# What's with the ban on hats in the workplace? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 13, 2015, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-ban-on-hats-in-the-workplace/712526 "2015-02-13T00:25:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![FeAudrey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7feea3/32.png) [@FeAudrey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FeAudrey)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2015, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-ban-on-hats-in-the-workplace/712526/21 "2015-02-13T23:20:14Z")
> [@Mr\_Shine](#): > > … what is it about hats in the workplace that they remain unacceptable even under a minimalist dress code? Nothing to do with etiquette; it’s an anti-gang rule. The usual formula is “No Caps, No Colors”, and it often applies to customers as well as employees. ---
**Author:** ![tenacious\_j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/439d5e/32.png) [@tenacious\_j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tenacious_j)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2015, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-ban-on-hats-in-the-workplace/712526/22 "2015-02-14T02:27:35Z")
> [@FeAudrey](#): > > Nothing to do with etiquette; it’s an anti-gang rule. The usual formula is “No Caps, No Colors”, and it often applies to customers as well as employees. Maybe in some places, but here in the middle, I think it’s a traditional etiquette thing. Honestly, I don’t know a lot of men who would wear a hat to work, and the ones who would, would wear dirty-ass trucker caps. eew. I checked the dress code at my job today, and there’s no list of what to wear. Only what NOT to wear. Tank tops, sports teams t-shirts, and hats. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2015, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-ban-on-hats-in-the-workplace/712526/23 "2015-02-14T09:57:15Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Bingo! Le’ts not forget about the cohort of clowns who’d wear those goofy looking beanie hats everywhere during every season also. > > I kind of suspect that if people were wearing fedoras and trilbies and porkpie hats, people wouldn’t have as much of an issue. Fedora: named after [Fedora](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F%C3%A9dora), played by [Sarah Bernhardt](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Bernhardt) Trilby: named after [Trilby O’Ferrall](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trilby_(novel)) played by [Dorothea Baird](http://www.dgillan.screaming.net/stage/th-frames.html?http&&&www.dgillan.screaming.net/stage/baird/baird-d2.html) Porkpie: named after … but also originally a womans hat. So all goofy looking androgynous hats originally worn by metrosexual hipsters. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2015, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-ban-on-hats-in-the-workplace/712526/24 "2015-02-14T12:26:28Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > I would love that, as long as they practiced proper hat etiquette. _applauds_ ---
**Author:** ![bashere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@bashere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bashere)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2015, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-ban-on-hats-in-the-workplace/712526/25 "2015-02-14T18:31:17Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > I would love that, as long as they practiced proper hat etiquette. I wore a fedora last year (I admit it. There. I would have done so this year, too, but I need a better quality one). I’m pretty sure the fedora police come and confiscate it and revoke your fedora-wearing license if you don’t practice correct hat etiquette. I can’t speak to porkpie hats and trilbies, though. ---
**Author:** ![edwardcoast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cab0a1/32.png) [@edwardcoast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwardcoast)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-ban-on-hats-in-the-workplace/712526/26 "2015-02-16T14:31:12Z")
> [@Mr\_Shine](#): > > Since losing my job 18 months ago, I have been on a _lot_ of temporary assignments. Dress code varies, but the universal constants are no hateful/racist clothing and no hats. I don’t wear a hat, so it doesn’t affect me, but what is it about hats in the workplace that they remain unacceptable even under a minimalist dress code? The problem with dress codes in general, is they can’t state “Don’t dress like an idiot” because people don’t understand what they means. Do they just say “no hats”, and hopefully that will reduce the number of people dressing like an idiot. Wearing a baseball cap to work looks very unprofessional in most offices, so I think the policy is a good idea. I wouldn’t want an employee greeting the public wearing a baseball cap. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-ban-on-hats-in-the-workplace/712526/27 "2015-02-16T15:39:07Z")
> [@bashere](#): > > I wore a fedora last year (I admit it. There. I would have done so this year, too, but I need a better quality one). I’m pretty sure the fedora police come and confiscate it and revoke your fedora-wearing license if you don’t practice correct hat etiquette. > > I can’t speak to porkpie hats and trilbies, though. You say that like it’s a bad thing 😃 To me, part of a man being able to pull of the look is also knowing when and where it should be worn. Call me stodgy (I \*think \*you just did) but it’s just my little old opinion. Now are you gonna put your coat over that puddle or not, because I’m late for getting my roller set at the beauty parlor. ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-ban-on-hats-in-the-workplace/712526/28 "2015-02-16T17:15:10Z")
