Get a Hat, Get Ahead, or is it Get Ahead, Get a Hat!
Words and Pictures by John Ferguson
One hundred years ago men wouldn't have dared leave their home without their hat, it was considered just as important as wearing their jackets. Indeed if you look at photographs of any public gatherings in all major cities around the world at this time, you'd see every man and boy wearing hats of various shapes and sizes.
Our associations with hats are historical: from Edwardian's, Military to cowboys to Frank Sinatra. But perhaps these days, our real resistance to hats is the fact so many of us find them difficult to look good in.
So why and when did the wearing of the beloved hat lose its popularity?
Some people contribute this fact down to the arrival of our now dominant mode of transport, cars. Before the popularity of the car, people use public transport, which allowed more headroom. Within a car, the head-to-roof distance was much narrower, so narrow that to stay comfortable, men would feel it easier to remove his hat.
With the mass arrival of the motor car around the 1950's and 1960's, cars made hats inconvenient, and for the first time men, crunched by the low ceilings in their cars and taxis, experimented with hat-removal.
In America, the popularity of the new President John F.Kennedy saw another sea change in the way men dressed. He was the first president not to wear a top hat at his inauguration, this also proved to be a pivotal moment for the death of the hat.
Our associations with hats are historical: from Edwardian's, Military to cowboys to Frank Sinatra. But perhaps these days, our real resistance to hats is the fact so many of us find them difficult to look good in.
So why and when did the wearing of the beloved hat lose its popularity?
Some people contribute this fact down to the arrival of our now dominant mode of transport, cars. Before the popularity of the car, people use public transport, which allowed more headroom. Within a car, the head-to-roof distance was much narrower, so narrow that to stay comfortable, men would feel it easier to remove his hat.
With the mass arrival of the motor car around the 1950's and 1960's, cars made hats inconvenient, and for the first time men, crunched by the low ceilings in their cars and taxis, experimented with hat-removal.
In America, the popularity of the new President John F.Kennedy saw another sea change in the way men dressed. He was the first president not to wear a top hat at his inauguration, this also proved to be a pivotal moment for the death of the hat.
Fashions were changing wildly and fast, the 1950's and 60's also saw a fundamental change in the music industry, from Elvis in the States to the Beatles in the UK. The rise of Pop & Rock and Roll music and their new and exciting performers, alongside one of the most charismatic presidents JF Kennedy, made hats even more unpopular. Kennedy, Elvis and the Beatles all had one thing in common; they all had 'great hair'.
I love hats and use to wear an assortment of different hats myself from time to time, whether it suited me or not. Some people just look great in hats, I don't, but I still like them and appreciate those, especially men, who go the extra mile and actually pull it off, sometimes with a stylish scarf too.
I have always loved photographing people in hats, it gives the face an extra dimension, it can also change a person's dynamic and even persona, for some this can add a little self-confidence to a person too.
Whether it's a nice small narrow-brimmed trilby, a fedora, or a little French beret or a snazzy Panama, all these hats lend themselves to their wearer a sense of individuality, a look of style personality, character, and uniqueness. What's not to like?
Whether it's a nice small narrow-brimmed trilby, a fedora, or a little French beret or a snazzy Panama, all these hats lend themselves to their wearer a sense of individuality, a look of style personality, character, and uniqueness. What's not to like?
On a beautifully warm and sunny September morning, I found myself in the trendy Shoreditch area of London's East End. The Sunday market was in full swing, with all types of food stores from spicy Caribbean Chicken, Mexican to Indian, Spanish and much more. Together with the specialist clothes stores and arcades that line the long packed road and side streets, the whole scene was one of colour, riotous noise, and hypnotic music, all which helped to make up the heady sights and sounds of the vibrant Brick Lane market.
I had two or so hours to kill before my photo commission for a new client was due to begin.
I had two or so hours to kill before my photo commission for a new client was due to begin.
The long, long lines of people queuing for the famous Brick Lane salt beef bagels was the starting point for my 'Hat Portraits'. Soo many cool hats and interesting people to photograph. I also had the use of a new camera lent to me by a good friend. I was armed with a Fuji XPro2 and 35mm F1.4 lens, a perfect combination for street photography. A camera that's not too small as to be considered just a point and shoot, but also not too big that it frightens people off such as my Nikon DSLR's. It also looks very cool with its retro styling and sleek looks, it actually drew people towards me rather than pushing people away which can and does happen when conducting street photography.
So back to the hats, I saw a lot of hats this day, but I excluded anyone wearing baseball caps. They were ubiquitous on this day, but to me, they never look cool, one should only wear a baseball cap at sporting events or has a shield against the blazing sun...in my opinion. But, there was just one exception to this rule, I spotted a young man wearing a matching gold Gucci baseball cap and jacket, not much a fashionista I felt, just more of a fashion statement or victim, but he looked the part..for my little project, I just wish he would have stopped and posed for me properly.
The one thing I find most difficult, and other photographers too when shooting Street Photography, is catching your subject off guard. These unguarded moments make for the greatest pictures, but difficult to execute well. If you stop your subject and ask their permission, then that 'decisive moment' is gone forever, there is also the acute possibility that they will also refuse you permission to photograph them too. But, if you have a particular request and interest, such as I did with my hat portraits, this made it oh so much easier to gain their trust and also an interest in what I was trying to achieve. Don't get me wrong, I was still trying to photograph people off guard, this always lends itself to better pictures, but most of the time I just walked over to them and asked for the permission. I had only one person say no, and this was because he was in a hurry. I had in my mind to produce 20 images if I was lucky. In the end, I had over 50 great pictures for my little project. And the best part of this project is that I can keep returning to it whenever I see a cool looking dude or girl in a hat!