Getting dressed

I always seem to have these thoughtful discussions with Vicky Loras that really get me thinking. The latest one got started simply over the notion of wearing a baseball hat inside a house.

Once Spring arrives and I can ditch my toque, you’ll mostly see me with a baseball cap on – at least until football season starts. But, only outside.

My first baseball cap was a prized possession and I’ll admit this goes back.

If you’re from mid-western Ontario, you may well remember when the Detroit Tigers had a Double-A team in London, Ontario. My Dad and I had enjoyed a Detroit Tiger game at Michigan and Trumbull once or twice but it is a major ordeal. To hop in the car and drive to Labatt Park in London was just a one-hour trip. The park was kind of small but that made being close to the players and the infield wonderful.

You got the same sort of things that you would expect at any Major League Baseball game – long home runs, great base running (my Dad figured even better because the players might never know if a scout was in the stands watching), and, of course, arguments about close calls with the umpires.

Like the big leagues, there were concession stands and promotions and one night, I went home with a London Tigers’ cap. It looked just like the Detroit Tigers with an old English L instead of the D.

That cap went with me everywhere – almost – I was coached by my dad that you never wore a hat indoors. And so, I never did.

He was a fan of the Oscar Wilde expression “You never get a second chance to make a first impression”. Or, at least, we thought it was attributed to Oscar Wilde. Apparently, it might not but I’m not convinced.

I still believe in that adage.

So, what’s your impression when you see someone wearing a cap indoors and refusing to take it off?

I can tell you that Jaimie and I walk past a number of stores during our evening outings and I can’t think of a single place of business that we look into where you’ll see anyone working and wearing a cap.

Of course, it goes to much more than caps. You do dress up when you go to work. For me, it would be unthinkable. At my old high school, wearing caps was forbidden unless it was some sort of spirit day.

What are your thoughts about wearing caps indoors?

What other things would you think are OK to wear outdoors but you’d never want to see indoors?

Are we teaching these concepts in schools? I suspect that many schools ban their wear inside but do we give a reason for it?