When I was an elementary teacher full-time, there were a couple of teachers in my building who really wanted hats banned in school altogether. I always made it clear that I was okay with hats, and most teachers agreed with me, so there was never a blanket condemnation of hats put out by the powers that be’d. Hats were fine in my room and not in Maya’s, and kids were able to deal. BUT we had occasional assemblies at which classes would present their work, and the anti-hat brigade decided to try to ban hats at these assemblies. Most of their argument was “well, it’s rude.” The other part was “some of the kids wear their hats so low you can’t see their faces.” One teacher used a student in my class that year as an example. This student was extremely shy and did indeed pull his hat very low over his face (which was deliberate on his part). “You can’t see him,” she said, “and you certainly can’t hear him either.” I said that I didn’t understand what made it rude, and didn’t agree that it was, but that I could support the second argument. But in addition to banning hats, I added, I assume we will also require [name of student]\* to get a haircut? \*[name of student] was an extremely shy girl in another classroom who had very long hair that she routinely used to cover her face when the going got tough, such as when her class was presenting something at assembly. There was a brief silence while people pondered this one. Then I was told that this was a VERY different situation and that removing a hat was NOT the same as a hairstyle, but the argument lacked vehemence. In the end we didn’t ban hats at assembly. I imagine the ban on hats in the workplace is either the same somewhat-outdated idea of it being rude, or as someone mentioned above, it’s easier to ban all hats than to try to write a policy about which hats will be banned and which won’t. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2015, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-ban-on-hats-in-the-workplace/712526/29 "2015-02-17T12:08:57Z")
> [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](#): > > When I was an elementary teacher full-time, there were a couple of teachers in my building who really wanted hats banned in school altogether. In AUS, hats are compulsory in most elementary schools during summer. To keep the sun off. To prevent skin cancer. Aus has a fairly high rate of skin cancer. My kid isn’t let outside unless he has his hat on. ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2015, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-ban-on-hats-in-the-workplace/712526/30 "2015-02-17T13:41:51Z")
> [@Melbourne](#): > > In AUS, hats are compulsory in most elementary schools during summer. To keep the sun off. To prevent skin cancer. Aus has a fairly high rate of skin cancer. > > My kid isn’t let outside unless he has his hat on. Interesting. I was talking about indoors–do the kids wear their hats indoors as well or are they instructed to take them off when they get inside? ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2015, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-ban-on-hats-in-the-workplace/712526/31 "2015-02-17T13:47:01Z")
> [@Melbourne](#): > > Trilby: named after [Trilby O’Ferrall](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trilby_(novel)) played by [Dorothea Baird](http://www.dgillan.screaming.net/stage/th-frames.html?http&&&www.dgillan.screaming.net/stage/baird/baird-d2.html) “Trilby” is also the novel/play/movie that gives us the word “Svengali.” ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2015, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-ban-on-hats-in-the-workplace/712526/32 "2015-02-17T15:44:14Z")
> [@Abner\_Ravenwood](#): > > I’m wearing a knit hat right now, but that’s because I work in an old drafty building that was a church in the late 1800’s and it gets really cold in the winters. Sometimes it gets cold enough that I have to wear a pair of fingerless gloves to keep my hands from cramping up while typing. My boss doesn’t mind. He’s too busy flogging the office boy for forgetting to stab the frozen ink pots with an ice pick. What would he do to you if you put another lump of coal in the fire? ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2015, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-ban-on-hats-in-the-workplace/712526/33 "2015-02-21T04:56:46Z")
> [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](#): > > Interesting. I was talking about indoors–do the kids wear their hats indoors as well or are they instructed to take them off when they get inside? This is elementary school, and there are very few hipsters present: they refuse to wear hats unless required to do so (outside only). FWIW, unlike post-revolutionary France and post WWI Turkey, we don’t have a tradition explicitly rejecting self-identifying and discriminitory dress codes: if you want to self-identify as RC, Muslim, or a gang member, you can generally do so. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-ban-on-hats-in-the-workplace/712526.md?page=1)