the   flag waving over a defeated foe in battle.

 The removing of hats during the anthem is a sign of respect to the flag, our nation and those who've died in it's defense.

[mycox 582]

anthem yes. I will not remove my hat for god bless america

damnit

[Armybrat 40759]

Three pages and this thread is still going? My hat's off to you guys...

[woohorn 1131]

I'm not sure wearing ball caps actually causes baldness, but I do think it exacerbates it.  It is shocking to me how many young guys turn bald faster.

Correlation, not causation.

All the balding incels up in here be like "come n take it" when it comes to their greasy old navy gimme caps...

[HouTex 1851]

anthem yes. I will not remove my hat for god bless america
damnit

Absolutely this. It makes me ragey when I see people with their hands over their hearts when ATB plays. I love the song (especially Ray Charles version) but it's not our national anthem. Our national anthem is the perfect anthem for our country.

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

Just now, HouTex said:

Absolutely this. It makes me ragey when I see people with their hands over their hearts when ATB plays. I love the song (especially Ray Charles version) but it's not our national anthem. Our national anthem is the perfect anthem for our country.

It is a good song, but hard to sing for many people. ATB is easier to sing, and it is a kinder gentler song.

[Zepol87 9172]

Not sure I've heard the term gimme cap before. Had to Google it

Sunglasses inside are way more ragey than a hat inside

[RDCanecutter 26346]

3 minutes ago, Zepol87 said:

Not sure I've heard the term gimme cap before. Had to Google it

I never heard it before I read Vicente Fox's book about his life:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/582095.Revolution_of_Hope

So either a Mexican taught me the term, or more likely his ghostwriter Rob Allyn.

This thread on Surly is the second time I've seen it. So which one o' y'all is Chente?

[Assman 1830]

6 minutes ago, Zepol87 said:

Not sure I've heard the term gimme cap before. Had to Google it

Sunglasses inside are way more ragey than a hat inside

Just did the same thing.  Never heard "gimme hat" before now.

I don't have an issue wearing a hat indoors unless you're at church, eating dinner at someone's home, or during the national anthem.

[Llano Estacado 1257]

Don’t think we’re in the era of gimme caps anymore. I see far more guys who’ve shelled out $25 for Nike, Patagonia, Costa, Yeti, Lonestar Feed, and Cactus Ropes hats than old sweat stained freebies from the rental equipment business or the tractor salesman at church.

I’d venture to say paid in full corporate brand/logo hats are more common by a few percentage points these days than College/Pro team.

[RDCanecutter 26346]

I suspect hat etiquette was seriously kept in place by the era of the draft, especially WW2 with, what, 3/4 of the male utes doing a tour in uniform?

There are all sorts of Army traditions that are supposed to date back to the Middle Ages. When you dig deeper, turns out a lot of it is just made up. Had a buddy in OCS who specialized in fucking with the TAC officers by using actual obscure regulations that nobody knows about-- he'd salute with his left hand when they were to the left of him, because that's how it was written up in the 1800s. The hat jive probably comes from a mix of fact and fancy, kinda like Von Steuben really did help whip the Continental Army into shape, but he wasn't a "Von" until he stepped ashore in America.

Non-Connected Trivia: fedoras are associated with old-timey reporters now, but back then, they were what detectives wore. Reporters started wearing fedoras to trick people into thinking they were talking to the cops. Supposedly that's where the "press" badge came from, as push-back from actual cops. May all be lies as I heard it from a reporter, but the story moves like an occult hand through folklore.

[El Diablo 4232]

Covering the head is biblical. Men not covering their heads indoors is biblical. It's one of the smiteables, I'm pretty sure.

[Rusty Shackelford 414]

Don’t think we’re in the era of gimme caps anymore. I see far more guys who’ve shelled out $25 for Nike, Patagonia, Costa, Yeti, Lonestar Feed, and Cactus Ropes hats than old sweat stained freebies from the rental equipment business or the tractor salesman at church.

I’d venture to say paid in full corporate brand/logo hats are more common by a few percentage points these days than College/Pro team.

This.

The term “gimme cap” has been misused several times in this thread.

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

3 minutes ago, Rusty Shackelford said:

 

This.

The term “gimme cap” has been misused several times in this thread.

 

No idea what these gimme caps are, but if its being given out free, its probably not that quality a product.  I'm particular about my hats.  The right roll to the brim, none of that BS flat brim short bus shit, and a good skull hugging form to the cap.

