Etiquette Excursion with Mona Johnson

Are you a hat person? Do you avoid wearing a hat because the protocol is too complicated? Most people today do not take the time to complement their attire with a hat.

The perfect hat for the right occasion can be stunning. There is nothing more stylish or more sophisticated than seeing a woman wearing a hate that is fitting for the occasion and her attire. A man in the appropriate hat is without question a fashion statement.

The wearing of hats became less popular and less fashionable about 40 years ago. A whole generation has come of age with little knowledge or concern of proper hat protocol.

A hat is the only article of clothing that is removed (“doff” to do off) or replaced (“don” to do on) according to the event and the time of day.
A public corridor is considered a street. An elevator in a hotel or apartment building is considered as a room in a house and there a gentleman does not keep his hat on in the presence of ladies. However, if four men were in an elevator alone they would not be required to remove their hat.
So why are men expected to remove their hats and women are exempt from this protocol. It is believed that due to the fact that a man’s hat can easily be removed and replaced with undue stress or attention. Therefore, women have been allowed to keep their hats on rather than going through the process or dealing with ribbons, bows, hair pins and combs.

But what if the lady has on a cap? A baseball cap that is easily removed by a man should also follow the same rules and be removed if worn by a lady.

Ladies are permitted to keep their hats on indoors except in their own home. Even if the guest in her home keep their hats on during a tea or formal meeting the hostess does not wear a hat in her home.

According to religious etiquette rules, it is acceptable for Christian women to wear hats in church, but disrespectful for men to wear hats. However, Conservative or Orthodox Jews would find it disrespectful for men not to cover their heads with a yarmulke when in a synagogue.

In church the decision of women to wear hats in the pulpit should be one of consensuses. However, some speakers find it very difficult to speak to a group while donning a hat. The speaker of the program should be given the option of not wearing a hat if she chooses.
Hat etiquette dictates when your hat is removed the lining, which is often oily or dirty, of the hat or cap should never be seen. The hat should always be held and handled in such a way that the outside of the hat is the only part of the hat that is visible.

Join me weekly as I answer your questions and share ideas as we explore the journey to good manners! Send your questions or comments to the Inland Valley News, 2009 Porterfield Way, Suite C, Upland, CA 91786, email to: editor@inlandvalleynews.com or email, msparksj@verizon.net.

Mona Johnson is the CEO of Personnel Best a consulting firm specializing in how to conduct effective meetings, public speaking, team building, leadership development, microphone etiquette, networking, organizational and self-awareness.