Spring is upon us, Easter is coming soon, and baseball season is about to begin here in the U.S. It is the time of year many people wear all sorts of hats, until winter hats are again needed. Actually, this topic has been on my mind for months, waiting for just the right month to do it, and here it is!
Indoors: So… how can I say this nicely without yelling in all capital letters: No man or woman, young or old, should ever, ever, ever, ever wear a sports hat — especially a baseball cap—indoors. Not in restaurants, in someone’s home, at the dining table, at church, a funeral, in a classroom, in a museum, at a movie or performance theatre… on and on. There is absolutely no purpose to keeping your hat on… not even when you are having a bad hair day or need to cover up a bald spot on your head. It’s all about when it’s proper or not proper to wear a hat. It’s purely out of laziness and a false sense of looking cool and in fashion… not! There is equally nothing cool about wearing your baseball cap backwards… again especially indoors.
Except In Public Places: You may wear a hat indoors (yeh… even a baseball cap if you absolutely must) in public buildings, such as airports, public lobbies, and crowded public elevators. However, historically a gentleman will always remove his hat when a lady enters or is in the same elevator. We don’t see this much anymore. When in an apartment building, even though somewhat public, gentlemen will take off their hats while in the company of ladies… another dying art.
[SIDE BAR: A foreign visitor kept seeing Americans wearing their baseball caps indoors, and at times backwards. He determined this style indicated a direct correlation to the wearer’s apparent I.Q (intelligence quotient). Wearing a baseball cap indoors meant an I.Q. was reduced by 50%. Wearing the cap backwards meant an I.Q. was reduced by another 50%... so what’s left? These findings make total sense to me.]
During a Pledge or National Anthem: Another major peeve of mine is how men and women don’t take off their hats and caps during the playing of a national anthem. Regardless of which country’s anthem is played, hats must come off, period. Parents… please train your kids!
During a Prayer at a Ceremony or Event: Display your respect and take off your hat.
In Places of Worship: Some places of worship require head coverings for both men and women, such as Muslim mosques and Sikh temples. Do your research or ask someone before entering such places of worship. Women should always pack one large scarf and one long skirt when traveling internationally for such a need to cover your head. I sure needed them in both Mexico and Greece.
At a Church: Historically churches required women to wear hats or scarves. Now, it is not as required. However, some churches encourage women to wear hats, and in some places it has become quite a lovely display across the entire sanctuary. It is considered disrespectful for men to wear hats in a Christian church.
At a Jewish Synagogue or Temple: Men are required to cover their heads with a “yarmulke,” a small round skullcap, also called a “kippah,” meaning dome or cupola. There is great symbolism and deep meaning behind wearing a yarmulke. Observant men wear theirs during all waking hours, except when bathing and swimming. Doing so bears witness to their faith. It’s a constant reminder of their humility before God and strong belief in something greater than themselves.
How to Take off a Hat: When taking off your hat, hold it so only the outside of the hat shows, not the inside and lining. Hold it in your right hand across your chest and heart, or place it on your seat while standing tall and respectfully.
Exceptions
People in Uniform: People in the military, Boy Scouts, police and people in other uniformed organizations keep their hats on during “full dress.” Many other interesting regulations about hat wearing in the military exist, so hat etiquette is a required course in the military.
Women’s Fashion Hats: Traditionally, women wearing fashion hats are not required to take them off. That said, unless they are small and tight around the head, they too should be removed when at a dining table or in a theatre, sporting event, or other places where they may hamper someone’s view or be disruptive to others. Large hats are generally for the outdoors, not indoors. Think hat civility!
Question of the month: Have you ever been the subject of or a witness to someone being disrespectful or rude by wearing their hat inappropriately? If so, I’d love to hear from you. Enter your comments and questions below for me to reply.
Happy Practicing!
