Oh they look fine worn with an odd jacket, as worn by the late Richard Merkin in the photo, but I cannot bring myself to appreciate sunglasses with a suit. Call me eccentric, and plenty of people have, but to me the combination is just a little too close to Tommy Lee Jones in Men in Black. 
Now there are problems with hats, principally where to put them when they are not on the head but also extending to aesthetic concerns like hat hair. Indeed, I am quick to leave my hat at home when the sun is behind a cloud, but when it is shining I like to shade my eyes with a hat.
I am reminded of this today because the sun is out for the first time in what must be a week, and I will be driving with the top open. To my mind, an open car is the ideal place for hat wearing. One's hair is going to be rumpled anyway and the hat can be left on the seat when the journey is over (although care must be taken not to sit on it when one returns to the car after dark). Today seems like a good day for the black homburg.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
A Good Day for the Black Homburg
Photo: Optimo Hat Co
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19 comments:
Will,
While it may not be sufficient to overcome your opposition to sunglasses with a suit, I think the look can be pulled off quite well if appropriate sunglasses are chosen. The principle problems with sunglasses that men typically choose is that the glasses either (a) are not appropriately sized for the face (think the "bug-eyed" look that seems to be popular in the midwest) or (b) are not suitably dressy to match the look of the suit (sports sunglasses arguably look worse with a suit than sneakers).
A simple, classy pair of aviators (without mirrored lenses) or discrete tortoise-shell frames (but not Wayfarers, which are so trendy as to be a cliche at this point) can add both sun and wind protection without looking completely out of place.
I get around the hat hair problem by keeping my hair short, which pretty much eliminates the problem. Given the amount of care that most men apply to their bonces (i.e. none), a few strands out of place will hardly be noticed. I appreciate the problem in re: what to do with my hat when it is not on my head, but the same is true of sunglasses. I have sat upon far more shaded spectacles than I have hats, and lost as many pairs. The careless hat wearer, I have found to advantage, is far more likely than the man of dark glasses to be reminded of his accessories: 'Didn't you come in wearing a hat?' Many a titfer has been saved thusly by the thoughtfulness of friends (and perhaps by the visual reminder wrought by little bit of hat hair). Your readers might be interested in the following: beingmanly.blogspot.com: you can keep your hat on
Gotta dig Merkin's shades!
Will, every day is appropriate for a homburg!
i don't think hats were designed to be worn on a convertible car, unless it's a heavy hat.
sometimes glasses are not a choice, they have a practical purpose, they protect sensitive eyes from the sun.
But years ago i don't think they had sunglasses, they relied solely in hats.
it's a beautiful picture you posted.
The most important thing with sunglasses is to only wear them with sun.
Men not wearing hats for fear of hair I'd suggest need to discard their the bouffant rather than their beret.
....Much as I love the Homburg (the earlier pre 1914 ones are even better than the later models you illustrate sported by the likes of Dean Acheson and Anthony Eden) I'm afraid it's as obsolete as the skimmer and the bowler....it continued existence depends solely on rap musicians and eccentrics.....the idea of sitting in a rag top wearing one of these sums up visions of hilarity or Hollywood B pics.....Sorry.
.....Shades with suits.....generally tough I agree but not impossible.....General Pinochet wore them in dress uniform!.....I think the only ones that really work are the heavy faux shell kind that Ari Onassis used to wear usually with a dark blue suit.....I seem to remember the Sartorialist having a pic of a guy up in suit and heavy shades and he looked good....not to mention menacing.
Aviators, too, have been trendy enough to be a cliche, and the trendiness of Wayfarers will pass, just as it did for aviators. There's no need, IMHO, to avoid a classic style because it's temporarily in overly wide use.
I'd agree with seitelman about the Homburg for all seasons, except maybe hot summer days - it is my favourite hat. And shades with suits - again, ok when the weather is sunny, the shirt of light and the suit of dark colour to avoid the Mafia look, and the frames suit the suit - YSL's generally heavy frames went well with the charcoal suits he used to wear...
Will, I must dissent.
Sunglasses are not only appropriate with a suit, but a necessity on sunny days. One must protect one's eyes regarding cataracts, ultra violet rays, etc.
I would agree that sunglasses worn indoors or on a cloudy day are an affection. Sunglasses worn at night are total lunacy.
Now, a homburg and sunglasses on a sunny day? Why not!
seitelman said..."Now, a homburg and sunglasses on a sunny day? Why not!"
.....Papa Doc Duvalier's standard gear....and I'm not kidding
Actually for all the Homburg enthusiasts who don't realize it's day is over the Merkin pic is a bit of a object lesson. Merkin was rightly something of a style icon(I picked up some lessons from him myself) but occasionally he would go OTT (brown Derbies etc) as he does with the shades in this pic....basically he looks like a twit.....the point being just take a second look at yourself before crossing the threshold and ask have I crossed the line into caricature.
Hats had their day. I get mine from Locks in St James but they are overpriced
Will, I hope, for the sake of your ocular health, you relent and don sunglasses in the light of the day.
As many have said, there is a harmony that can be achieved with the right pair of sunglasses... Oakley's (think the models for sport) would not be appropriate for pairing with a suit... However, there are many styles that would...
Where I would completely agree with you: whenever I greet someone, I think it is respectful to remove my glasses. I may put them back on after we exchange greetings, but at least initially, I think they should be removed... In many aspects, it is very similar to removing your gloves when you shake hands.
A hat whether homburg, fedora, etc is always a good accessory to proper dress. I almost always wear a brown Stetson fedora, and am looking for a grey (with black ribbon) Homburg to wear with grey and black suits.
I've never gotten a negative comment on wearing any hat. More often a compliment, or the occasional "wolf whistle"
Will, I have been thinking, why restrict the homburg to black and grey?
Why not colors? E.g., the browns (chocolate or latte) and various blues (slate blue and navy).
A possible item for your store?
carguy said..."or the occasional "wolf whistle"
.....I think we have different goals.
Merkin's brown Derbies look actually rather nice on him IMHO, although I prefer black ones myself.
Richard said...
"Merkin's brown Derbies look actually rather nice on him IMHO, although I prefer black ones myself."
....Why not take up wearing them regularly, it's bound to enhance your reputation.
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