The Top Hat For The Top Man

In an article called The Inaugural Top Hat Tradition, Kate Michael of The Examiner wonders aloud if Barack Obama will bring back the top hat tradition. The last President to wear a top hat during an inauguration ceremony was John F. Kennedy, back in 1961, and with the nearly inevitable Camelot comparisons between JFK and Obama, a top hat worn by this President-elect would certainly seem full circle.

Speaking of Presidential hats, we’ve got the limited edition Presidential Pinnacle fedora from Stetson on hand. This is the hat that our cohort Josh from HatForObama.Com is trying to give to the President-elect. For every one of these hats sold over the next several weeks and months, $25 will be donated to the Hats Off for Cancer Charity with a goal of selling 2009 numbered, certificated hats for a total of $50,000.

Hopefully Hat No. 1 will go to the First Man himself.

Thanks for reading,
Steve Singer
CEO Hartford York

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Top Hats are ‘top hats’ for Obama Jan. 20 inauguration

Washington is in full-frenzy planning mode for Barack Obama’s inauguration on Tuesday, January 20, 2009.

[In addition to the actual] “swearing-in ceremony – there will be as many as 70 concerts, balls and other events surrounding the inauguration”, according to an article by The Canadian Press, including:

• a “Youth Ball” for people aged 18 to 35 to celebrate “the role young Americans can play to serve their communities” and

• a “Neighborhood Inaugural Ball” at the Washington Convention Center that will feature free or cheap tickets for everyday citizens, including a portion reserved for inner-city D.C. residents.

“This is an inauguration for all Americans,” Obama said in a statement. “I wanted to make sure that we had an event that would be open to our new neighborhood here in Washington, D.C.”

There’s a great slideshow in The Huffington Post called Inauguration Attire: Bring Back The Top Hat! that provides a nice walk down memory lane — and also reminds us of why this elegant form of men’s dress hat has long been a favored form of headwear for great occasions.

I won’t be in Washington for the inauguration, but you can bet your bottom dollar that I’ll be caprioling with the best of them, decked out in my best (rented) tux and collapsible silk top hat.

Thanks for reading,
Steve Singer (aka Mr. Peanut)
CEO Hartford York

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categories: straw hats summer hats panama hats straw fedora hats straw fedoras winter hats fedoras cowboy hats leather hats Kangol hats Borsalino hats Scala hats Stetson hats Wigens hats fur hats fall hats autumn hats hats for winter wool caps hats women’s hats men’s hats fashion humor

Random Hats of Kindness

I’ve been in the retail business nearly all my life, and thought I’d seen it all, but then I found ARK. You see, a young guy (who calls himself an “18 year old nutter”) from Northern Ireland started a clothing line (that currently only sells polo shirts). What’s so novel, you ask, about that?

Well, the company name is an acronym for Acts of Random Kindness. (In his Frequently Ask Questions, owner Cameron says: “Yes…there is an ‘of’..I realise that. But it couldn’t very well be AoRK…that’s just strange”).

Anyway, the amazing vision of this teen is two-fold: the people who buy his label have to do an ARK every time they wear it (it’s a law); and he gives his profits to needy causes, saying it’s “a pretty mint way to live”.

My cap’s off to you, Cam. Just reading about your clothing-with-a-purpose vision makes me remember to perform random acts of kindness, and I’ll be ordering my own polo shirt soon.

The only wee problem I have with the message is when you say to “love everyone except yourself.” My own credo is that the more you love yourself, the more you’re able to love others.

Thanks for reading,
Steve Singer
CEO Hartford York

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categories: straw hats summer hats panama hats straw fedora hats straw fedoras winter hats fedoras cowboy hats leather hats Kangol hats Borsalino hats Scala hats Stetson hats Wigens hats fur hats fall hats autumn hats hats for winter wool caps hats women’s hats men’s hats fashion humor

Don’t Over-Think Your Hat

Did you happen to see GQ Style Editor Adam Rapoport on The Early Show last week? Well, either did I, but I found the story on CBS News, where he talked about what’s hot in men’s hats, calling fedoras “a fantastic all purpose hat” although the slighter smaller look of the trilby looks great on “younger cooler guys — like Justin Timberlake” and Zac Efron. He thinks porkpies are “a bit trendier” and that newsboys are the new baseball caps.

Then he gives advice on how to wear hats, saying:

If you wear a fedora straight on your head, it looks more professional. If you tilt it to the side, then you look more hip and cool. You want to make sure you have a little flare.

Finally, Adam notes that:

People get confused and they over-think hats, and try to pair the outfit perfectly. You can wear the same fedora to work as you do with a leather jacket — it’s all about the way you tip it! It’s versatile.

Mr. Rapoport’s right on the money, of course. Except for the over-thinking part. All my friends (and hats) can tell you I hardly ever over-think anything.

Thanks for reading,
Steve Singer
The Over-Easy
CEO Hartford York

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categories: straw hats summer hats panama hats straw fedora hats straw fedoras winter hats fedoras cowboy hats leather hats Kangol hats Borsalino hats Scala hats Stetson hats Wigens hats fur hats fall hats autumn hats hats for winter wool caps hats women’s hats men’s hats fashion humor