I enjoy wearing hats. Not only do they making me feel jaunty (wow, I've never used that word in a sentence before) but they're great for covering up less-than-perfect hair. What's even a bigger boost is I get a lot of compliments when I wear them, something which certainly encourages my affinity for them. I find interesting though that the compliment is often followed by this statement though: "I can't wear hats."
I can't wear hats? That always makes me wonder why. I can't wear hats because I'm not allowed? I can't wear hats because I my head is too big? I can't wear hats because I have a condition that requires my head to be hat-free at all times? I just don't understand the statement, "I can't wear hats."
Usually that statement is followed by this statement: "I don't look good in them." Ah, so I hear is this: After trying on every hat in existence I have come to the conclusion that I do not look good in hats, ergo, I do not wear them. It's not like I'm sporting hats like those of the Royal Family with feathers and odd protuberances sticking out of them, they're just simple hats in various colors with bills on them. My favorite is the black and white houndstooth that looks like something that a paperboy from the 20s would have worn.
My conclusion is that hat-wearing is not a "I don't look good in them" issue, but instead "I just don't feel confident enough to wear them" issue. Frankly I don't care if you like my hats. I like my hats. I like wearing them. I could look like a complete dork in my hats and I would still wear them, compliments or not, because I think they are fun. I think even those people who say they "can't wear hats" would look good in them if they just got used to the idea that they are hat-wearing people. Well, maybe not one of those weird English numbers -- because really, does anyone look good in those? -- but a simple unscaled baseball-type hat would work.
My challenge goes out to the non-hat wearing population today: put on a hat! Wear it for one day. I guarantee, you look good in it. And after you get over your nervousness of wearing it, you too will feel jaunty and will want to wear hats more often and get a whole collection of hats that rivals my own. Try it, because on some level, don't we all want to feel jaunty?
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