The first rule a man should observe in regard to his hat is never to wear
it in the presence of women, save in the open. If mothers would take the
trouble to train their small sons to rigid observance of the rule of
removing their head covering the moment they enter the house there would,
be fewer adults guilty of this particular discourtesy, which is at once
the greatest and the most common. One occasionally sees a man wearing his
hat and preceding a woman down the aisle of a theatre.
The expression, "tipping the hat," is a vulgarism. A man doesn't "tip" his
hat, he raises it quite off his head.
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The Coachman's Salute.--The semi-military salute--raising the hand to the
hat as if to lift it, but merely approaching the forefinger to the
brim--is a discourtesy to a woman. Such a salute would bring a reproof in
military circles; it is objectionable among men. Actually it is the manner
in which a man-servant acknowledges an order from his master or mistress,
and is not inaptly called "the coachman's salute."
A man wears his hat on the street, on the deck of the steamboat, in a
picture-gallery or promenade concert-room. He removes it in a theatre, the
opera-house, and the parlors of a hotel.
When to Raise the Hat.--Men raise their hats to each other on the street.
They extend the same courtesy to all members of their family, of both
sexes. A well-bred man raises his hat to his little daughter, as he would
to his wife.
On the street, a man must wait for a lady to recognize him, but should be
ready to remove his hat simultaneously with her greeting, raising and
replacing it quickly. The fashion of removing the hat after meeting a lady
is absurd. How does she know the courtesy has been extended?
When a man is with a lady who recognizes an acquaintance, he must raise
his hat, whether he knows the individual or not. He should, however, keep
his eyes straight ahead, not looking at the person.
If he meets a man walking with a lady whom he does not know, he waits the
man's recognition.
A man removes his hat in an elevator if women enter or are already inside.
This rule is often ignored in large public buildings.
If a woman bows to a man in any place where it is his privilege to wear
his hat, he removes his hat and does not replace it while she is talking
with him. This rule applies everywhere except on the street. "A gentleman
of the old school" will stand bareheaded on the street if exchanging a
word or two with a lady; in such case she may request him to replace his
hat.
A man when driving or motoring cannot remove his hat. He bends forward
slightly and touches his hat brim with his whip, held upright, in the
first case, and raises his hand to the visor of his cap in the latter.
At Other Times.--When he is able to render some slight service to a woman
whom he does not know, she will thank him with a slight inclination of the
head and a smile, and he should raise his hat. When he relinquishes his
seat in the street car, he should give the lady a chance to acknowledge
his courtesy, and then raise his hat.
Men raise their hats and stand uncovered as a funeral cortege passes into
the church or from a house, and at the grave.
[MANNERS AND SOCIAL CUSTOMS 763]
They also stand uncovered when the United States flag is borne past, or
the national hymn--the "Star Spangled Banner"--is played in public, at a
military review, etc.
When a man passes a lady in the corridor of a hotel, or on the stairway,
he should raise his hat.
When he takes leave of a lady, the same act of deference is expected.
Hat and Coat When Calling.--When calling, the man looks after his own hat,
overcoat and stick. His hostess does not offer to relieve him of them, nor
suggest the removal of his coat. He deposits his hat and stick on table or
seat in the hall before entering the drawing-room, and takes off his
overcoat if his call is to be prolonged. Or, he may take them all with him
into the drawing room if his call is to be brief. In any event, it is his
business to dispose of them according to his own pleasure.