Club Obi Wan

I have been wereing my fedora every where I go since I got it and intrestlingly enough I have gotten very few Indy comments. Actually I have only gotten one tottal, but the range of other comments is quite intressting. My new favorit is " That is a tall hat" that is all that is said with nothing else attached, I then reply yes, yes it is how very observant of you. My next favorit is "nice cowboy hat" to which I reply It is not a cowboy hat it is a 1930's style Fedora ( That reply alwase seems to dumb found the commente) The next reply is (from a kid who says to me after the first couple days of me wereing my wested "AAAA its the Fonz") "Hey Dick Tracy" I just shake my head and laugh at this in my head.
The next to comments I have recieved are not as nice, infact they kind of irritated me, So a kid who attemps a very sad try at an australian accent says " good day mate fine weather today isn't it" The comment in itself was not so irritating exept for the fact that he could barrly contain his laughter and the worse part of it was that it was one of the worst accent mimics I have yet to here.

And the one that just made me mad altogether " Croccadial Dundy called and wants his wardrobe back" To which I reply, why would you say that, This hat looks nothing at all like croccadial Dundy's hat. Reply from offender " why do where that hat" my response why do you were those errings.

Just blowing off some steam, I recieved all of these comments within a day. Has anyone else been blessed with this wonderfull experiance which opens your eyes to the ignorance of The younger generation That unfortunatly I am a part of.

Brendon

P.S. please excuse any misspellings I for some reason have never been able to spell

You are now a true Gearhead. It's happened to most of us at one point or anothr and I continue to remind myself of the wisdom from Jones Sr. to his son. "Indiana ... Indiana, let it go."

Nice. Thats a great way to look at it I don't care if they make the comments cause it just lets me know who is insicure about themselves.

Brendon

You know, I have a few comments on this...some you guys will possibly agree with, some you won't.

The simple fact is that a fedora is a noticably an out of the ordinary article of clothing. We as a society are used to seeing metal stuck in our faces and tattoos on everyone, but when they see something that once said classy, is now looked at as odd.

The honest truth is that a fedora is one of those things that when you wear it, you have to expect people are going to make fun of you for it. You have to understand that not everyone shares your view of Indy movies and wearing the "gear" is considered to most to be the height of Nerdy.

It's the same as when you see those people dressed like they are Neo himself from The Matrix.

With that said, you shouldn't really ever care what people will think of you, but you have to understand when and where it is appropriate to wear such things.

I noticed a post on here about people who leave the hat in the car when they do business, or when they are in situations where they aren't sure how the hat will affect how they are treated, and I tend to agree. Sure it's awesome to dress in full on gear, but in most everyday situations, it just calls the wrong attention.

So, what can you do about it? Well, there is two ways you can handle the situation in my opinon. First, you can ignore it...simple as that, just smile and walk away. Secondly, you can try and actually drop some knowledge on them.

You can try explaining what it is, you may want to leave the Indy part out, but explain about Fedoras, and such. I think most people are actually interested in it, but are unable to find the correct way to approach you, so they start off with sarcasm and hope it breaks the ice.

In the end, you need to do what feels good to you. If you are the kind of person who enjoys the attention, then wear it proud and just enjoy the attention.

I totaly lost my point here....

I guess the point is...if you go out looking like a movie character, expect people to make judgements and stereotype you. If that doesn't matter to you, then wear your gear with pride and if anyone gets on your case, shout, "You betrayed Shiva!" and then Indy punch them in the face.

Mat, that same thing happens to me almost all the time but I just don't hear it anymore. I guess I don't pay attention to anyone anymore I'm to busy being me ( with fedora on).

I have to say that certainly in London I am noticing an increase in the numbers of people wearing "real" hats (ie. not Baseball Caps etc. Although unfortunatley a lot of Britains scum class enjoys wearing them in hideous shades of Burberry ). Fedora style hats seem to be making a comeback around here anyway. I must spot a least 5 a day on my short travels.

I hope that when I can afford my AB I will be able to wear it without too many insults.

Brendon,

The way you carry yourself while wearing the gear has a lot to do with it. The general public can smell insecurity like a dog can smell fear. Some try to be nice and compliment you on your attire and others - especially young males in large groups - tend to try to make fun of you. When it becomes second nature for you to grab your hat on the way out the door, you will not care what people think.