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Tags: baseball caps, hat etiquette, wearing hats
Syndi,
Please remind gentlemen that a baseball cap, when it comes off, should NEVER be placed on a dining table. I have seen people do this in restaurants. Who wants to sit near their smelly, sweaty hat/
Michele Patrick
Michele, you are absolutely correct about never placing baseball caps on the dining table. This is also true for women’s purses and most importantly cell phones! Thanks for writing.
I was recently at my brother-in-law’s funeral and saw many men there wearing their hat in the church.
Last week, I went to a winemaker’s dinner where a young man asked to join the table with his baseball hat still on his head. My freind said ” Yes, take off your hat.” He did and we had a wonderful time.
Hi Syndi,
I always learn something from your tips! Thanks!
I thought there was an etiquette rule that women should not wear a hat after 5 PM – I suppose that means in the evening. You didn’t mention this “rule.” Am I misinformed?
Also, I heard a couple years ago (but I can’t quote the source) that women did not have to remove their hats for the national anthem, such as at a sporting event. Perhaps that falls under your “Women’s Fashion Hats” category. But I’ll remove mine at the ball game from now on anyway.
Claire Koenig
Something I always try to remember is when greeting people in public outside that I remove my hat during the greeting, regardless of sex. Also, and I know it always bugged you – if I wear it in the office I always removed it when a visitor walked in, even delivery.
Dave, great to hear from you. I’m truly glad to hear you do take your hat off… “regardless of sex.” Most people would agree it is poor manners to keep your hat on during sex. Nevertheless, in the context you were writing I think the correct meaning you wanted to convey was that you always take off your hat “regardless of gender.” Glad to know you will be doing it right in both instances. Have a great weekend!
Claire: Rules change over time. What may have been proper in times past may or may not be accurate in the 21st century. The trend in today’s etiquette is to have guidelines that are overall universal to both men and woman. Historically women never wore hats designed for men… such as a fedora or baseball cap. Today both men and women wear the same type hats. You are correct when a woman is wearing a hat that was fashioned for women only, she does not have to remove her hat during a national anthem… as in the case of Aretha Franklin during the inauguration of President Obama. Yet, bottom-line is… why all this fuss? Why can’t everyone (civilians) simply take off their hats—no matter what—as a sign of respect? The trend as I see it is toward “The K.I.S.S. method”… (Keep It Simple… well, you know). Hope this helps. Thanks for writing.
Marti, bravo to your friend for asking the person to remove his hat before taking a seat at the dining table. I wish more people would say something to these obviously clueless offenders. This is truly among my very top pet peeves whenever I see it happening in restaurants. I’ve often threatened to walk around the restaurant to alert the offenders.
Lol.. Of course. I had a feeling that might be interpreted, er, differently. However, I strive for providing the appropriate etiquette entertainment.
Syndi,
I appreciate how you have addressed this sartorial issue. Wearing the baseball cap everywhere has been a pet peave of mine for some time. I will share your article on my facebook and twitter pages.
Karen Hickman
Karen: Please share away! Thank you! I appreciate your taking time to write and to share this important information. Let’s just hope it makes a difference to even one reader in this entire planet.
Where does one place one’s hat when seated at a table in a restaurant?
Dear Alma:
Good question. The answer in general is not on the dining table. Beyond this it is up to you where you choose to place your hat, including on the chair next to you, on your chairback, on your lap, or on top of or in your backpack or briefcase… perhaps even having it checked with coat check. It is tough, but it cannot be on the table or on your head. If anyone has any other “good” ideas, do share! Good luck.
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Anyone wishing to share our blog is most welcome. We welcome the promotion!
I am from the south and have been raised with the understanding that men do not wear hats inside the house, at the dinner table nor at church. While my husband, who was raised in Ohio, agrees about not wearing at church, he thinks I am being ridiculous about asking him to remove his hat when we are having a meal together. He said he had never heard of that. It is refreshing to read on this website what I have always been taught concerning hat etiquette. Thank you.
My daughter loves your post!She and I have the same interest b the way.
