This splendid summer hat is a Rachel Trevor-Morgan creation. She is a London milliner with a Royal Warrant. The Panama boater is trimmed with three narrow grosgrain bows!
Photo credit: Cat Harbour
My darling grandson in England, a dapper dresser like his father, asked me if he should take his hat off when being introduced to someone… similar to the sunglass protocol!
Ladies: Oh, lucky you! Your pretty dress hats do not need to be removed indoors or when the National Anthem is played because your hat is deemed as a fashion accessory for your outfit!
After five in the evening, or once the sun sets, a lady does not wear a brimmed hat. The reasoning behind this is that a brim is not needed after sunset.
I find myself wearing straw hats daily in Palm Beach as my “chic technique” for sun protection. Do you wear hats as well?
Gentlemen: Your hat should be removed out of respect when being introduced to someone, and especially if it is a lady, or while in the presence of a lady. A hat should also be removed when the National Anthem is played, upon entering a church, a restaurant, a private home, a school, a theater or movie, in a place of business or during business meetings. A loose rule of thumb for men is to remove your hat when indoors or in the presence of a lady.
For both men and women, any hat may be worn outside and in public places such as elevators, airports, hotels, and public transportation.
Grandmillennial Tips:
A tip I gleaned from Rachel Trevor-Morgan when I inquired about the placement of a bow or an ornament on a hat:
Women are always RIGHT! Right?! Yes, bows, pins, and other ornamentation are traditionally placed on the right side of a woman's hat. Although, these days, milliners are quite creative and embellish all aspects of a hat. Hats are usually slanted to the right side of ladies' faces too!
For gentlemen, the ornamentation goes on the left side of the hat.
Ladies, be sure to respectfully inquire when you are invited to attend a wedding, funeral or christening in Europe as well as other countries, to see if the host recommends wearing a hat. It is customary for ladies to wear elegant hats to these functions, adding to the celebratory elegance and time-honored tradition of these events.
Baseball caps are considered a man's hat, or a unisex hat, so the same rules would apply to women as to men, meaning hats off during the National Anthem and the other formal occasions mentioned previously.
All hats may be worn at any time, any place, for both men and women, for any medical or personal reasons.
Consider inspiring one or two friends to subscribe to Lessons for Lovely Living today! You may also join me on Instagram for daily inspiration.