odds & ends item from WINTER 2003
Hats—Do’s and Don’ts
In today’s society, standards of propriety and common courtesy are becoming more lax, and subject to personal “taste” and interpretation. Etiquette and social graces have diminished in importance, with more of an emphasis being placed on “self-expression” and making a “fashion statement.” One area of conduct in which this is most evident is the wearing of hats and caps.
God expects decency and order in our lives (I Cor. 14:40). This involves not only our surroundings and our conduct, but also the way in which we dress and present ourselves.
When wearing a hat or cap, the following rules apply:
• Men and boys should always remove their hats when entering a building, whether a restaurant, home, classroom, theater, Church facility, etc. Hats are removed when indoors, with the exception of places that are similar to public streets—hallways, lobbies, elevators (nonresidential), etc.
• Elevators in a public building (in which there are no apartments) are considered public areas. Gentlemen should remove their hats and hold them in their hand when a lady enters an elevator in an apartment complex or hotel—any building that can be considered a dwelling. Hats can be put back on in the corridor. A public corridor is like a street, but an elevator in a hotel or apartment complex has the character of a room in a house. There, a gentleman removes his hat when in a lady’s presence.
• Men should remove their hats when indoors—women do not have to, unless it is a rain hat.
• Always position the tag covering the sweatband seam at the back of the head.
• For women, a dressy hat need not be removed when inside. However, a hat worn strictly for keeping warm should be removed.
• Hats should be removed for the performance of a national anthem. A woman may leave her hat on indoors or during the performance, unless the hat is considered unisex, such as a baseball cap—in which case, women should follow the same guidelines as for men.
• Hats should be removed for funeral processions, the passing of the Flag, and outdoor weddings, dedications, and photographs.
• Removed hats should be held so that only the outside—never the lining—is visible.
• When putting something on the hatband, the following applies: Anything put on the band of a woman’s hat must be on the right side. Anything on a man’s hatband must be on the left side.
• Also, in recent years, it has become “fashionable” among males to wear baseball caps backward. Although this may seem to be a harmless trend having no social ramifications, it is generally a symbol—popularized by gangs—of non-conformity and rebellion, and should not be practiced by youth who are trying to live God’s Way.
To many, these guidelines may seem old-fashioned, out-dated or extreme. But this is merely due to the fact that such rules represent a code of conduct and a way of life that society has drifted away from—with most people today focusing simply on their own concerns. As a young person growing up in God’s Church, seek to set the right and proper example, and extend to others the care, concern and courtesy that you yourself appreciate receiving (Luke 6:31), even in small things.