I have had multiple experiences where I have been referred to as Crododile Dundee. Not in a bad way either. Just one of those "Do you know who you remind me of?" type questions. You spend all the money getting a screen accurate jacket and hat. Maybe the shoes, pants, bag and shirt too, and you are confused with folks that look nothing like Indy. The kicker is that I have the Crocodile Dundee hat as well If I had worn that hat, people would probably say I looked like Indy.

I think that people are generally well-meaning, but the ignoramuses out there are plentiful as well. In my opinion that is another reason not to keep your gear in pristine condition. It makes you look like you are wearing the gear for the first time each time you put it on. That usually invites the armchair comedians to take a shot at you. Personally, I get a kick out of people who look like they went bobbing for apples in a tackle box - piercing sticking out everywhere - making fun of a hat.

As others have mentioned, if you dress as Indy in public - especially the hat - expect to be made fun of occasionally. If you cannot handle that, you will be miserable. Keep in mind many of the snappy remarks that we make in response to the barbs we endure are usually lame and do not help matters. Stay calm. In the grand scheme of things, it is not worth it to get mad at everyone because they do not share your passion.

I have other hats in my collection and have found that when I am in a mood - like on April 15 when my taxes are due and I have not finished them yet - I wear my black hat. Usually with the crocodile teeth. But when I really want to be left alone, I take the teeth off and put the rattlesnake hatband (complete with rattle) on the hat and wear dark sunglasses. People avoid me like the plague.

Most of wearing Indy Gear is attitude. I do not mean walking around with an attitude, but carrying yourself proud and using the gear as it was meant to be used. Enjoy life and find it's adventures wherever you go. Good luck!

"If you cannot handle that, you will be miserable" really true... When i was 14 or so i bought my first and only hat (AB has already been ordered just waiting for it to arrive ) which was a Disney fedora, well i was really really happy, and i thought it to be the best hat in the world so i worn it to school proudly, and i took fooling from lots of people which i knew, and the prob was that even some teachers told me to take off the hat and i was not in class ! , I felt ridicoulous, only my friends didnt make fun of me, and well i felt really bad, so now i only wear a hat when i go on vacation, adventures or with my true friends, those that wont care how you look like but who you are.

Well thats just my experience which I wanted to share with you guys.

Hey Brendon, Buck up! It isn't that serious! Remember that the people who like to ridicule other people for what they like or wear are just insecure! I can't tell you how many times I've heard all the comments that you have heard. I just shake it off and figure that at the very least, I have enough pride and self-confidence to wear what I like because I like it. DO NOT LET ANYONE EVER SHAME YOU INTO CONFORMING INTO WHAT THEY THINK IS ACCEPTABLE! Follow your heart. If you like to wear your hat-then wear it! People will criticize and ridicule you for it, but that is their problem. Don't worry about it. Rick5150 is right: people can tell if you feel self-conscience and some will take that opportunity to make fun of you. As a general rule, I usually put on a "game face" which helps me insulate from the derogatory comments. That doesn't mean that I have become unfriendly, I just look unfriendly and I am usually not bothered. A kind word said gets a kind word replied; a harsh word gets ignored!

ij1936 wrote:Remember that the people who like to ridicule other people for what they like or wear are just insecure!

I hear this a lot, but I do not believe it for a second. Sometimes people feel like making fun of others for the sheer enjoyment of it. I know I am guilty of this. I am not do it because I am insecure. I am not doing it because I feel better about myself. I am doing it because it is funny sometimes. If people could learn to laugh at themselves as much as they laugh at others, what a wonderful world this would be.

My wife came with me to a hat shop in NH so I could try on various hats.
Some of them were downright hysterical on me and we had a blast laughing at me. If others want to laugh go ahead. I can see why Life is not that serious. The hats are worn for fun and enjoyment as well as sun protection. But face it, if it were not for the fun and enjoyment part, we could all wear sombreros. I wear Indy hats because they look cool and are quite functional, not because I care what others think.

Of course, I am used to seeing me in a fedora. At first I hated the way it looked on me and it showed when I wore it.

I agree with most people here--don't sweat it. I remember a post here several years ago about hat comments and that poster made the point that a fedora is no more strange than wearing a sun visor upside down and backwards.

