Remove Your Sombrero, Please

Baseball caps are super popular, not only with men but also with women who don them as an everyday casual wear accessory. Its origin was based on necessity; the baseball cap was originally designed to protect the baseball player's eyes from the sun while playing.  

According to an article in USA Today, the Dalai Lama donned a Washington Nationals cap during a visit to the nation's capital. Penny Marshall, Ron Howard, Spike Lee and Steven Spielberg don't direct a movie without one. Hats have become so popular that there is a store dedicated to selling only baseball caps.

It seems that the long-standing rule of etiquette regarding hat wearing has been reduced to only applying to other styles of hats. The rule has always stood strong about men removing their hat as they entered a building, home, restaurant or any public place. However, the baseball cap has evolved to be worn as a fashion statement, loyalty to a team or school and, for some, a way of hiding unwashed or overgrown locks—or lack of them.  

Men are not only wearing baseball caps but the newer trend also includes the classic fedora, derby and vintage-style gangster hat.

No matter your choice of headdress, it is still a respectful gesture to remove your hat as you walk through a threshold.  

When can a man keep his hat on? At a birthday party, when outdoors, for safety, sanitary protection, part of a uniform, during an illness or for religious reasons.

Does a woman remove her hat? It is not necessary unless it is so large and obtrusive that it blocks the view of those sitting behind her.

I admit, there are so many more disagreeable attitudes and behaviors in the world, it makes keeping your hat on seem trivial.  But isn't that where everything begins—with one small gesture?

Rosalinda Oropeza Randall is an etiquette consultant who owns Your Relationship Edge in which she teaches classes and presents workshops to a variety of audiences. She can be reached at rosalinda@yourrelationshipedge.com and her website is www.yourrelationshipedge.com. She can also be reached on Facebook.