Hat-wearing while dining outside?

[Pangur]

Fellow members,
as I had the situation twice last week, I have to ask if there is a traditional way in dealing with the following situation.
I was invited to partys, one a family birthday, one a day-out with colleagues. I was wearing my Panama on both occasions, with a linen suit once and once with jeans and shirt.
Now, what to do with your hat when you sit down to eat outside? I wear it for style and for protection from sun, wind and dirt, everything still exiting while dining. And there is no place to put the hat, it might even get blown away (as it was windy).
I left it on, but took it off, after I arose some suspicion with my fellow diners. (I was the only one wearing a hat in the vicinity)
What behavior would you counsel?

[storeynicholas]

It might be that, owing to weather conditions, most people mainly eat indoors. Men do not wear hats indoors, therefore they don't wear them at the table when eating indoors. However, it is not the being at table which dictates that a man should not be wearing a hat it is the fact that the event takes place indoors. Therefore, during alfresco lunching, a man may quite properly (and probably sensibly) wear a hat. The trouble with your suspicious censors is that they know little about hats or how or where to wear them, remove them and signify with them - but they possibly happily acquiesce in the wearing of baseball caps by their sons in restaurants or in church. There are photographs which I cannot immediately find of chaps like Lord Carnarvon and Howard Carter lunching outside in Egypt in hats and there is another of George V wearing a hat at such a lunch - anyone know these and where they can easily be found? So far as your critics are concerned - whenever you caught their eye, you might have risen slightly in your seat and touched the brim, with a wink .
NJS

[Guille]

I'm surprised by your statement, Storeynicholas. I always thought that a table one must not wear hats, that is actually quite a rule at least in Spain, were eating outside is quite common specially in these months in the terraces of restaurants and cafes. The most common occasion in which I'm wearing a hat and eating outside is when I go to the polo, and I do remove my panama hat whiles eating - as do all (the few) who are wearing a hat. Before and after eating, of course, I have the hat on me if I'm outside of a building at all times, weather I'm standing or siting.

[storeynicholas]

Dear Guile,
Maybe the difference springs from the confusion which set in during the years when Spain set her king aside!! My statement of the practice in relation to the UK at least has, in another form, passed beneath the noses of both Dr Kenneth Cliff a descendant of James Benning (Victorian partner in James Lock & Co) - Dr Cliff remaining active in the affairs of the company - and their sales' manager Janet Taylor. These people know about hats and their proper use. I rest my case - although I shall continue looking for the photographs which I mentioned.
NJS

[NCW]

I would agree, having also seen pictures of hat wearing while eating (outdoors). I feel the most confusing aspect would actually be before the meal when meeting one's fellow diners: You obviously take off your hat when meeting a lady or starting a conversation. Since most of the time when you are with others you are having a conversation, you have to put the hat back on again at some point, or else half the time you are outdoors you would be walking around holding the hat. Thus the unregulated awkward moment is when to put the hat back on (presumably after some suitable interval).

[storeynicholas]

NCW I think that must be right about the preliminaries - although looking back at Guile's post, I notice now that he refers to restaurant terraces - where, I suppose, one would use common sense - if the tables were small and closely packed and under a verandah, one might feel inclined to remove the headgear - but if out in the open, especially in full sun, with plenty of space, why not keep it on?
NJS.

[Sator]

As a general rule of thumb I find that you should think about hats as being akin to sunglasses. You should remove a hat in any situation where you would remove sunglasses.

So if you are having a picnic outdoors you may keep your hat and sunglasses on. Likewise, if seated outdoors at a restaurant you may keep them on to shield you from the elements. However, if there is shade over your head then I think it best to remove both.

[Guille]

Storeynicholas,

I've been thinking about it and now I'm convinced that one should wear a hat without problem when eating outdoors. Perhaps as you say, if there is not much space for it, you should remove it. Also, I agree with Sator that if there is not sun/wind, one should remove it, otherwise one can wear it when outdoors. But given that there are various diferent situations in which you eat outdoors (picinics, restaurant terraces...) I would like to know in which of these situations have the icons of style or simply elegant men been photographed (including the ones above mentioned of Lord Carnavon, Howard Carter)? Was it a picnic, a family lunch outside, a party at a private household, a restaurant?

[storeynicholas]

Guille, Yes I think that the contributors to this thread have reached a consensus, as you describe. The Carnarvon/Carter picture which I recall in a book (on the other side of the pond(s), so to speak) is of them and others of the expedition in the Valley of the Kings, sitting at a trestle table in the open (with much space and probably a hot sun). I cannot remember whether there is a canopy. I did find one of Carter sitting on an uncovered terrace wearing a hat while drinking with two Egyptians wearing the fez but there is no food in evidence.

[Costi]

I also find the above arguments sensible. I would only add that, if ever in doubt, take off the hat: you cannot possibly go wrong this way.
The hat has a language of its own with regard to respect and consideration towards others, or feeling more or less welcome / comfortable in a place. Even if you master the subtleties of this language, others may be less educated in this respect and may misinterpret your keeping the hat on (keeping one's overcoat and hat on in a house for instance is not only a sign that you don't mean to spend much time there, but also that you have no respect for its inhabittants and raise a barrier between you and them).
However, one need not risk a nasty insolation for the sake of being genteel and excusing oneself for keeping the hat on when it obviously protects one against the elements will be both considerate towards others (even if redundant) and self-conserving.

[Sator]

The Third Earl of Leichester - and friends:

[storeynicholas]

Nice photo, Sator. Here the protection of hats would seem uppermost and it was surely from the usual British elements, rather than from the sun!!
NJS

[Sator]

Here the protection of hats would seem uppermost and it was surely from the usual British elements, rather than from the sun!!
NJS

Absolutely.

It is one my pet peeves that hats must be seen first and foremost as a practical accessory in the way that sunglasses and umbrellas are. It annoys me no end when hats are spoken of as though they were some sort of fashionable decoration like women's jewellery - an end to itself. Nothing could be further from the truth. And nothing could be more practical than a hat.

[Costi]

"Mangiare al fresco" takes on a whole new meaning here

[storeynicholas]

Indeed Costi!! They are are generally well wrapped up aren't they - the woman is wearing gloves and the first chap on the right is wearing fingerless gloves. Presumably it is a shooting party lunch.
NJS