Sometimes wears no hat

You might have noticed that I'm nearly always photographed wearing a hat. I've always been a hat wearer and I have many. But I do seem to be in the minority.

We appear to be living in a small window of British history where the gentleman’s titfer is not in favour. I see baseball caps quite regularly, and occasionally a flat cap, but rarely a proper hat. Except on older men of course who still regard themselves as undressed without necktie and headjoy. 

Uniformed officials still wear them, although even they wear them less often these days. It's not a rare event to see police officers without hats. And I can’t remember the last time I saw a bus driver or a vicar in a hat. 

I remember once reading a very old copy of the Police Gazette, an in-house Home Office publication that describes those people who are most wanted in any particular week. It was dated sometime in the 1930s and the description of one rough sort included the line ‘Sometimes wears no hat’. I laughed at the time, but thinking about all the photos I’ve seen from that era, I can’t remember seeing someone with a naked head. The bad guy must have stuck out like a sore thumb. 

Just look at this footage.

Fashions change and I’m sure that the hat will soon be back, just as flares, Ra-Ra skirts and tie-dye t-shirts did. Long hair on men was fashionable for most of history, as were beards and earrings - and yet such things were almost taboo in the 40s and 50s - probably because of the war and the fact that most men had to wear a uniform. Long hair is still off the cards for some professions, such as police officers. And tattoos - especially on women - are now the norm. Just twenty years ago, you rarely saw such a thing.  Of course, it does mean that in another 20 years, the occupants of care homes will be little old ladies with sleeves of ink on their wrinkly arms and 'tramp stamps' under their pastel cardigans.

So, yes, fashions change and I think it would be nice to see a few bowlers, deerstalkers, sola topees, straw boaters, porkpies and berets back on the street. The odd sombrero, stetson or fez would be nice too to add a touch of the exotic.

And I could then tip my hat to you all. 

Good day!