Should I Take My Hat Off At A Restaurant?

Traditionally, etiquette dictated that men remove their hats in restaurants. According to Jane Smith, who designs period hats for British theater and film, the reasoning was that a man's hat was designed to protect him from the elements. Therefore, it might be wet or dirty. Women, on the other hand, traditionally kept their hats on when dining out. Their hats were designed to be unique and eye-catching and were usually attached to their hair with a hatpin. Removing them would have been impractical and might have dislodged their coiffures.

Today, whether wearing a hat in a restaurant is appropriate depends on the type of hat. There are two types of hats. The first is a statement hat, chosen to draw attention to the wearer, such as a modern fishnet turban or a beautiful vintage cloche with an elegant hatpin. The second type is a comfort hat, designed to deflect attention from the wearer, like an old baseball cap you wear to hide the fact that you haven't washed your hair for three days. One is an aesthetic flourish; the other is a security blanket.

A comfort hat may be acceptable in a coffeehouse, diner, or other casual settings, but leave them at home when attending a more formal dinner. On the other hand, a statement hat is perfectly appropriate in a restaurant. You should not remove it any more than you would remove your shoes at a party: Doing either could ruin your whole look.

In cases where the hat feels like a signature accessory, removal could precipitate a minor identity crisis or at least make the wearer uncomfortable. "I feel like something's missing; I honestly feel very vulnerable," explains Evan Derkacz, an editor for Religion Dispatches who wears a 1930s newsboy cap every day and hates to remove it when dining out.

People like Derkacz don't have much to worry about. Nowadays, few restaurants would dare ask a customer to modify their dress. "Especially on the West Coast, the dress code has gotten very casual," says Karen Hatfield, chef-owner of several Los Angeles-based restaurants, including Odys + Penelope and The Sycamore Kitchen. Far from being a faux pas, she considers wearing a statement hat a good thing for the restaurant scene.

"I'm almost happy when I see a hat ... because it means they put some thought into their outfit, and they're [probably] not wearing flip-flops." Hatfield will take a hat over a pair of shorts any day. "Most men cannot pull off shorts," she says. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on your take), statement shorts don't exist. Yet.