How to Practice Male Hat Etiquette

Many of the standard etiquette guidelines for men who wear hats are rarely followed these days. But if you want to be considered a person with good manners, you'll want to know what the rules are and follow them. This applies to all hats, with the exception of hats worn for religious purposes. Remember, good manners never go out of style.

Instructions

1. Remove your hat when you are indoors. Hallways, lobbies and non-residential elevators are considered similar to being on the street, so hats do not need to be removed in these instances. However, if you are in an elevator and a lady enters, good manners require that you remove your hat.

2. Be respectful and take off your hat whenever the National Anthem is played, at outdoor weddings, and at funeral processions. When attending religious services, remove your hat unless the custom of that particular religion requires that you wear a hat of some kind.

3. Hold your hat in your hands when etiquette dictates it cannot be worn, so that the outside of the hat is the only thing showing. The inside of the hat should be held against your body and should not visible to anyone else.

4. Tip your hat by lifting it slightly off your forehead whenever you greet a lady in passing. Should you stop to chat, you are required to remove your hat entirely. This is called "doffing" your hat, and it's also used to non-verbally communicate to anyone things such as "thank you" or "excuse me."