Remember, you also get good comments as well. Yesterday after class, a student told me that she really liked my hat. And, more and more, I get people coming up to me on the street asking where I got my hat.

Remember, it is a classic and should be worn with pride. People of litttle worth will always find a reason to mock you to make themselves feel better. I have actually had fellow faculty give me a hard time because I wear a tie to class.

On a practical note, a hat will prevent skin cancer as well if not better than sun screen and not make your face break out! A little sage advice from Mother Hank.

I think people make fun of other people for many reasons. I do believe it's true that some people do it to boost their own low esteem or to try to win a group's acceptance. Some do it because they really enjoy hurting others. Many do it just to lighten the mood and for the enjoyment of all. Some people can take a joke and some can't. There's nothing worse than humor that hurts someone. I'm very guilty of occasionally mocking others but I'm quick to pat the person on the back and let them know I'm only kidding. I'm usually careful to throw in a generous helping of self mockery to let my victims know I didn't mean anything by my joke. Being able to make a joke at my own expense really lets people know where I stand. When someone mocks your clothes or behavior in a negative way, the best thing to do is just continue what you're doing. I think you should acknowledge the person but in a casual or even apathetic sort of way. You can let them know that their joke isn't funny or that you don't care without being combative. Laughing along with them can really confuse them, too. Nothing frustrates a combative person more than agreeing with them. If you just ignore the person, you can look insecure or weak. If you come back with a snappy remark, it can make you look as petty as the joker even though it's a lot of fun. The best thing is to just continue wearing the hat (or whatever) everyday and the hurtful jokers will see that they can't change your ways. Keep a good sense of humor about yourself.

The only good thing about being 51 years old, is I can wear whatever the heck I want. I've never gotten any negative comments (at least to my face) about my hat.

I was in a store, and had put my hat on top of some stuff in the shopping cart, and the guy in the checkout line ahead of me saw it sitting there and asked me about it. It was a vintage Stetson Whippet, re-blocked by Fedora, and he said it looked great and like something out of a gangster film because of the high crown.

I'm always traipsing around Manhattan, where just about anything goes clotheswise, wearing the jacket and the MK VII and have never even gotten a look.

In fact, my father, who's 85, wears a Wested I bought him, and is sort of miffed because nobody recognizes it's an Indy jacket. So, he's always telling everyone. (The funny thing is, he wears a tweed hat with it...the same kind that Indy's father wears in LC. Talk about mixing metaphors!)

It's probably easier to wear Indy gear if you're an old f@*t like me, because people just expect us to wear something "old fashioned" or odd anyway. I suppose a teenager would get more razzing from his peers for wearing a hat from another generation, whereas with a little gray hair, teens (who think I voted for Lincoln anyway) don't look twice at my hat.

The hat wearing thing is harder to pull off for us member of the younger generation. Just from my observations I've noticed that men in their 40's or 50's can wear a hat without getting too much attention. But we younger guys tend to get more attention. However, I've been wearing a hat for about 6 months and haven't got any comments. But then again, I usually only wear my hats when hiking or wearing a suit in bad weather.

P.S. Mat, that comment you got about your Wested is surprising.

It looked like it was going to rain this mornng so I put on my trench coat and fedora and headed off to work. At the building where I work, I got on the elevator and, hearing someone a a couple of steps behind me, held the door. When the guy saw me in the elevator, he came to a dead stop and his look was priceless. You would have thought he'd seen a ghost! It was like he had never seen a hat before. He paused outside the elevator for about 3 seconds before deciding to get in. On the ride up, I could see in my peripheral vision, he kept glancing over to look at the hat.

On a side note, it was disappointing that he didn't say "thank you" for holding the elevator.

I believe in the preemptive strike approach. Whenever I’m wearing my jacket and/or fedora, I usually can sense what the person I’m talking to is thinking ...yes I’m gifted that way. I simply inform the person that I’m wearing a Indiana Jones style jacket and/or Fedora and that I just love wearing this gear. Most of the time the person will be overwhelmed with astonishment at this unsolicited confession and it will make you personally feel more comfortable knowing that it’s out of the way and that you are not pretending to be the actual HF himself hoping that no one will take notice.

