Hat Etiquette for Men and Women
Joanne and I cringe when we see a man wearing a hat while he’s dining. Apparently we’re not the only ones. In a recent Sunday Edition CBC radio show, the fabulous host, Michael Enright addressed this same issue (here is link to the funny 4 minute audio and print version).
Michael Enright made the following points:
- Wearing a hat at the table is wrong “It’s like watching somebody pick their teeth in a flamboyant display of toothpick dexterity.”
- Wearing a baseball hat backwards makes you look like a doofus. Michael actually said “a profound doofus”.
I would have to agree with Michael on all those points.
Tony Soprano agrees too
Michael talks about a scene in The Sopranos, where Tony is eating at a fine restaurant. During the meal he notices a young man wearing a baseball hat at another table. Tony approaches him and “politely” asks him to remove his hat. Click here to see the great video. (Don’t you wish the etiquette police like Tony Soprano were always on duty)
So what are the etiquette rules for wearing a hat?
We included some hat etiquette tips and advice for wearing a hat in restaurants or at the office for men and women in a previous blog – Are Hats Inside the Office Okay? The short answer is no.
Hat etiquette dictates men don’t wear hats inside in business situations and socially. Women may wear hats inside for social occasions. In business since business etiquette is a level playing field (or should be), women need to be treated equally with men. Since men do not wear their hats inside, women should not either.
There were some great comments after this CBC segment
“When and why did North American men start looking and acting like slobs?
“It seems the North American male just doesn’t care how they look anymore, or maybe they are trying to project a frightening appearance in a display of aggressive anti-socialism. Even jeans seem to be too upscale.”
What have you seen out there and what do you think?
(Hats off to loyal readers Lorn S. And Trish B. for tipping us off to the Michael Enright CBC radio program on hat etiquette.)
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I can’t stand people wearing backwards baseball caps. They were made to keep the sun out of ones eyes… I find people that wear hats in dining rooms to be the most obnoxious of all!
I am a high school teacher who is forever insisting students take off their baseball caps in class. When they inevitably ask why, I explain the etiquette about taking ones hat off inside a building, but this does not satisfy them. They want to know why the etiquette is what it is. In addition, in these modern times, they find it abhorrent that there are different rules for males and females because, of course, it is not fair. Even my own 55 year old brother wears a baseball cap almost constantly, both inside and out, and at the dinner table. Makes me crazy!
Hi Lisanne,
Great question! Unless you’re a celebrity on Donald Trump’s Celebrity Apprentice, where you can get away with wearing cowboy hats and sunglasses indoors, similar rules of decorum apply when wearing a cowboy hat.
Here are great tips provided by http://www.thecowboyhatguide.com/wearing-and-etiquette/
– Any time you enter a building, the hat should come off.
– If it is an informal occasion you may put it back on but for a formal
occasion it should stay off.
– When sitting down at a table for a meal, the hat should come off
unless there is nowhere to safely lay the hat.
– When sitting down at a counter for a meal, the hat can stay on.
– Out on the range however, keep your hat on while you eat. If you take
your hat off, another wrangler might step on it or spill food into the
rim.
Great guidelines. Thank you Joanne and Terry. Now, being a good Albertan I must ask about cowboy hats on men and women. Does cowboy culture supercede?
sorry Terry!
Karin, I agree. While there is so much more leeway for women wearing hats, we must also be self aware and if it obstructs someone’s view remove it. Common sense, yes, but not always commonly practiced. As for baseball caps, Terry really, really likes them however he typically only wears them to the gym or when walking outdoors.
Depends on the social occasion! I sat in the opera (in Feb this year) behind a youngish couple both with hats on. This greatly diminished my view of the stage. How rude!!! I was very tempted to just snip them down from behind. While I am at it: Baseball caps NEVER EVER and under no circumstance are hats. Other than at the ballpark or the golf course they should not be worn at all.
Angela, for women it is acceptable in social occasions. Social etiquette allows women to wear hats inside for social occasions and at restaurants. (Guys have to take them off and be manly enough to live with hat hair.)
I have to say, I am a woman and have worn hats during social events, so good to know that is okay. I have worn hats at a restaurant, not sure if that is a no-no, but once I have a hat on, I can’t take it off, i.e. hat head. Therefore, I never wear one to the office, but have left with one on, I don’t care what I look like once I arrive home, hat head or not, take it or leave it. My question is, when I dress up and wear a hat for a social event, and even a restaurant, is that not acceptable?
Yes, so true. On the same CBC interview someone commented that an individiaul didn’t remove their hat during a citizenship swearing in ceremony. Many of these situations are ‘sins of ommission’ with people not knowing any better.
Baseball caps are the worst in my opinion. And we could also add the lack of manners when the national anthem is played where young men still wear their hats anyway.