Please take off your hat!

strop · Nov 2, 2011

I had the rare opportunity to meet my bride for lunch today. Went to Applebee's (not a lot of choices in a small town) so nothing fancy, but still nice. We were there for about an hour. During that time I counted 8 different men sitting at the tables with their caps on, many of them pretty dirty and stained. Ages ranged from 20something (carrying an infant seat) to at least 70.

When did it become acceptable to sit in a restaurant with your hat on? Am I just that old fashioned?

Mark

Greyfox · Nov 2, 2011

You are not old fashioned; however, not many restaurants have coat or hat checks anymore so the more "updated" etiquette now has shifted toward leaving the hat on. This is particularly true with fedoras. I don't agree with this but apparently the times are changing for us old guys.

Bruce Wayne · Nov 2, 2011

Just because they don't have a coat/hat check doesn't mean they can't take their noggin topper off & set it on the seat next to them.

Price · Nov 2, 2011

Bruce Wayne said:
Just because they don't have a coat/hat check doesn't mean they can't take their noggin topper off & set it on the seat next to them.

This.

I'd hardly consider myself an "old guy", but I'd definitely say it's still terribly bad form to leave your hat on at the table.

frank V · Nov 2, 2011

Yeah not many guys today follow that etiquette anymore. It's a shame because I was raised to take your at off especially at dinner.
That along with saying thank you and holding the door open for others is long gone. I still do it so as long as my son follows my lead I'll be happy.

neo71665 · Nov 2, 2011

When we went to lunch at work we left ours on. Would you rather see a hat or our dirty and sweaty hair?

Dinner with a lady is a different story and I will remove my hat.

xraygun · Nov 2, 2011

Anyone know the logic of the ettiquette? The actual why it's polite to take off the hat?

tchudson · Nov 2, 2011

I don't wear many hats - mostly ballcaps on days when I'm hiking or on a weekend where I got up and didn't take a shower. Sometimes I take my hat off, sometimes I don't. It depends on my mood, the restaurant, and if there is anywhere I can put my cap other than on the table. As far as saying thank you - ingrained from my youth. And even after being together for 17 years, I still open the door for my wife, including her car door.

frank V said:
Yeah not many guys today follow that etiquette anymore. It's a shame because I was raised to take your at off especially at dinner.
That along with saying thank you and holding the door open for others is long gone. I still do it so as long as my son follows my lead I'll be happy.

neo71665 · Nov 2, 2011

http://www.villagehatshop.com/hat_etiquette.html

We are not as formal as we once were. When you walk into a office building and you see men wearing shorts and women wearing stuff that should make a hooker blush.

Applebees I hardly call a formal place that deserves the removal of a hat. Everytime I've been in one thy had workers lunch specials and the bar was full of college kids getting drunk on the lunch break. A classy joint imho doesn't serve beer by the picher without even having to order food.

gaseousclay · Nov 2, 2011

strop said:
I had the rare opportunity to meet my bride for lunch today. Went to Applebee's (not a lot of choices in a small town) so nothing fancy, but still nice. We were there for about an hour. During that time I counted 8 different men sitting at the tables with their caps on, many of them pretty dirty and stained. Ages ranged from 20something (carrying an infant seat) to at least 70.

When did it become acceptable to sit in a restaurant with your hat on? Am I just that old fashioned?

Mark

I dunno. Applebees doesn't strike me as being a very fancy restaurant that required a patron to remove their hat. If I were at an upscale restaurant i'd think differently about it, but a chain restaurant? I don't really care.

Nils · Nov 2, 2011

I was taught to always take my hat off whenever I entered through a door. I hardly ever wear a cap, let alone a hat, but I still follow that rule.

No idea if this is required etiquette, though.

ouch · Nov 2, 2011

Thank you Tony Soprano.

diyguy · Nov 2, 2011

+1 for hats off indoors

tvldatsi · Nov 2, 2011

I disagree with equating this sort of etiquette with actual politeness. I'm quite glad the world I get to live in is moving away from such nonsense outside of intentionally formal occasions.

That being said I don't normally wear hats inside. To me it's a functional item rather than a fashion, and being indoors counteracts the purpose of most headwear...

KM-instructor · Nov 2, 2011

Sign of the times, and it will only get worse.

I rarely hear anyone say please and thank you anywhere let alone a restuarant, even opening doors seems to be a thing for us older generation, i see it all the time people just think about themselves and slam the doors into other folks faces without a care in the world, it's rare to see many folk open a door on a car, so wearing a hat at dinner does not surprise me at all, but i would rather see hats on heads than listen to damn cell phones.

I remember as a kid discipline was the order of the day, got a caining at school (Normal), but today your not even allowed to discipline anyone, even in the service it got easier and easier because it has become a much softer generation.

BTJR99 · Nov 2, 2011

neo71665 said:
Applebees I hardly call a formal place that deserves the removal of a hat. Everytime I've been in one thy had workers lunch specials and the bar was full of college kids getting drunk on the lunch break. A classy joint imho doesn't serve beer by the picher without even having to order food.

+1 My thoughts exactly.

Dave in KY · Nov 2, 2011

KM-instructor said:
Sign of the times, and it will only get worse.

I rarely hear anyone say please and thank you anywhere let alone a restuarant, even opening doors seems to be a thing for us older generation, i see it all the time people just think about themselves and slam the doors into other folks faces without a care in the world, it's rare to see many folk open a door on a car, so wearing a hat at dinner does not surprise me at all, but i would rather see hats on heads than listen to damn cell phones.

I remember as a kid discipline was the order of the day, got a caining at school (Normal), but today your not even allowed to discipline anyone, even in the service it got easier and easier because it has become a much softer generation.

Ditto to all of this. I can't believe what things have come to. You hold a door for someone and they waltz in like your their servant not even saying thankyou for the kindness shown. Peoiple are raised nowawadays feeling too much entitlement like they are owed the world.

devorenm · Nov 2, 2011

It's an apple-bees - all bets are off.

Seriously though, I tend to take these things with a grain a salt - either in spite of or because of general crass behavior - gentlemanly behavior received notice.

DDH · Nov 2, 2011

I'm a firm beliver in a man taking his hat off inside period!

neo71665 · Nov 2, 2011

I was raised in the south and still say thank you, your welcome, yes and no ma'am/sir. I also hold doors open.

I think things have just evolved over time. Back in the 50s there was cigg ads on cartoons, now the only legal place one can smoke is hiding in the bedroom under their covers. Nudity was only in smut mags and now its on prime time tv. People wanna blame it on kids nowdays but I blame it more on the hippies from the 60s. As they grew older and had kids they raised the in their more relaxed views. Kids are only gona act like they were taught.

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Please take off your hat!

strop

Now half as wise

Greyfox

Bruce Wayne

Price

frank V

neo71665

xraygun

tchudson

neo71665

gaseousclay

Nils

ouch

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diyguy

tvldatsi

KM-instructor

BTJR99

Dave in KY

devorenm

DDH

neo71665

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