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The scourge of baseball hats

UmmLila (Lisa)

Veteran

Baseball hats everywhere are one of my biggest pet peeves. Apparently Miss Manners agrees:

https://www.uexpress.com/life/.....2024/01/08

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23 replies

Latest reply was from Jonesy

MsMaven

Veteran

Perfect! Last year Mr. M held a family dinner party at a very nice hotel. He politely asked everyone to wear appropriate clothing--didn't have to be formal or business dress. SIL from NYC wore a lovely dress (not sure if she designed it) and the women wore nice outfits. A grand-niece's husband wore his baseball cap throughout the dinner. Mr. M was polite, but I wonder if this guy felt the least bit out of place. Everyone else was dressed appropriately--decent shirt and pants and no head gear.

rachylou

Veteran

Ok. This has always been an issue for me: can’t date a man who wears caps unless they’re a farmer. It just bothers me

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I loved the whole article.

Caps look horrid on me so I will not be contributing to this trend.

Kate

Veteran

Loved the article.

I've never been a fan of baseball caps. Fortunately, where I live, I see fewer of them being worn in the wild.

Sloper

Veteran

I guess they don’t bother me so much - as long they are removed at dinner.

Not a fan of hipster pork pie hats, or cowboy hats - again and especially when worn indoors.

Helena

Veteran

Hmmm I'm going to be the devil's advocate ... I love a cap and it doesn't really bother me when they are worn indoors? I think sometimes for men it's a security issue around hair loss too, or even I've known men who are at a loss of what to do with their hair and lean on caps as a solution.

What specifically bothers you about them? Is it the implied lack of formality and if so could an elevated version be acceptable? Or is it all hats? Help me understand your perspective

Echo

Veteran

From the website of a hat-maker:
"A gentleman should remove his hat as he enters a building, including a restaurant, home, classroom, theater, church. This rule includes baseball caps and casual hats. Hats are to be removed when inside, except for places that are akin to public streets, e.g., lobbies, corridors, and elevators in public buildings."

https://www.levinehat.com/page.....s,and%20el.

I don't cnsider myself that old (53), but my father was old-school, and wore a hat for going out with my mum. But that hat came off immediately upon entering a building. Why? Because that's what is considered polite. Yes, etiquette can change, but this aspect of it has absolutely not.

Dh and I recently spent some time just before Christmas in South Dakota, and while it was lovely, men almost universally did not remove their hats indoors or even in very nice restaurants. And I don't just mean baseball caps, but big Western hats that really, REALLY should not be worn indoors. It drove me up a wall.

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

Hmm. I am not a huge fan of how they look, but don't mind them outdoors on others. Indoors they would seem off, but maybe because they obscure the face? I would feel awkward wearing a big sun hat indoors too.

Olive Green

Veteran

“Clothing is a symbolic system” is the perfect answer. What is the hat person trying to say? Frat or hip-hop? Military vibe or western?
On or off? Manners or rebellion?
Around here, a cowboy hat can be quite expensive. Taking it off in public means putting it somewhere where it wont be harmed or stolen, and there are few places to hang your hat lately.
A quiet display of old fashioned manners really stands out, though.

Staysfit

Veteran

I also don’t mind baseball caps. I have become accustomed to seeing them indoors. Many of the students I work with have sensory issues. The hats brim protects them from the harsh indoor lighting and the sunlight outdoors. It’s better than sunglasses because I can still see their facial expressions. Teachers stopped asking them to remove the caps long ago. In the past few months, knit beanies have become an indoor trend in our school program among those who are not wearing baseball caps! I’m not sure what started this trend but some of the teaching assistants have started to wear them also. We seem to have three gangs now, hatless, beanies and caps.

I do not appreciate people who keep wide brim hats on when in the theatre. Very rude as it obscures view.

nuancedream

Veteran

I'll wear a baseball cap outdoors, but not indoors even if I'm having a really bad hair day .

Anonymous

I hate them especially when turned backward!

