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Dear friends, do some research on why men wear caps. Yes, there's some controversy (a certain red cap comes to mind, insert barf emoji here). But head-gear is not necessarily a signifier for intimidation or rebellion or tribalism.
I grew up on the Canadian prairies where baseball caps were the norm, practically prescribed at birth, and although most of the men in my life wore them—my father, my brothers, my uncles, some of my friends—I knew they didn't feel right for me, with one exception: a gentle cap-wearing man I much admired. More on this below....
In the meantime, I became an educator and I swear that the most contentious and lengthy topic at my very first staff meeting was about enforcing the hat rule. It's disrespectful! It's uncivilized! It's profane! Sigh. Suddenly I wanted to start wearing a cap.
But nope. Instead I enforced the stupid rule and sometimes it undermined forming connections with the teen boys I was attempting to convince that Hamlet was more tortured intellectual than massive whinger. (Spoiler: he was both.) Coincidentally, this same topic was discussed at one of my last staff meetings, THIRTY-SOME YEARS LATER. After about a decade in education exclusively working with teachers, I had returned to the classroom and was shocked that this hat ideology nonsense was still a raging debate. Puh-leeze.
By then, I was wearing my own head-gear. Why? I became a Grandpops! I always knew if I ever had the privilege and joy of joining this club, I would wear a flat-cap to signify this most important milestone, to embrace aging minus the grumpy disposition, and most importantly, to emulate my own gentle grandfather. Side note: I must admit I was so removed from the hat culture loop then that I hilariously misnamed my grandfather's flat cap, lol.
Thank goodness hat ideology has evolved (more of this in schools please) because dear friends, my flat-cap is all sorts of fit mental health vibes: gratitude for my favourite five, pride in my identity, a daily mental health boost, and a most meaningful vibrant thing.
I have a couple of flat caps myself. When I was teaching, every year there would be a faulty meeting on the wearing of caps. In the beginning, caps were forbidden and students were not allowed to wear them at all. But towards the end of my career, caps slowly began to be allowed. I can remember getting frustrated at faculty meetings where people would drone on and on about why students shouldn't wear a cap.
ReplyDeleteI truly aim to be curious and reflective about my perspective on almost everything, yet with hat ideology....like why would you want to die on that hill?
DeleteI love seeing men wearing flat caps.
ReplyDeleteMe too...I know it doesn't automatically signify good gentle human, but I my pea-brain likes to think it does.
Delete...I would rather not wear a hat/cap, but I don't want the top of my head giving sunburn!
ReplyDeletePersonally, I can't relate, but yes, that's completely valid.
DeleteOkay don't laugh. My dad wore flat caps so one day I tried his on. I loved it. So yes, in the winter I will wear mine. I had on a tweed blazer and my cap, hoop earrings and my father told me I looked better in his hat and ensemble than he did. He's only paid me 3 compliments in my entire life so I remember that one. :-)
ReplyDeleteI would never laugh at a Dad affirming his daughter. I'm glad you have this memory.
DeleteI only look good in two styles of hats -- a flat cap and a fedora. Both men's hats. I guess that's just my vibe!
ReplyDeleteI guess we have the same vibe. I like it!
DeleteWhen I began teaching in the early 70s, long hair for guys was in vogue. At some point it wasn’t and ball caps became dominant. They were a real struggle. :)
ReplyDeleteI am not a ball cap guy, but I am a flat cap guy. I also have some Tilley hats. You and I are somewhat unique in this.
I am wondering if the ball cap era is subsiding. My 18 year old grandson doesn’t wear one and neither do most of his friends, and I don’t see very many when I pass the high school and the browns hanging around out front.
Your smiley face says much, ha.
DeleteI suspect it's like most things, cyclical? But in Western Canada, it's still quite ubiquitous.
Also this: fun being a club with you, sir.
DeleteWearing a headcovering of some sort was a requisite in UK until the early 20th century and gradually reduced from the 1960s. My husband wears a hat because his hair has departed!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your word-choice here: departed, lol.
DeleteMy dad wore caps like that.
ReplyDeleteI don't like wearing hats but do sometimes when the alternative is a sunburned head.
They do seem connected to the past, don't they?
DeleteMakes sense.
I wear baseball caps all the time, and floppy hats for sun protection when working in the yard, but I don't know that I could pull off a flat cap with the same aplomb as you.
ReplyDeleteHaha methinks you made me up inside your head aka you've mistaken me for someone cool.
DeleteI just wanted an excuse to use the word "aplomb."
DeleteSolid reason, imo.
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