When Should One Remove One's Hat?

[Stamford_Richard]

Whilst I was taking a stroll at lunchtime, a funeral cortege drove past me and so I instinctively removed my hat.
However, I noticed that the undertaker in the passenger seat of the hearse was wearing his top hat - which leads to me question what the correct etiquette is?

[chrissa1]

What a lovely memory to have, Clanad.

[tamborine]

Whenever, to show respect. Not like that idiot Lord Mayor of London at the Afghan memorial service, when viewing the marchpast & had to be told to remove his hat to acknowledge the troops salute.

[Jackdaw33]

When I was small you rarely saw a man in the street without a hat, especially in winter. You hardly see a trilby these days. I wonder why hats for men became unfashionable.

[ichkeria]

Probably because the hassle of having to remove them for every darned thing made it a bit of a liability

[Jackdaw33]

When I was young caps were an integral part of school uniform. I was taught to touch the peak of my cap when addressing a lady.

[Mosaic]

Just in defence of the boomers.....as death as become less commonplace, and as our elders preferrred Sunday Night at the London Palladium to talking to us, so it may be understandable that quite how and when one shows sympathy to a deceased person is a grey area.
I offered a posy of garden flowers to a neighbour's hearse some 20 years ago, they looked at me as if I was about to bite.
All this hat-doffing *** is very early 18th century and ought to be laid to rest.

[Tilly2]

When sitting at the table.

[mikey4444]

Andy has it right here, but as young people routinely sit down to dinner with their baseball caps still on, perhaps the etiquette of hat-wearing is fast disappearing.

Its even worse in the States. I have travelled extensively over there and its quite normal to see men sit down in restaurants and diners, without removing their hats.

[Clanad]

mikey, it's a regional thing... here in the western U.S. it's quite common for hat wearer's to not remove the hat during meals... even when eating out. One reason could be the pale white ring beginning at mid-forehead and extending entirely upward when the hat is removed.

Additionally, there's an etiquette to be observed if[i the hat is ever removed and placed somewhere. The hat is [i]never] placed flat on the underside of its brim, but rather upside down... has to do with preserving the underside of the brim from becoming shiney.

Finally, wearing of the hats is the reason why one never sees more than three cowboys abreast in a pickup... can't fit 'em in there wearing hats...

[ludwig]

U2's 'the edge' never removes his woolly hat. I have a sneaking suspicion he's been bald for years and he doesn't want anyone to find out.

[mikey4444]

Clanad...I have seen many men wear hats wile eating in restaurants in the States, and to me its just ill-mannered.

Last summer, we visited Wells Cathedral and bunch of American tourists had to be told to take their hats off ! Even in America, I thought that men doffed their hats when in places of worship. I overhear two of the Americans expressing surprise to be told, terribly politely I might add, to remove their headgear. One of then whispered to his mate that he found it "kind of cute" These were teenagers mind, not grown-ups, which probably is a mitigating factor. We have that kind of teenager here too these days !

[Clanad]

As I said mikey, it's a regional thing... no self respecting stockman here in the west would be caught wearing the below the knee shorts with tee shirt so widely seen in the eastern states but the wearing of a hat in a restaurant is practised by so many of the 'locals' it's simply not seen as unusual.

On the other hand, I've rarely, if ever, seen anyone around here wearing their hat in church... even during a funeral of some one they well knew... just not done. So.. to the non-inducted, it may seem rude, but I imagine some would find driving on the wrong side of the road equally as rude, no?

[Peter Pedant]

People still doff their caps - happened a few days ago

I am sure there are undertakers' rules - all the mutes were bare-headed

[Peter Pedant]

// These were teenagers mind, not grown-ups,//

on a tour bus past Ground Zero - the guide had to tell teenagers how to behave respectfully
and I thought - 'God we thought our offspring has no idea how to behave....'

[mikey4444]

Clanad...if somebody was driving on the left, in America, it would be looked upon as madness, not rude ! So I fail to see how your analogy works !

For me gentlemen just don't wear hats indoors, although it can be quite the thing for ladies to do so, even in church.

But I will tell you one thing that I found be beyond the pale. I had tea in the house of one of my Americans friends, in New Hampshire, and she asked me if I wanted cream or lemon in my tea !

Cream ?...in tea ?

Dear God !

[Jackdaw33]

There was a time when no woman would enter a church without a hat on and no man with on one, apart from the clergy.

[Clanad]

So, mikey, (said in earnest jest) cream in tea isn't a regional thing in Britain?

[Jackdaw33]

Milk or lemon, not cream, in tea. Cream in coffee.

[bhg481]

Yes, but do you remove your hat to drink the tea?

[mikey4444]

bhg...only if you are a lady !