As a biker I wear the head gear commonly referred to as a skull cap or doo rag. It’s basically a headband with a top on it. I think it is treated the same way a woman’s scarf would be treated during a party or a quick prayer before going on a motorcycle ride. So the guy’s head gear, unless it’s a hat, doesn’t need to be removed during these casual events. Bikers tend to have their own set of rules in general but I’m very curious about how you all feel about it.
What say you?
Regarding skull caps, motorcycle helmets, and other head gear, I tend to agree that it does not need to be removed during an outdoor prayer at an event related to that sport. Beyond this, if you are indoors or—for instance—a baseball game during a national anthem, then the same rules applies with taking off your hat. What amazes me is why people keep trying to find “a way out” for doing something that should be no big deal… to take your hat off for just a few minutes out of courtesy and respect. Why is this so difficult to handle? The answer in my opinion is pure and simple “laziness.” Thank you for the comment and conversation.
Connie, bravo! Keep up the good work with not allowing your husband to wear a hat while you are having a meal together. Unless you are outdoors, I see no purpose to anyone wearing a hat indoors during a meal… except if you are a woman wearing a small chapeau though a luncheon or afternoon tea.
Elicia, great to have you and your daughter viewing our blogs. We’d love to have you as a regular subscriber. Do sign up!
ugh, met a guy at a nightclub last night and he was otherwise very nice. HOWEVER, he was wearing a baseball cap the entire time…and that is what is keeping me from calling him today. i feel like guys that wear caps are hiding something; not just physically (like balding or an ugly face) but psychologically they are blocking themselves off…and i never want to find out if what they are hiding is bad or not..i just get the hell away.
TayRiley: I have to say, even as a guy who wears ball caps and other head gear routinely, a nightclub may not be the best place to wear one IF you are trying to attract someone of the opposite sex.
On the other hand; if someone wants to be left alone by the opposite sex it sounds, by your comments, that it’s a great idea! Wear a hat and be left alone if that’s what your thing is. I’m going to have to remember this trick. Sometimes I like to just people watch and what better way to be left alone and look incognito!!
This subject has me intrigued I must admit.
Great job on the blog, it looks outstanding. I am going to save it and will make sure to check weekly
Thanks for your interest in following us weekly. A great way to receive articles directly is to follow us via one of the social media sites of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Plaxo. You can also subscribe to our blog at http://www.AdvancedEtiquette.com/blog which is where all articles originate. We welcome one and all!
So to me, it seems there are a huge number of rules regarding when it is or is not appropriate to remove a cap (especially the inconsistencies with men vs. women wearing hats).
We live in the 21st century. Most ‘cap ettequite’ concepts were popularized well before the current age we live in and in some cases in another region than we grew up in (Re: southern woman with Ohio born husband). Now, what strikes me as odd, is why there are so many seemingly contradictory rules within these ettequite guidelines. It’s as though this was written in the 1950′s and simply transcribed with modern text to fit in the proper context (and no doubt written by a woman).
I ask the same as only one of the replies above. Why so many gender based inconsistencies? Women seem to be able to wear hats at almost any hour, in any context that they want, as long as the hat is appropriate for the situation (fashion hats during meals, worship services, etc), while men in almost every situation should remove their hats (with the exceptions of yamacas and other spiritual headwear during worship).
Why can’t we ALL remove our hats for EVERY situation listed? I mean honestly, doesn’t it seem silly and hypocritical to be complaining so much about the appropriateness of men’s headwear in social context and to turn around and say it’s more or less OK for women to wear headwear in the same social contexts?
Any thoughts?
Dear Johnny Ray: I agree with you. I think men and women should take hats off equally.
I would like to explain to all of you that men’s hat rules and women’s hat rules are different.
After a cosmetic procedure (about 10 years ago, to remove wrinkles) my doctor recommended that I wear a sunhat to prevent brown spots from developing on my face. This led me to my current hat-fetish and I almost never leave the house without a hat…rain or shine…or anything in between, so I’ve checked out the rules….even though (in reality) I’m a defiant rule breaker.
