Why is wearing hats indoors rude

The original purpose of wearing a hat was to keep your head warm, protect your hairline from the sun, and keep dust out of the eyes. Men removed them when they went inside to prevent any dust that was collected on them from getting on furniture and the floor of a house. Removing your hat has also been a centuries-long etiquette rule and the act of removing a hat is a sign of respect, according to etiquette experts.

As explained by the Emily Post Institute , this may have originated in medieval times when a knight who refused or failed to identify himself and take off his helmet or lift his visor would face fatal consequences. Knights also had to remove their helmets in church, and in the presence of women and royalty, because it would be a sign of vulnerability and trust. Hat etiquette also has roots in Christianity, because of the tradition for men to remove their hats in a house of worship unless a hat or head covering is required by religion.

One of the strictest hat rules that still exist in the Western world is the U. Almost everyone removes their hats when attending church, a wedding, a funeral, or another important event that occurs indoors.

Some people, however, also remove their hats when indoors to prevent blocking the view of others. While wearing hats indoors is not important to many people, some still take off their hats when entering a building. The majority of people who take off their hats indoors do so as a sign of respect. Even if some younger hat wearers have not grown up with the tradition, they may still remove their hat out of respect for their grandparents, for example.

Before hats were a fashion statement, hats mostly had practical uses, such as protection from the sun and heat. I'm just going to go ahead and boldly add my own exemptions, which are indoor sporting stadiums because it just doesn't seem right to have to take off your hat at the monster truck rally. Now here's the thing. We've talked glibly about hats like they're just in the male domain. But ladies wear hats too, and they are given insanely lenient rules compared to men. Basically, women are allowed to wear hats indoors, outdoors -- wherever you please, unless it's rudely blocking the view of someone else [source: Emily Post].

But here's the catch. That in no way means that ladies get to wear their Red Sox caps to church. Because this rule only applies to "fashion hats" and not hats that could be considered unisex or too casual. Sign up for our Newsletter! Andrew Pinzler runs the TODAY Innovation Lab, where we explore new ways to add emerging technologies, engaging social elements and entertaining activations to our broadcast experience and digital platforms.

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