A GENTLEMAN TIPS HIS HAT...

After more than 40 years mens fashion is experiencing a revival of "Hat Culture."  Much to my delight I see gentlemen wearing hats again; not baseball caps or fishing caps, kufe's, tams, and other such kinds of hats but more refined hats befitting a gentleman.  By this I mean Fedoras, Porkpies, Lords Hats, Bowlers, Boaters and other permutations that find themselves most comfortable when dressed up rather than the former.  Hats that are ideal for business casual, formal, or even casual wear, slacks and polo or button down with a nice pair of leather shoes.  I have even worn fedoras with jeans, although I much prefer a nice pair of trousers.  But no matter what clothing the man is wearing... from the neck down... there is one paramount feature to a well worn hat that becomes immediately apparent whenvever a gentleman tips his hat.

A gentleman tips his hat as a statement of personal style, for he may choose not to tip his hat at all.  Now there are two meanings to the tipping of a gentlemans hat.  The first is a courteous gesture in which a gentleman, using his finger, slightly tips his hat to a lady or gently touches the brim with his finger if it is another gentleman he wishes to aknowledge.  The second is when a gentleman takes time to artfully position his hat upon his head.  I am more concerened here with the latter although I will undoubtedly comment on the minor points of etiquette associated with both. 

In this hurried culture the art of dressing has gotten lost beneath the dire necessity to be many places and do many things at once... Yet there are those times when a gentleman must finally reserve some time to compose himself and if he chooses to wear a chapeau then he must surely take some time to practise tipping it properly.  Every hat will fit differently upon the head and have a slightly variant profile so each time a gentleman buys and choses to wear a different hat he must take time to learn its mysteries by practising tipping and  balancing its mass upon his head.  The most conservative gentleman will not tip his hat more than 5 to 10 degrees in any one direction front or back or sideways.  So my best suggestion will at once appear a bit dandyish but it is nonetheless essential... Go to the mirror man, and practise tipping your hat!   adjust the brim turn it down or wear it up have fun with it! Experiment! There is something to be said for a man who is has a comfortible look, meaning that he has put thought into his hat and is not constantly fussing with it, relentlessly hogging public mirrors for assessment and uneding adjustments it in public.  The more you wear them the more comfortible you will become with its orientation should you have to remove it in public.  A gentleman might take an hour or so to "learn" his hats on a slow Saturday or a weekday or night when he is bored of telivision or of surfing the internet.  Simply find a nice position in the mirror and have a second hand mirror so you can view the orientaion of the hat from behind and to the side as well.  I sometimes take pictures or videos of my hats worn in different positions with different types of shirt collars and colours so that I can edit visually with more efficacy. 

A gentleman will begin to collect hat feathers to accent his clothing.  like a cravate, the feather is intended to pull the mans ensemble together and to add a fleck of colour to the crowing ornament of his wardrobe.  Whether you go for contrast or blend, the choice of hatfeather should be taken quite seriously as it is not necessarily needed for all occasions.  In situations where a gentleman finds himself wearing braces, a boutoneer, a cravate, a pocket square, cufflinks and or studs he must be sure  to pay close attention that he does not clutter what should be a smoothe transition from head to toe.  My personal rule of thumb is to limit most ensenbles to two primary colours and one accent colour.  Besides colour a gentleman must be sure that he chooses a hatfeather that is masculine and that is properly scaled for the chapeau he is wearing.  For men... the smaller the feather the better...  Please find a proper container inwhich to store your feathers and do remember to remove them when storing your hats so that they do not become frayed or bent.  When preserving vintage hats it may be sometimes necessary to replace the hatfeather as well as the grosgrain and to have the hat cleaned and re-blocked by a professional. 

A gentleman should try to match the hat ribbon or grosgrain with his shoes, belt and shoulder bag or valise.  For this reason the hatfeather is almost never the same colour as the ribbon except when wearing white or black or even navy or grey when it may be best to minimize the range of shades of a monochromed ensemble. 

Always be sure that your chapeau is clean and properly blocked.  After multiple wearings a hat may begin to lose its shape... it is then  time to return to your hatmaker and have it cleaned and blocked.  While visiting your milliner do be sure to purchase a hat cleaning eraser and to inquire about hatfeathers and adjustable bands to allow you to quickly alter the look of your chapeau.

A gentleman will mind the massing and general profile and architecture of his ensemble when wearing a hat.  Do mind the brim width especially in he winter when it may be necessary to wear a chapau with a higher crown and brim with a great coat that has a fur or very substanntive collar and shoulder spread and scarf.  Similarly, if one is not wearing a blazier or surcoat or if one is not wearing a collar then the brim may width and crown height may need to be smaller in order to achieve the correct scale and proportion.  Some will say that a man with a broad chest and shoulders should not wear a stingy brim, however I do feel that this is a matter of personal aesthetic, having noted men of large scale to look quite dandy in a stingy brim.