A woman is absolutely allowed to wear a small-brimmed hat at a dinner function or at a restaurant. In general, a woman would not wear a large brimmed hat after sundown because she would not need to protect her face from the sun.
Women do NOT need to remove feminine-style hats for any national anthem. However, when I was in Australia, a tour docent for their Aussie war memorial shrine (wrongly) asked me to take off my hat during a taped recording of their national anthem. So, even though I looked awful with my messed up hair, I did take my hat off. Should I argue with him about propriety at a war memorial?
Anyway, I’m a writer, as well as a hat fiend. If my website address doesn’t show up, one of my hat articles is called, “How to Wear a Hat – Women’s Hat Etiquette at Restaurants & Parties” in case you would like more info. And, the bottom of my hat article links back here in the “sources” section.
As for the rest of this article, it rocks! Hats are fabulous fun. Everything else in “The Etiquette of Wearing a Hat” is great. Baseball caps should be banned for men over 30 unless those guys are wearing mitts or have bats in their hands. Get your man a cool driving cap, cowboy hat, rain hat, French beret, or anything else!
How can I say this nicely without yelling it in all caps…what century are you from?, and what part of western civilization do you live in? You clearly have a myopic and up turned nose vantage point in regard to wearing baseball hats in all encompassing arenas just because you, a self-important, hoity-toity blatherer(along with your followers unfortunately), deem it proper. First off, it is perfectly acceptable to wear a baseball hat in a restaurant, it just depends, casual upscale and beyond would lead to the chagrin of the other patrons in addition to the people at your table, however, there are a ton a of casual restaurants where it’s more than acceptable to wear a cap, even shorts, the ambiance for such establishments encourage a loose style.
in someone’s home is not up to you Syndi, it’s up to whomever’s home you are invited into, shockingly there are tons of folks who don’t care about that and actually want you to feel “at home” and welcome while you visit.
In regards to church, that all depends, most would think one would want to fit in with their garb and not offend, even though that is utterly superficial in nature, and defies the heart and purpose of even belonging to a community or congregation. Some churches have historical and traditional practices, but you are way off when it comes to the modern christian church, what you wear is what you wear, period, unless it’s bikini, your good, and clearly you haven’t been to a community that has several collegiate students,by the way which leads me to wonder how you could even think of putting the classroom in that collection of venues. In high school and college especially, it’s more than acceptable to wear a baseball cap in class, I’ve never, ever seen or heard of that being an issue, especially at the college level where you are paying for your classes, yeah, you can wear whatever you want unless it leads toward the denigration of the class, and a baseball would not do that.
Museum, don’t be so general, especially since you are offering your opinion as gospel, it would be nice if you clarified. There’s a difference between The Getty or Guggenheim and some of the Smithsonian institutions, let alone the numerous collegiate museums of the several life sciences where the cost is much less and the atmosphere is not as pretentious.
a movie theatre, seriously?, to that, i just have to ask what planet are you from? or do you only go to tiny art house film houses with two screens that are less than the size of some people’s flat screens in their homes.
As far as the places I didn’t point out, it doesn’t take an “etiquette guru” to know you don’t where baseball hats to those places, but to include them all in the same sentence is just plain obtuse, and a complete lack of observation on your part, it’s sad that there’s enough people that agree with you, that you will keep on believing that you are onto something.
Interesting! Just today my 8-yr-old daughter wore what is obviously a girl’s fashion hat to school. It even matched her outfit! She was so excited to wear it! She kept it on all morning without incident. Then lunchtime came. One of the lunch room aides told her in a rather nasty voice (the only kind of voice they have, I believe) to take it off. Poor girl was afraid to put it back on for the rest of the day! Earlier in the year she wore a beret to school. When she arrived she asked if it was okay to keep it on (she knew that boys had to take off their baseball caps). She was told then that girls are allowed to wear hats indoors. So now she’s decided that the “rules” must have changed and is afraid to wear a hat to school for fear that she will “get yelled at” again. Gee, thanks a lot “lunch room lady”.