I’m not as big on confrontation as I was in HS and my early college days, but in the case of the snide remark made by the paired individual (which is the usual case) or those in very small groups. I get up in that person’s face (make sure they’re much smaller than you first) and stare them down with perhaps a witty comment or two as to there clothing or personal characteristics. Naturally, if the offensive party is a part of a much larger crowd and more intimidating in appearance, such confrontations should be avoided at all cost, at least until they are well out of closing distance and you are a good runner with an escape route. Only then do I find a well chosen remark or gesture works the best.

In the case of small children (who as we all know can be very cruel) simply wait until no one is looking and give them a gentle, but firm push (not too hard) just enough of one that they fall over or alternatively a slight rap on the noggin’ and then briskly walk away looking as innocent as you possibly can.

I hope this advice helps...

They're all wise guys until I uncoil the whip.`....

Take heart, be an individualist.

Ken

I rarely get negative comments. Only once some guy said to me "Hey, where'd you put your horse?". I just laughed and walked on. Most of the time people have positive comments about the Indy fedora, if they comment at all. And when I wear my Panama, I get nothing but positive comments. Do you think Panamas are more acceptable?

Bottom line, wear what you want, be who you are! I've never understood the point of laughing at what other people wear. I guess it's because fashion is meaningless to me so I don't care what's "in" or "out" or what. Quite often I see and/or overhear younger people doing this to people. I wish they knew how truly stupid it makes them look. Especially since the life of a fashion victim means that they themselves will look ridiculous next week, with the rate that clothes change. The only people I get a chuckle out of are really fat people in really tight clothes. And that may be cruel but, hey, they should know better. Fashion should be whatever the h'ell you want to wear. There's too much conformity in this world. Every society is divided into cliques and every clique has it's own uniform. Goths and punks pride themselves on individuality but as soon as more than a handful of people started to dress that way and turned up on Mtv it became a uniform. I've never forgiven Grunge for taking away my combat boots, which I worn since high school in the 80's. They were $25.00 at a surplus store and lasted years. Eddie Vedder put on a pair and they went up to $80.00 and you could buy them at the mall. Who knows? It seems a lot of older music is being rediscovered by younger generations. Maybe Duran Duran will make a come back and fedoras will be widely accepted again.
I like everything. Not really on me, but I love to see many varied styles. I think punk is cool. Retro (retro to ANY era) is cool. And goth can even be beautiful if done tastefully. You want a new style? Here's one that needs it's turn at the wheel... TRUE individuality. Don't give in. Wear that fedora with pride. If you're not comfortable with the fashion of the masses then you wouldn't be able to wear those clothes, anyway. It's better to be out of place among strangers than in your own heart.

Guys, Guys, I don't have any problem with the comments I get. I just thought you would like to hear some of the funnie comments that people give me. Thanks any way for your concerns.

Brendon

Well, it's only a hat at the end of the day. Nothing particularly funny or remarkable about someone wearing a hat, is there?

People are funny, but you have to take it all with a pinch of salt and do whatever you want to do - if you want to wear a hat, well thats your right and to heck with what anyone else might say about it.

Regards

Al

Geez Mat, I sure hope you didn’t take my comments seriously. Just for instance, I never push any child down at least under the age of 3 years old. Common, what do think I am!

Rixter I didn't have time to read your comments befor my last reply, But I assure you now that I have, I was laughing at it. I think sometimes we all have an internal desire to do such a thing to an intollerable child

I totally agree with J_Weaver, wearing a fedora at 22 is like social suicide
Very interesting that Flash Gordon can walk around Manhatten without any looks or comments because I always think whether or not you can get away with a proper hat depends on where you live. I was in London with a friend of mine a few weeks ago and we walked past J.Lock hatters. We both agree that fedoras are cool (he wants to be like Johnny Depp) but that we would never get away with it where we live. We're supposed to be covered in Fake Burberry and dripping in cheap gold chains.
At the end of the day you could walk down the street without any gear and some kids will make jokes because your not wearing the right trainers. Sad but true!

I agree with everyone that said it shouldnt bother you, but it'd bother me and as much as I'd love an AB, I know I'd never wear it for that reason.

Adventure Lad

The prob is I would love to wear my AB to college without getting laughs and comments at me that are like hey dude what happened to ya, or what the heck ist that, or some more intolerant and stupid comments.

