We’ve written about hats a few times here at SuitUpp. What we haven’t done is tell you when you should take off your hat and when you can leave it on. The most interesting aspect to point out about hats is that they mean very different things to younger audiences than they do more traditional fashion lovers. In this blog post, we’ll explore some details about wearing hats and give you some excellent tips.

Traditionally, hats were not meant to be worn in front of an audience in a closed space – put differently, they weren’t meant to be worn inside. For example, if you were to walk into a department store, it would be best if you would take your hat off. Similarly, if you walked into an elevator, it would have been polite to take your hat off. However, times have since changed. This type of hat-wearing behavior is considered to be quite formal. Nowadays, younger men/women may keep their hats on for the entire day as it may be part of their outfit. In the past, out of respect for an individual you were talking to (especially ladies), you would take off your hat. If you ever passed by an individual that you knew, it would also be polite to tip your hat or take it off briefly to say your greetings and then put it back on as you walked away.

If we were to give you some tips on hat wearing behavior, we would divide up hats into two categories: as part of a traditional look or as part of a non-traditional look.

If you are going for the non-traditional look,

1) Ensure that the hat integrates into your outfit seamlessly.

2) Make sure the audience, in front of whom this style is portrayed, is accepting of non-traditional attire (i.e. don’t go to a black-tie event with a winter hat and claim that it is stylish).

If you are going for the traditional look,

1) Take your hat off when you are indoors & in closed spaces.

2) Take you hat off briefly when you greet other individuals.

Final Tip: Hats tend to destroy your hair. We call this hat-hair. If you are going to wear a hat often, it may be beneficial to you to have shorter hair to avoid the hat-hair look.

If you’re interested in reading more about hats, check out the articles below:

> The Different Parts/Components of a Hat (Hat Nomenclature)

> Different Types of Hats

> What type of Hat Looks Best on You?