by minimus 115 Replies latest jw friends
"I'm no expert but I do know that the reason men (and women) wore heavy makeup was to appear as "white" as possible as a tan indicated someone who spent much time in the sun and in those days it was the sign of a labourer, farmer or generally someone who was poor. Same with wigs."
That is really interesting.
Are Men As "Manly" As They Used To Be?
I know I am. In fact, I'm even MORE manly now than I used to be!
Deputy dog what do you mean by this?
They want to be on top?
You can spot a manly man a mile away by the hat that he wears. I still prefer the Fedora.~StAnn
by BRETT & KATE MCKAY on MARCH 1, 2008 · 186 COMMENTS
Up until the 1950’s men were rarely seen out and about without a hat sitting upon their head. Since that time, the wearing of hats has seen a precipitous decline. No one is precisely sure why. Some say the downfall of hats occurred when JFK did not wear a hat to his inauguration, thus forever branding them as uncool. This is an urban myth, however, as Kennedy did indeed don a hat that day. Another theory posits that the shrinking size of cars made wearing a hat while driving prohibitively difficult. Most likely, the demise of hats can simply be traced to changing styles and the ongoing trend towards a more casual look.
Yet hats are due for a full resurgence. Hats are both functional and stylish. They can cover a bad hair day, keep your head warm, and shade your eyes from the sun. They can also be worn to cover a receding hairline, which interestingly enough is why Frank Sinatra, an iconic hat wearer, start wearing one in the first place. They give you touch of class and sophistication, impart personality, and add an interesting and unique accent to your outfits. And hats are a sure-fire way to boost your confidence. A cool hat can quickly become your signature piece and give you extra swagger.
Of course men today still wear hats, but they are most often confined to ratty baseball caps, hippie beanie caps, or the thankfully almost extinct trucker hat. There is nothing wrong with these kinds of headpieces per se, but there are other hat options out there. So mix up your lids with these various options:
The Flat Cap
Photo by Menno Ophelia
The flat cap has a rounded shape, a small brim and a high back. Long associated with working class men in the UK, the flat cap can be a stylish way to add interest to a casual outfit. They can give your tired jeans and t-shirt look some unique style. Choose the more masculine flat cap over the similar, but rounder and puffier newsboy cap. The latter has been almost entirely co-opted by the ladies.
The Fedora
Fedoras were once considered de rigueur for men going out in public and a necessary accessory to formal and business attire. While once mainstream, a man in a fedora is now seen as a trendsetter. Fedoras are soft, usually made of felt, creased lengthwise down the crown, and pinched on both sides. Obviously you cannot pair a fedora with jeans and a polo. They are only an appropriate accent for dressier outfits. But the pay off-loads of style, class, and confidence-make dressing up worth it. Fedoras will make you look manly and a bit mysterious. Worn by Prohibition era gangsters, almost all of the movie stars of the 1940’s, and Old Blue Eyes himself, donning a fedora puts you in touch with a truly luminous and manly heritage.
The Porkpie
Photo from The French Connection
Named for its resemblance to an actual pork pie, this hat is similar to a fedora but with a flat top instead of a pinched crown. The brim is also shorter and turned up. The hat is often associated with the jazz, blues, and ska culture, but was also worn by the likes of Robert Oppenheimer, father of the atom bomb.
The Homburg
Photo from The Godfather
The Homburg is another hat similar to the fedora. The Homburg’s brim lacks the fedora’s pinches, and is turned up all the way around. The hat is accented with a hatband into which a feather may be stuck. Less casual than a top hat, and dressier than a fedora, the Homburg was the go to lid for politicians and diplomats in the 20 th century. Favored by the Godfather and resurrected by the likes of Snoop Dogg and Tupac, the Homburg now carries a distinctly gangster flavor.
The Bowler/Derby
Photo by Lainey’s Repertorie
Bowlers are hard, made of felt, and have very short brims. While considered a British icon, the bowler was also part of the urban culture of America in the 19 th century. For example, one of the gangs that roamed the mean streets of New York City around this time were the Plug Uglies. The Uglies were never without their bowler hats which they wore both as their signature piece and to protect their heads during their many scuffles with rival gangs.
Cock your hat–angles are attitudes. ~Frank Sinatra
Hats can give you a feeling of effortless cool and manly confidence. Few people loved hats more, or wore them better than Frank Sinatra. He was constantly playing with the idea of angling and tilting his hat to convey different attitudes. Here’s how Frank wore his hat to reflect his mood:
In adopting the hat as your signature piece, you must also accept the responsibility of hat etiquette. Often ignored, hat etiquette will show that your uniqueness extends not only to you choice of headwear, but to your manners as well.
Header photo by Edieamber
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I can read the replies on the PSA - CULTURE thread, but I can't post.
Help!!!
Somebody help me!!!
Syl
I wonder why Syl?
Now that you mention it, I have noticed lately that I'm the only guy I know who isn't a pussy.
I'm the man!!!!
I have noticed that many of the women going around these days look like men...and ugly ones at that. Yeeeesh ! Big square bulky bodies, thick necks, short hair and Fred Flintstone feet. They wear tight shirts that show the rolls on their stomachs and shorts to show off their wide behinds and big legs. They are often tattooed loud and tough as well. I often wonder how these women would have looked if they lived in the days when women wore long dresses and feminine clothes....they might still look like heffers but at least they'd have been covered up.
Men, especially fathers, are portrayed on TV and in movies as immature bafoons or naughty little boys trying to hide their blunders from their wise cracking wives and their know it all children who all the while belittle them and boss them around. If Women or some Minority group were portrayed in this fashion, there would be a revolt. The theme of many talk shows seems to be "Men bad...Women good" or " How to make your man to be more like you and then despise him when it happens"
Most men are too busy trying to keep the show on the road or have broad enough shoulders to even let it matter to them...so on it goes.
Maybe the end is near after all......for men ?
