It was Chilly, so I Put on a Hat

Nick and I decided to go for a walk the other day. It starts to get chilly this time of year in New York and chilly weather, for me, is hat weather. There is something so comforting about wearing a hat on a cool day. Even a felt hat--one that is not particularly warm--keeps my head nice and toasty.

I love hats; it's a fascination I've gained from my father and I have accumulated a pretty impressive collection of them. I'll never understand how these things went out of style--what better, more attractive way to keep your head warm than a nice hat? And I don't mean beanies or baseball caps (note I use the word 'cap' and not 'hat'), they don't count.

Now, it's not that baseball caps and beanies don't have a place in the world of headgear, after all, they're both indicative of several pretty huge subcultures (not least of which being Steve Zissou), however, hats should have a history to them or bring to mind a time in history. Preferably a time in history more than forty years ago--after the 60's (and even during the 60's, really), hats became much less striking.

This particular hat was given to me by my father for my birthday. My father works in a retirement home where he plays games with Alzheimer's patients to stimulate their brains. This hat belonged to one of his residents who passed away, recently. Such a beautiful and precious gift.