I have some nice hats (a black felt fedora, a straw Panama) but I don't wear them often, for two primary reasons: I am afraid the hat will blow off and I get wildly self-conscious. So, firstly, how does one keep one's hat on head while navigating (e.g.) a windy downtown? And secondly, how do you get comfortable with being the only person walking around wearing a hat?
I feel like I have to clap my hand on my head *very* frequently when I'm walking from the subway to work. I try to adjust my head angle kind of the same way I would adjust an umbrella but then I often feel like I'm peering out from under the hat. For situations where I'd like to relax, like a beach or a restaurant patio, keeping the hat from blowing away seems well-nigh impossible. I don't think I want smaller (tighter) hats, but maybe that's the solution?
And then there's the self-consciousness. I am a femme-presenting, 40-something woman. I'm pretty-enough but generally ordinary-looking, with my sole concession to nonconformity being occasional forays into primary-colored hair - ironically I feel much less self-conscious about having long, bright orange hair, possibly because once it's done there's nothing I can do about it besides cutting all my hair off (or, I suppose, having it recolored at great expense), whereas with a hat I can take it off whenever I want so I'm continually tempted to bail on the hat.
I wore the fedora to work today and I was very happy with how I looked in the mirror. I felt mostly OK about wearing the hat among strangers on the subway, but I am even more uncomfortable about wearing a hat among friends! Part of this is that I have bit of fear of coming across as a try-hard.
Is there any hope for me? Can I become a hat person? I like the way brimmed hats look and I like that they provide my face with a little bit of extra protection from the sun. It would be nice if I could get comfy with having them as a regular part of my wardrobe. |
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