Somewhere along the way, I became a "hat guy." Not a cap guy, or a beanie guy—though I’ve got no beef with either style—but a man who wears proper, brimmed hats with some degree of regularity. You know—hats befitting of an adult.
There are plenty of hat people in the world. Among the most prominent, Pharrell, Theophilus London, Indiana Jones, and street style fixture Justin Doss. There are also part-time hat guys, like LeBron James and Harry Styles. All have received their fair share of praise and criticism for their choice in headwear. Dressing outside the baseball cap isn't easy, and it really does take some getting used to—it's no longer the '60s and there's always the risk of looking more like a "fedora dork" than a bona fide "hat guy."
When exactly this happened, I can’t say. That’s because, like disappointing your parents with your life choices, transitioning from non-hat guy to hat guy doesn’t happen in one fell swoop. It’s a process, one that’s filled with small realizations, inevitable missteps, and the occasional teachable moment. Here’s what I’ve learned in the course of my journey.