[El Diablo 4232]

I had no idea that the term gimme cap had faded from common usage. Feed stores were always good for a freebie, along with a calendar.

[Guest Lobo]

35 minutes ago, El Diablo said:

Covering the head is biblical. Men not covering their heads indoors is biblical. It's one of the smiteables, I'm pretty sure.

The Smiteables?  Is that that funny book of religious terms that Rich Hall made up?  

Only reason I stand up and remove a lid for the National Anthem is in case there is a veteran nearby.  If me and everybody else around doing that gives them one second of solemnity, then I'm all for it.  Likewise if me not doing it, no matter my right to participate or not, makes them uncomfortable or sad or offended for a moment---then no way should I do that to them.  I can't know every little thing that'll make them happy or sad, but that's an easy one I can easily participate in.  Otherwise, it's a tradition that makes zero sense.  

Here's another one.  Stop and actually think about the words in "The Pledge of Allegiance."  It makes the morning indoctrination sessions in North Korea look tame by comparison and we force it upon our youngest and most vulnerable.  It's moronic and meant for mindless sheep.  The irony being that they most adamant anti-state limited government folks are the first ones to jump up at a convention or some shit and hold their hand to their heart and belt out the Pledge (and the Texas one) with a big smile on their face.  

DO they still crack down on hats in Texas public schools?  We couldn't wear them in high school growing up because we had a serious gang problem in the Southwest side of Chicago.  But it seems like in suburban/rural high schools, they're okay with it.  I'm curious what the deal is nowadays.  You can be whacked out on opioids Sonny, but we'll be goddammed if you'll wear a ballcap in my class and distract from learning.  

[Degenerate Gardner 4085]

People stopped wearing hats and people stopped caring about etiquette.

[Bozo_Casanova 26362]

Don’t think we’re in the era of gimme caps anymore. I see far more guys who’ve shelled out $25 for Nike, Patagonia, Costa, Yeti, Lonestar Feed, and Cactus Ropes hats than old sweat stained freebies from the rental equipment business or the tractor salesman at church.

I’d venture to say paid in full corporate brand/logo hats are more common by a few percentage points these days than College/Pro team.

This right here.

Gimme caps were a thing before smart guys figured out that your customers would actually pay you to affiliate themselves with your brand.

[Upgrayedd 5806]

1 hour ago, El Diablo said:

Covering the head is biblical. Men not covering their heads indoors is biblical. It's one of the smiteables, I'm pretty sure.

Reminds me that today is the day the Avatar gets to come back inside.  Day 7 and all.

[RomaVicta 29830]

I made the amazing discovery seven or eight years ago that a fedora on my bald head in the summer actually kept me cooler and that a felt hat in the winter kept me warmer. I use hats to fulfill a purpose and I choose them for the best look.

I don't think many people are using hats for their obvious functional advantages. They choose them as important self identifiers. They don't want to remove their identity as a cowboy or just a regular guy wearing a gimme cap at anytime. 

I always remove my hat indoors. I don't care that I'm bald and people will notice it. I feel like an idiot that wears a hat to make an impression if I leave it on indoors. Gauche.

[NeverMarryAStripper 21784]

I think people who wear hats indoors also probably wear flip flops on airplanes.

[Zepol87 9172]

I had no idea that the term gimme cap had faded from common usage. Feed stores were always good for a freebie, along with a calendar.

Could be why I've never heard of the term. I have never been to a feed store

[El Diablo 4232]

1 minute ago, Zepol87 said:

 

Could be why I've never heard of the term. I have never been to a feed store

 

Well you didn't have to go to the feed store yourself, somebody else could bring you a spare hat.

[Steel Shank 9416]

Don't forget cotton gins.

[Brothahorn 10085]

Don’t think we’re in the era of gimme caps anymore. I see far more guys who’ve shelled out $25 for Nike, Patagonia, Costa, Yeti, Lonestar Feed, and Cactus Ropes hats than old sweat stained freebies from the rental equipment business or the tractor salesman at church.

I’d venture to say paid in full corporate brand/logo hats are more common by a few percentage points these days than College/Pro team.

My dad had about 70 Peterbilt caps that Rush would 'give' him when he bought truck parts. Of course the parts being so expensive, the cap wasn't really free.