As I said before the annoyance is so big, its better not to wear it there, as the satisfaction you get from wearing the hat is less than the annoyance of these people, so I use my hat only when Im with my friends or on vacation.

Well, I don't give a **** what people think about me.. I know that there are enough people that like me the way I am, so why should I try and blend in, if you don't like it, your loss..

I wear a fed when it's cold, rainy or so .. But with or without hat, I have nbeen known that there are actual girls that look at me, and keep looking, with this look on their faces

I dress with style, if they laugh at you, it is easy to tell that htey are just a grey mass that does not think, and dress in the uglyest things known to man .. "Fashion".

As I wrote elsewhere, people wear what they wear to try and fit in to the social-ecconomic group they belong to. Like it or not… this forum is part of the social group where you belong - to some extent.

I feel bad for “Normal” people who work hard to dress like they fit in, the casual clothes, the backwards caps… they want to stand out while at the same time look like everyone else. Oh the controdiction, oh the duality.

… Now here comes Mr. Gearhead-Retrosexual with his Adventurebilt fedora and his vintage threads. He’s not trying to fit the MODERN standards of dress, he’s trying to fit into the standards of a different era or that of his on-line community. Essentially we’re thumbing our noses at modern standards while striving to emulate what our conceived notions of how men SHOULD dress or what we think they used to.

Folks don’t know how to “deal” with that… and they don’t even know that they don’t have to. I don’t “deal” with the fact that they don’t dress like me because it doesn’t effect me. It doesn’t effect me when people dress like Eminem (although my sons won’t live here any more if they choose to…) or like Karson from “Queer Eye…”

But it effects them because they don’t feel comfortable with their own sense of “Individuality – Looking like Everyone else” duality. So they have to do what makes them feel comfortable – Laugh.

They’re laughing because you don’t want to conform they way they have. Think about that for a minute.

You’re going to allow strangers to dictate what you wear to make THEM feel comfortable?

Buff this topic is giving me way too much things to rethink in my life...

After whining for several years about wanting a fedora my sons just presented me one for my 49th birthday (I'm gonna look good for the Finger Lakes Summit ) They liked it soooo much they're in the process of getting themslves each one too. (sons ages - 22 & 23)
The comments I've been getting these last couple of months are all positive "Nice hat!", "When did you get a raise in pay?!" (from a co worker who swears it cost a couple hundred) "Looks great young man, wished more males dressed like men!" (from a lady passing by while I was shopping with my wife) But the funny one is "You must shop on Ebay."
But not to be out done I had to make a comment myself to my 73 year old father when we went to lunch. "Dad (who always wears his "Retired Airborne" baseball cap) don't you know ballcaps are for kids, you need a real man's hat!"
Just remember "In the beginning God made the fedora and saw that it was good."

CR

You guys want a funny story? Today I was in the mall shopping for impulse buys, and this guy ends up walking by me with these two chicks. He takes one look at my hat and busts up laughing, not even trying to hide it, and starts horribly doing the Raiders March, while pretending to whirl a whip around his head. This is in public, mind you!

So then, he says to me: "Who are you supposed to be, Indiana Jones?"
To which my reply was: "No, your dad. How am I doing?"

He was not happy at this comment. Not happy at all. I suppose I would've had a fight on my hands if the two girls didn't sucessfully hold him back, long enough for a security guard to arrive. I don't suppose I would've minded a fight. Oh well, thought y'all would get a kick out of that.

Regards,

Thats great. You almost got a chance to do an indiana punch to his face

Brendon

It never ceases to amaze that people will make a jack*** comment and then get mad when you answer them.

Strider, I hope you passed your Indy fighting courses of Effective Crotch Kicking and How to Swing a Whiskey Bottle.

Strider. The jerk isn't worth your time, just walk away.

From: IndianaWill,
The best thing to do is, "in my opinion," is just be cool! Don't say anything, just be yourself. I am the only one in my town that wears a Fedora. I get many looks, things said! Most of the time, people ask were did I get that hat? Most think it is cool, and want one like it. I just have fun being me. I don't care what they say. That is their opinion, and I have mine. " I love my fedora!" thanks Fedora!!! and have a great day!

