We're long past the age of the hat check. So what do you do instead?
Remember hat checks? Like coat checks, they seem to have mostly vanished. But this past weekend, shortly after my father bought a hat at Salmagundi, we arrived for dinner at a Cambridge restaurant. The place was packed; my dad, of course, took off the hat as soon as he stepped inside. But where to put it? I was chatting away with our dinner companions on the other side of the table and forgot about it; I'm sure we could have asked the staff to stow it away somewhere. But it brought up the question: where do you keep a hat when you go out — especially if you are a man with a nice (and, sometimes, expensive) hat if you go by etiquette rules and doff it when you step inside? Hat checks were common when virtually all men wore hats all the …
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Salmagundi owners Jessen Fitzpatrick and Andria Rapagnola talk about staying jazzy, the stories behind hats, and their JP store's special vibe.
America’s love affair with big, floppy hats lasted about as long as the champagne toasts raised in front of TV sets broadcasting the nuptials of Prince William and Kate Middleton. But at Salmagundi on Centre Street, the fascination for hats of all kinds is evergreen and as palpable as the funky grooves playing from the store’s latest playlist. With an inventory of about 7,500 hats—ranging from Panama to pork pie to bucket to flat caps, and including their own signature line—you won’t want for a show-stopping or understated head topper. That’s in addition to a boutique-like selection of clothing, handbags, and jewelry. Owners and husband/wife Jessen Fitzpatrick and Andria Rapagnola—who rock the hat look so well you feel immediately …
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2:39 pm on Thursday, July 7, 2011
Salmagundi is my absolute favorite. I wish I could get in there more. more ›
Chris Helms
6:35 am on Monday, June 25, 2012
Great advice, Jessen. Thanks for the napkin idea. more ›