Where I come from a man’s ball cap is his calling card. His brand. It is a staple. Above the functional bill generally indicates what he supports. It could be a business, politician, a school, sports team or motto. Much like the physical state of a child’s stuffed animal, the rough condition of a ball cap indicates how well loved it is by its owner. If the wearer is a gentleman, he knows to remove it during prayer, at the dinner table, in the church pew and during the Pledge of Allegiance. When I was a young girl it was generally said that a man should take his hat off indoors. Men rarely do that anymore. Women wear ball caps today as well. I personally own several. In addition to the aforementioned situations, in the old days, it was customary for a gentleman to remove his hat when entering someone’s home, inside public buildings, such as a courthouse or school, the movies, during the National Anthem, when being introduced to someone, and any instance in the presence of our flag. Our etiquette about quite a few things has loosened over the years.