Jules

Veteran

I am (almost) 50 and grew up with hats-off being reinforced by elders as a matter of etiquette, but I think this absolutely has changed. Personally I think I would have to be in a pretty formal setting to notice, and even then I don't think I would be bothered so much as thinking, hmmm, times have changed and this person probably has no idea this was a rule; or they have their reasons for being more comfortable breaking the "rule" than going hatless, and are not intentionally trying to offend.

ClaraT

Veteran

I’m in the “to each their own” camp—if it doesn’t affect me, I don’t care too much!
But I know my older relatives have very strong feelings about hats and I personally go with the social norm (past social norm? lol) of removing my cap or hat indoors.
I appreciate this low-stakes discussion. It’s interesting to see the variety of responses.

Runcarla

Veteran

I like baseball hats as a fashion ‘lewk’ (see pics below), and I really like the idea of a curved brim for protection from the weather, but alas, the style doesn’t suit me. There are other hat styles that look better - and I am a hat wearer.

On a cold day I’ve caught myself pulling my hoodie up over my head whilst indoors for extra warmth, and I’ve worn a beret inside a cold venue, even after removing my coat. I do remove hats with brims that hide my face when in company.

I can understand where someone with thin hair, short hair, or no hair, might feel more comfortable (warm) wearing some kind of hat indoors, as well as outside, however a ball cap in a formal setting like a restaurant, church weeding, etc. is a fashion and etiquette fail in my book.

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Janet

(website)

Veteran

All I can say is, you’d better not move to rural east Texas. A cap seems part of the uniform for all the ranchers and workers there, and they wear them everywhere. More prevalent than cowboy hats by far.

My husband still wears one sometimes but there’s a time and place.

Star

Veteran

What Suntiger said.

Dee

Veteran

Interesting about the strong feelings about hats being worn indoors. I can't say that it really bothers me all that much, but my husband who often wears a ball cap will always take it off inside.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I don't wear baseball caps, and like them on others! I'm with Helena that a cap can be a security covering for hair loss.

I think caps look fine worn inside indoors in malls and movie theaters.

BlueJay

Veteran

I LOVE wearing baseball caps! I own five (black, white, red, medium blue, and Blue Jays baseball logo.) I would like a darker blue one. I mostly wear them when playing tennis (outside, indoor and night) as the cap keeps my flyaway hairs in place I can't stand them touching my face, and for the sun, as well as glare from the night lights. Sometimes I wear them as Carla has shown, out and about on a bad hair day. DD also enjoys wearing a baseball cap too, to keep the sun out of her eyes, but I also suspect it is to "hide" as she can be shy. She does remove it when inside for school, though.

HOWEVER, having said all that, I do agree that they should be removed when at church, someone's home, school (unless other issues as Staysfit mentions), or events. Malls, movie theatres, etc, IMO are ok.

Joy

Veteran

I agree with you about baseball hats. My biggest peeve is those who wear them backwards and indoors. They seem to scream my hair is thinning. I am bald under this cap.i would rather see your bald head. I refuse to buy any baseball hats. But I need protection from the sun.

Aquamarine

Veteran

I never liked them or wore them until I grew my hair out a few years ago. Now I can’t imagine NOT wearing one while walking/etc. (with hair in a ponytail). Also, I color my hair and found out the hard way that without a hat in the sun, my hair turns brassy. It’s also useful when my roots are showing and I can’t be bothered dealing with root coverup.

However, I will not wear one indoors unless I’m food shopping or running a quick errand. Never in a restaurant or house of worship. One of my sons worked as a busboy at a high end restaurant in high school, and people in baseball caps was one of management’s pet peeves he said. They were never placed at the better tables, and frequently asked to please sit in the outdoor dining area.

Jonesy

Veteran

I know that the standard etiquette is to always remove hats indoors, including baseball caps, but I admit that I don't care all that much (unless someone has a big hat on and I'm sitting behind them at the theater, for example). And I do like the style of baseball caps worn with casual clothes. Blame it on Kendall Roy and his expensive Loro Piana cashmere baseball cap :).

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