THANK YOU, BEN!!!!!!! I agree totally with you. I had never even heard of the whole “disrespectful to wear a hat at the dinner table” thing until a few years ago (and I’m 43…not a youngen) and thought it was the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. I think it is a very old fashioned etiquette rule not present so much in the 20th century and people should not be looked down upon for not following it. Not putting your feet on the table, yes, that would be rude and disrespectful, but wearing a hat? Then where do you stop? Why don’t people take off their hairpieces and hairclips, etc….then too? A hat is simply a part of your apparel, nothing more.
Wearing a hat inside is neither disrespectful or lacking of intelligence. Anyone who believes this to be true must have had that ignorance drilled into them as a child. It’s purely based on opinion not reason. Mind your own damn business in public. It’s far more disrespectful to embarrass someone who is wearing a hat by asking them to take it off. They are wearing it for a reason, albeit their own. Again, it’s none of your business.
Tradition only means something if their is a good reason for it. In this case, there is not.
Dear Deb: I recognize etiquette can be most confusing at times. Etiquette does evolve over time, to the point when certain guidelines were popularized, women did not wear certain types of hats, such as baseball hats. The only kinds of hats they wore were the decorative types that did complement their day or evening outfits. Now, women wear all sorts of hats and in so doing the rules are slightly different. My belief is whether a man or woman, wearing certain hats is inappropriate indoors. The ultimate difference is women are allowed to get away with wearing a few more types indoors that men are not. Any hat worn by men must be taken off indoors… except when in uniform. I hope this clarifies your daughter’s confusion. Good luck!
Dear Jennifer: Being of a certain age and not hearing or learning something does not mean something doesn’t exist. With the world in which we live becoming more diverse and ever changing, there are guidelines that have changed over the years as new situations are invented. For men it has never been appropriate to leave their cowboy hats, fedora hats, or even baseball caps on at the dining table. For those households that did allow this… then that’s where it stands… you were allowed, but it doesn’t make it overall best. Yes, historically Women were allowed to keep their “decorative” hats on at a dining table, because it was part of their apparel… before they ever wore caps and other outdoor type hats. Again, outdoor hats were never allowed to be worn at the dining table in any culture or country. The truth lies in common sense… there is no purpose to wearing an outdoor hat at the dining table when you are indoors. Therefore, it becomes “civility” not to wear one which leads to it becoming etiquette. If outdoors, again common sense tells you to keep your hat on to shade the sun.
Dear M: You hit the nail on the head when you stated people do things for “their own reasons” and in so doing they are being selfish and perhaps disrespectful and inappropriate to others. Time honored guidelines were and are established for a reason. Perhaps it is best to always investigate why you might do something a certain way fully before taking action on your own without regard for others. This is what etiquette is all about. Being sensitive to how your actions affect others and the environment in which you are experiencing.
I always thought women should not wear hats after 6pm. You never see the Queen wear a hat in the evening?
Just my two cents — I think of the wearing an outdoor hat at the table to be like wearing your overcoat/outerwear. It makes me uncomfortable to see my kids at the table with their winter coat on — I keep thinking they just want to get the meal overwith and get back outside.
I agree with Ben. I never wear any type of hats, ever…. But my uncle is a very southern gent and he wears his so much I think the skin on his head is in the shape of a hat. I have only seen him remove it at churches, funerals, weddings, etc… Restaurants? Indoors? At the dinner table? Who cares. It’s your selfishness and YOUR problem if it bothers you. What about the person wearing the hat? I know for a fact my uncle absolutely finds it loathsome to e without his hat. If there was a meter on how bothersome it was to people around him, the way it makes him feel would be insurmountable compared to yours. Let the country man keep his hat on. Don’t you care about what makes your guest happy??? I felt the same way a Ben, it sounds like you all have your nose in the air.
Quit being hat nazis! Just consider the atmosphere you’re in first. Probably not acceptable at a fancy restaurant or at somebody’s house, who is old-fashioned. Otherwise, who cares! The hat is merely another article of clothing.