I have had many looks, but people usually don't like to comment - probably because I'm 6'4 and imposing. They probably think "this guy is crazy enough to do something unpredictable"
Anyway - I love not fitting in to what they call "today's fashion"

ps - love the reply to "who are you trying to be" I may use it someday!!!

Strider wrote:He was not happy at this comment. Not happy at all. I suppose I would've had a fight on my hands if the two girls didn't sucessfully hold him back, long enough for a security guard to arrive. I don't suppose I would've minded a fight. Oh well, thought y'all would get a kick out of that.

Regards,

I have been in more fights and near fights than I care to remember. I love watching these guys that make a lot of noise and have some friends "holding them back" from fighting. If these brave lads were really all that determined to fight, two girls or two guys would not have been able to hold them back.

Strider, you can feel good knowing that he was apparently more afraid of you than you were of him. He may have had the talking part done, but his actions speak louder than words.

I'm gonna get you...you better hold me back...I'm gonna tear him up...you're lucky they're keeping me away from you...

Yeah, right.

Thats good news to hear from US i can determine none of these guys use knives in fights, , depending on where and when (friday night partying in a disco) u should be carefull who you get in a fight with, specially gipsies :evil: , here they steal rob, get in fights and traffic with drugs

Rixter wrote:Geez Mat, I sure hope you didn’t take my comments seriously. Just for instance, I never push any child down at least under the age of 3 years old. Common, what do think I am!

Good for you Rix! I just KNEW you had high standards!

You did well , Strider, and I totally agree with what Buff said above. I used to have a friend who loved to say to folks when they acted that way "I may not be able to stop you from coming, but I'll definitely to my @#$%est to slow down your departure!"

Regards! Michaelson

Michaelson wrote:

Rixter wrote:Geez Mat, I sure hope you didn’t take my comments seriously. Just for instance, I never push any child down at least under the age of 3 years old. Common, what do think I am!

Good for you Rix! I just KNEW you had high standards! Regards! Michaelson

Hight Standards ... I wonder what it's like to have those

(I don't know. I read it in a book once. ) Regards! Michaelson

Luisiana Jones wrote:Thats good news to hear from US i can determine none of these guys use knives in fights, , depending on where and when (friday night partying in a disco) u should be carefull who you get in a fight with, specially gipsies :evil: , here they steal rob, get in fights and traffic with drugs

I am a police officer in one of the most violent counties per capita in the United States. I have always been of the opinion that it is not very smart to bring a knife to a gunfight.

Strider wrote: So then, he says to me: "Who are you supposed to be, Indiana Jones?"
To which my reply was: "No, your dad. How am I doing?"
Regards,

What a great comeback! The dude deserved to lose face in front of the ladies for being so obnoxious!

NYC must be getting' too civilized. I wear the hat, jacket and bag most days to work and have never heard a rude comment. I have had a couple of positive words and get envious looks but nothing like Strider mentioned.

Michaelson doesnt have those kinds of probs, he has a friend called shotgun for gods sake, just try to face a guy named like that it must be something like this:

Ps.lol bufflehead, but shooting a gun on a disco is quite disturbing

I was in my hometown of Philadelphia this weekend, playing tourist. We were in Logan's Square and this young hipster in a bowling shirt with a friend whose face looked like it had been slammed into a tackle-box, asked if Indiana Spielberg and I wanted our picture taken together. We said yes and he took this pic:

After, he said, "You do realize that you have that 'Indiana Jones-thing' going, especially with the strap [MK VII]..." -He was very good natured and smiling.
"Oh, absolutely," I replied, "You don't know how long I have searched for the perfect hat." -I was wearing my Adventurebilt, of course.

So, anyway, not all comments are negetive. This guy and his friend had their thing going and I had mine. We both respected each other.

Cool story Hemingway! Don't you just love meeting people like that?

Nice photo Hemingway, it's nice to know there is people like that.

J_Weaver wrote:Cool story Hemingway! Don't you just love meeting people like that?

Cryptid~Explorer wrote:Nice photo Hemingway, it's nice to know there is people like that.

It was one of the highlights of my trip. There are evil comments and then there are good-natured comments. This was definitely the later. And that kid knew how to frame a good picture.

Awesome story Hemmingway! I've had stuff similar to that happen. It's really refreshing when you meet someone who is good natured.

Regards,