LJ Idol Exhibit B, Week 5 (It's Not Tacky if You Wear it Well)
"Iconic"
A few people, in responding to my Idol entries, have noted with delight the inclusion of "Hat Guy" in my icon. (For those who don't know where this comes from, see here.) Now, for those of you who are readers of the comic, I should make one point clear: my personality couldn't be further removed from the gentleman in question (if indeed one dares give him the honor of being called such).
I just like hats.
It started about six years ago. I'd gotten a black trenchcoat for Christmas that year, and was quite grateful for the protection from the harsh Seattle winters. But as I looked at myself in the mirror one day as I was leaving for work, I realized something was missing.
"Alright, I need some fashion advice," I said to Amy, one of my coworkers, as I came back from my lunch break. "What kind of hat goes best with this coat?"
"Hm...maybe a fedora? Or a pageboy? Something classic like that."
I did some research, and found a few styles I liked online--but they were way too expensive. So, off to the mall it was, where everything was still too expensive. After asking around at a few stores, I was eventually pointed to, of all places, Hot Topic.
Now, you must understand, this is decidedly not the type of store in which I normally spend my money. I'm more of an Old Navy type. But I did notice a small collection of hats hanging from one of the walls, a few of which looked promising.
I walked up to one of the salespeople and simply said, "This coat needs a hat." She gave a little smirk, then gestured to the wall. After trying a few options, I eventually settled on a black, wide-brimmed fedora. My first Facebook profile picture, in fact, included me wearing both the hat and the coat.
I still have that hat, and it serves me well. I get the occasional odd look when I wear it--or any of the other hats I've acquired since then--in places (and with outfits) where it might not be entirely appropriate. But hey, what else are hats for? They don't do any good sitting around the house now, do they?
I'm at the point now where, this past year, I've had to actually say to a salesperson, "This jacket needs a hat--but not a fedora. I'm up to my ears in those." The saleslady smirked, then sold me the hat seen here:
.
I'm not normally the sort of person to say this, but: That hat looks good on me.
A few people, in responding to my Idol entries, have noted with delight the inclusion of "Hat Guy" in my icon. (For those who don't know where this comes from, see here.) Now, for those of you who are readers of the comic, I should make one point clear: my personality couldn't be further removed from the gentleman in question (if indeed one dares give him the honor of being called such).
I just like hats.
It started about six years ago. I'd gotten a black trenchcoat for Christmas that year, and was quite grateful for the protection from the harsh Seattle winters. But as I looked at myself in the mirror one day as I was leaving for work, I realized something was missing.
"Alright, I need some fashion advice," I said to Amy, one of my coworkers, as I came back from my lunch break. "What kind of hat goes best with this coat?"
"Hm...maybe a fedora? Or a pageboy? Something classic like that."
I did some research, and found a few styles I liked online--but they were way too expensive. So, off to the mall it was, where everything was still too expensive. After asking around at a few stores, I was eventually pointed to, of all places, Hot Topic.
Now, you must understand, this is decidedly not the type of store in which I normally spend my money. I'm more of an Old Navy type. But I did notice a small collection of hats hanging from one of the walls, a few of which looked promising.
I walked up to one of the salespeople and simply said, "This coat needs a hat." She gave a little smirk, then gestured to the wall. After trying a few options, I eventually settled on a black, wide-brimmed fedora. My first Facebook profile picture, in fact, included me wearing both the hat and the coat.
I still have that hat, and it serves me well. I get the occasional odd look when I wear it--or any of the other hats I've acquired since then--in places (and with outfits) where it might not be entirely appropriate. But hey, what else are hats for? They don't do any good sitting around the house now, do they?
I'm at the point now where, this past year, I've had to actually say to a salesperson, "This jacket needs a hat--but not a fedora. I'm up to my ears in those." The saleslady smirked, then sold me the hat seen here:
.
I'm not normally the sort of person to say this, but: That hat looks good on me.