Wondering where it is appropriate to wear a hat as a man? Hats are a wonderful accessory that can provide the perfect finishing touch to a whole range of different outfits. Whether smart or casual, there’s a hat for almost every type of occasion. Some people are bigger on them than others, but either way, there are some rights and wrongs when it comes to wearing them. One of the biggest lessons to learn is where they should and should not be worn. Read on to find out the places you should never wear a hat.
Hat Etiquette- Top places it’s still not appropriate to wear a hat
Job Interview
First impressions go a hell of a long way when it comes to job interviews. Most prospective employers make their minds up very quickly about you. So sitting there under a hat is going to tell them you either think you’re too good for the role, or just obsessed with yourself. Wear it on the way there by all means – but if you don’t take it off you’ll just look unprofessional. If you’re unsure about what to wear to a job interview, there’s a handy guide to interview attire here.
First date
Unless your first date is attending the opening day of Ascot (that’s what you’d call setting the bar high) then leave your hat at home. The other person wants to get to know you and will only be distracted by this ‘thing’ sitting on top of your head – no matter how cool you think it makes you look. It just puts the attention onto you, when really, the other person feels they will deserve it just as much.
At a funeral
There’s nothing nice about attending a funeral. Even if it isn’t someone especially close to you. But while you are there you have to show respect for the deceased and those in mourning – and rocking a hat shows anything but that. You might disagree, but the consensus is that it’s not appropriate to wear a hat at a funeral. If you wear one upon arrival then be sure to take it off when you are there – especially when the family of the deceased is near.
At work
You probably won’t last very long if you stroll into work wearing a hat every day. Unless you’re one of those lucky hipsters working in a creative company of some sort. For more formal work settings wearing a hat is a big no-no. The last thing you need is to be talking to HR about flouting dress code policies and being forced to memorize the work handbook. Can you wear a hat on ‘dress down Fridays? You might get lucky on dress-down Fridays, but it’s probably not worth the hassle. Anyway, most people you work with wouldn’t know style if it hit them in the face, so leave your fashion statements for the weekend.
At a fancy restaurant
Most high-end restaurants have a dress code of some sort and you can rest assured they will not be in favor of customers wearing hats. The bigger question is, why do you feel the need to wear one while you are eating? You are inside an insulated building and you should be warm enough – unless it’s a pop-up in the middle of Antarctica. Just take one look around and you’ll see no-one else is wearing one – and neither should you. It may seem a dated idea, but it’s still not appropriate to wear a hat at the dinner table, let alone a fancy restaurant.
At a Church Service
If you regularly attend church or visit for services such as weddings and christenings you may notice that men typically remove their hats when they enter. This is due to an old custom where men would need to be identified when they arrived at church, allowing the religious leader to see their faces from the front. Since that expectation was set, men have been removing their hats in churches ever since while women are encouraged to keep theirs on to show them in a demure and respectful position.
At Mealtimes
You may find that when you sit down to dinner, all the men remove their hats and expect you to as well. The reason for this is that it shows the host that you respect them, feel comfortable in their home and appreciate the meal they have prepared for you. Much like when you take your coat and shoes off when you head inside, hats are also important to remove when you eat. Many people believe that baseball hats are an appropriate exception to this rule, but this is not the case, especially when you are eating out at a restaurant or are a guest in someone else’s home.
In Someone’s House
When you visit someone in their home you may be dressed casually, especially if it is a close friend that you are going to see. However, keeping your hat on inside their house can be seen as an insult and disrespectful. Legend has it that taking your hat off in the home of a friend started as far back as medieval times when knights would visit people at home. It may seem over the top or unnecessary but taking your hat off when you pop to visit someone is a sure fire way to show them that you respect them.
When its appropriate to wear a hat
As a gentle reminder, we’ve included a small list of places where it would be normal to wear a hat. When it’s appropriate for a man to wear a hat:
- on holiday
- going swimming
- on a cold day
- at the gym
- on the weekends
- in a casual bar
- when its part of your work uniform
Are you using hats to hide hair loss?
Whether you have androgenetic slope, gradual hair loss, a bald spot or something else – We get it. Wearing a hat can act as a mask to shield you from dealing with a receding hairline, increased hair loss, balding spots or thinning hair. It’s a lot easier to whip on a baseball cap or beanie instead of battling with your remaining hair in front of a mirror.
While it’s perfectly normal to reach for your favorite hat on a bad hair day, it’s not ok to completely avoid places because you don’t want to show your hair. Hair loss sucks; it can feel powerless, deflate your confidence and stress you out. But when it affects your everyday life, stopping you from going to a fancy restaurant or club without your hat, for example, it may be time to address the situation and look into hair restoration techniques that can help.
Scalp Micropigmentation is a non-surgical hair loss solution that can give you your freedom back. By choosing to opt for a shaved head look, you no longer have to hide or style your hair. The shaved head look is effortless, timeless and smart. Learn more about scalp micro pigmentation the hairline tattoo that can recreate a full head of shaved hair.
Skalp® have clinics around the world. We have clinics in New York, Los Angeles, London, Manchester, Edinburgh and Dublin.
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