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It’s refreshing to find a website like this today while most of our “society” has lost the basic concepts of manners, politeness & generally how to comport oneself around others. I would say I find it hard to believe that people claim both ignorance about this practice & outrage at being expected to remove their hats indoors, but sadly today I’m not surprised.
I guess people today think that eschewing such “dated” practices somehow makes them more of an “individual” rather than a “conformist”. Well it seems these days, practicing these supposedly dated notions makes me the individual instead. I am the new counter-culture.
For me, wearing a baseball cap is a way of blending in. As an orthodox Jew, I always keep my head covered… but there are situations where wearing a kippah (yarmulke) would be inappropriate. When my company has an employee meeting with a catered meal, or when I meet someone in a restaurant for business, I have several choices:
1. refuse to attend the meeting, alienating me from my coworkers or business clients;
2. wear my kippah, and giving a passing Jew the impression that the location must be kosher because he saw me there (truly a big deal in Judaism, one can atone for the sins they commit themselves, but cannot atone for the sins they caused someone else to commit, especially if they didn’t know about them);
3. wear a baseball cap (which I find very uncomfortable) or other “neutral” head covering and sit in the restaurant and drink a Coke and eat something that hasn’t been cooked or cut (whole fruit, as an example).
I choose the 3rd option, as it doesn’t embarrass my guest or host, and it doesn’t make me stand out or feel excluded from the group.
Believe it or not, even in this day of enlightenment, we are treated differently by the public if we wear a kippah than we are if we wear a baseball cap. My son and I have begun wearing baseball caps on airplanes and to sporting events because it got lonely– we both notice a big difference in the length and friendliness of conversations when we “blend in”.
Alex: I appreciate your submission to this blog. Thank you. I understand your sensitivity to various situations and to certain people in society. Yet you said it yourself, people are getting more enlightened as each day passes. You must not give up in being a positive witness to your faith wherever you are. It is a part of your chosen path.
Bottom-line: I believe wearing any hat indoors—other than one for medical or religious reasons and a woman’s fashion hat during the daytime— is inappropriate. Baseball caps are definitely 100% wrong… especially in business.
There is more I would enjoy sharing about this, yet would be difficult to put into writing on this blog. I’d be pleased to have you call me by telephone to chat further about this… assuming you are in the U.S. If not, send me your telephone number and I’ll be happy to call you… any where in the world. Good luck!
I appreciate that you recognize that wearing hats indoors for one’s religious reasons is acceptable.
I believe that the breach of etiquette in embarrassing a host or making others feel slighted is far worse than the breach of etiquette some regard the wearing of a hat indoors.
Wikipedia summed up the tradition best when they said that removing one’s headgear is a sign of humility and respect derived from Christian teaching and tradition, whereas the wearing of headgear is a sign of humility and respect derived from Jewish teaching and tradition.
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In the Western culture derived from Christian tradition, removing one’s headgear is a sign of respect, making oneself more open, humble or vulnerable, much like bowing or kneeling. This is as if to say, “I acknowledge that you are more powerful than I am, I make myself vulnerable to show I pose no threat to you and respect you.” Men’s hats are removed in Church, and not removing them is usually frowned upon. Women, however, are required to wear a hat to cover the head in some churches based on 1 Corinthians 11:5.
In the Jewish tradition, the converse idea equally shows respect for the superior authority of God. Wearing a kippah or yarmulke means the wearer is acknowledging the vast gulf of power, wisdom, and authority that separates God from mankind. It is a sign of humility to wear a yarmulke. There is a common phrase that explains this, saying that “there’s always something above you” if you’re wearing a yarmulke, helping you remember you’re human and God is infinite. A Talmudic quote speaks of a righteous man who would “not walk (six feet) with an uncovered head, the (spirit of God) is always above him”. Jews also may wear a fur hat or a black hat with a brim.
