R is for Rules

There are rules for just about everything. Some are important for safety. "Don't touch the high voltage wire." Some are important for order. "Please wait for the next available agent." And some don't make sense. "Don't wear your hat inside."


I was having a discussion with a co-worker about this nonsensical rule the other day.  One of our coworkers was wearing a hat inside and my friend was appalled because she considered that to be rude. I said that was the rule that I grew up with, but I thought it was relaxing a bit, especially with billed hats. I had seen a lot more people wearing a billed hat inside without much notice.  Well, apparently I'm wrong because according to  Levine Hats and also, the Emily Post Institute, it's still not okay for a man to wear a hat inside unless it's indicated for religious reasons. Actually there are a lot more rules about hat wearing than I realized. You can see them at the end of the post.

How did that rule ever get started in the first place? Once again, Emily Post gives some insight to this question. She said that knights would lift their visor or remove their helmet to show that they were friendly. Failure to do so could result in battle. It's hard for me to believe that a practice from over five centuries ago is still influencing what we wear on our head, but I read it on the internet so it must be true.

Also according to the Emily Post Institute here are the rules for hat wearing. See how many you follow. It looks like I follow most all of them.

Men
Hats can be left on…

• Outdoors
• At athletic events (indoors or out)
• On public transportation
• In public buildings such as post offices, airports,  and hotel or office lobbies
• On elevators

Take hats off, including baseball caps …

• In someone’s home
• At mealtimes, at the table
• While being introduced, indoors or out (unless it’s frigid!)
• In a house of worship, unless a hat or head covering is required
• Indoors at work, especially in an office (unless required for the job)
• In public buildings such as a school, library, courthouse, or town hall
• In restaurants and coffee shops
• At a movie or any indoor performance
• When the national anthem is played
• When the flag of the United States passes by, as in a parade

Women

Fashion hats (not baseball-style caps) can be left on…

• In someone’s home
• At luncheons, weddings, garden parties
• At religious services
• At a movie or any indoor performance
• When the national anthem is played
• When the flag of the United States passes by, as in a parade

Take your fashion hat off…

• Anytime it blocks someone’s view, such as at a wedding or in a theater
• Indoors at work

Remove baseball-style (unisex) caps…

• In someone’s home
• At mealtimes, at the table
• While being introduced
• In a house of worship, unless a hat or head covering is required
• Indoors at work, unless required for the job
• In public buildings such as a school, library, courthouse, or town hall
• In restaurants and coffee shops
• At a movie or any indoor performance
• When the national anthem is played
• When the flag of the United States passes by, as in a parade

Cancer patients are exempt from hat rules. They may keep their hats or caps on at all times if they wish

From Head to Toe

Our town museum opened a new exhibit that I am participating in. Or I should say, my grandmother's hats are. The exhibit is called From Head to Toe and features hats, shoes, and accessories among other things. Several of my grandmother's antique hats are on display, and I'm sure that she would have never dreamed that that would happen. My sister and I had a good time as we got them ready for the exhibit. We tried to imagine her wearing each hat and where she got it. We never knew her as the fancy Italian hat wearing kind, so it was an interesting exercise.

One of the best parts of having a local museum, besides being able to participate in the exhibits, is listening to others tell stories about what they have brought for display. One person associates hat shopping with her mother as a happy time which wasn't always the case. Another person wore hats and gloves when she went shopping and to church. The stories abound and maybe I'll tell more of them another day. In the meantime, below is a sampling of a few things from the exhibit.

The museum is in a small, portable building. Some day they hope they can raise enough money to have a permanent place.

My grandmother's hats. Also, notice the hat box on the end and how the word "Exclusivery" (Exclusively) was translated from Japanese to English. That box is from a hat Miss Landers got when she was living in Japan.

This may have been the fanciest hat there. Certainly, one of the most colorful.

 

This Beaver Hat came with a very fancy cushioned hat box. All of the hat boxes I knew about before this were made of cardboard.

The dapper man who wore the fancy beaver hat above probably carried this fancy umbrella with a mustache comb in the handle. The other side of the handle had a mirror.

If these shoes are any indication, our feet have gotten a lot wider over time.

These two ladies may be dressed in their finest hats, but it didn't look like they were taking the situation too seriously.

Apparently, one size does not fit all.