Hats Off to Hats? The Contempo Dilemma

The Wall Street Journal addresses the recently revived trend of hat-wearing and the accompanying etiquette in a lengthy post today. “I’m wearing an $80 fedora!” a Jersey gent recently told a bouncer at a Hoboken bar, only to end up “grudgingly” holding his hat in hand for the rest of his evening out.

Whether to wear a hat indoors has become a retro problem for men today, especially at bars and restaurants.

“Some younger men do follow the traditional rules of indoor hat etiquette but it isn’t always appreciated. ‘It came back crushed,’ recalls 30-year-old Vasabjit Banerjee, of the fedora he turned over to the coat check at a restaurant a little over a year ago.”

The story also showcases the demise of hat racks like the one shown here, which has led to some fellows putting their hats on a neighboring chair or on the table when out at an upscale eatery — much as a woman does her purse.

Would you wear your hat to your favorite restaurant?