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I think it is important to recognize that while most Americans may be Christians, there is a small but equally patriotic segment of society that lives life according to Jewish rather than Christian teachings and traditions. I believe that as society becomes more enlightened, attempts will be made to bridge the gap and blend etiquette & traditions to create an environment of inclusion rather than exclusion.
I would like to add a small correction to the Wikipedia quote above: Any head covering is acceptable to observant Jews (not just kippas, brimmed black hats or fur hats). Technically even a wig or hairpiece qualifies as covering one’s head (but then we get into that pesky problem again of how it looks to others and the risk of leading someone else astray when they believe the wig is actually an uncovered head).
What are the rules for young boys wearing a fedora or golf hat indoors?
Thank you.
JP
Dear JP: The rules for young boys are no different than men. Both are not allowed to wear a fedora or golf hat indoors. Young boys learn their good manners when young to build good habits when an adult.
I find this whole hat etiquette very fasinating. I like the olden time fashions associated with hat wearing and I believe that if you are male and intending to wear a hat that this etiquette should be followed.
It was only today that I saw a man (about 50 ish) wearing a really cool navy blue fedora talking to an older lady and he hadn’t the decency to remove his hat. This infuriated me as 1. He was talking to a lady in the street. 2. She was obviously older (70ish). Both of these people would have had enough knowledge to know about hat etiquette.
1 thing that is confusing with modern day society os the removal of hats indoors. Sya you’re in Starbucks ordering a coffee to go… Should your hat be doff’d on entering the premises then don’d when leaving? simularly when at McDonald’s… would you doff your hat when entering or just when you sat down and began to eat?
“I hope this clarifies your daughter’s confusion. Good luck!”
What if the lunch lady still feels hurt and offended by Deb’s daughter wearing a fashion hat indoors at a school where the teachers feel hurt and offended by boys wearing baseball caps indoors? How much should Deb’s daughter take the lunch lady’s feelings into account when getting dressed to go to school?
For that matter, what about people who feel hurt and offended by seeing women and girls wearing hijab, who feel hurt and offended by seeing Jewish men and boys wearing yarmulkes, and/or who feel hurt and offended by seeing Sikh men and boys wearing turbans? How much should Muslims, Jews, and Sikhs take their feelings into account when getting dressed to go out in public?
Meanwhile, Alex, thank you very much for going into detail about how these rules were made! I have seen teachers tell my classmates that wearing a baseball cap in class was disrespectful and, when asked why, refusing to give *any* answer instead of *teaching* us.
Err ok. Unfortunately some things do change. Shocker, women can wear pants now did ya know? Just because *you* think something should be a set rule, doesn’t mean you should stick your nose up at others who may not. I think it is common knowledge for certain things as not in church.. but when you start getting down to certain time frames and being THAT nit picky…. good lord. Next time I see a little boy with a cap on in a grocery store I’ll make sure to run up and point like they have leprosy and say ‘now you are going to grow up to be a poor quality individual just because of your cap.’
I admit it. I’m old – AND old fashioned. It irritates me when boy scouts (AND their leaders!) wear hats inside my school. They insist that they wear their entire uniform inside and that my etiquette is outdated.
You might want to double check your military references. I found this link to a DOD pdf that says that military members are uncovered indoors: http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/report/2005/050315-bdu_standards.pdf
Good manners may never go out of style, but it’s getting more difficult to find them, I think…
THANK ….YOU! a lot of men should read these articles. I was dating an older man 55yrs. and he had a hard time remembering to take his hat off IN MY HOME; in restaurants as well. when i would speak on it; his response was no one else took their hat off, but you know how i feel about men wearing hat indoors. needless to say i stop dating him. It shows he had no respect for me, my home nor what i represented. which means he’s about himself and not others. If he cannot do something as small as that what i ask of him. what else would he not do for me? Don’t want to find out. KEEP IN MIND LADIES. Besides i DO NOT ALLOW MY SONS AND THEIR FRIENDS TO WEAR THEIR HATS IN MY HOME. their ages 17 and 20yrs. So this would definitely send a mixed msg. I DON’T THINK SO!