As someone with neurodiversity I recognize clothes have many layers, no pun intended. There are cultural significances and practical uses, these are the two main qualities of clothing. Culture eventually wins over the practicality of certain garments, people wear flight jackets without being pilots, people wear Stetson’s without being ranchers, I fit that second category. Living in this country I have been exposed to the common judgement passed by others, Americans love to observe a person and fish out their qualities so that they can equate them to something familiar usually attached to pop culture. Since I live in the city, wearing a rancher hat most people won’t care but some people will point and say “Ayyy I’m walking here” or “Howdy pardner” or some stupid shit.
Two years ago when I didn’t care about appearance I had many people point and laugh, one person I confronted said “when is x album coming out”, essentially comparing me to some washed up classic rock star who I looked nothing like. I walked back to their apartment after researching what they said and said some things which made them close their window and end their windowsill “comedy show” which was essentially what I mentioned before, the lowest form of comedy of making fun of appearances and comparing those features to someone else / pop culture references.
But the hat is seven hundred dollars.
What do you plan on wearing this with?
Generally speaking, if you’re masc-presenting and wear a hat that isn’t some kind of baseball hat or beanie, it’ll probably be seen as a little weird. Hats are just less common these days than they were in the past. I could imagine someone wearing something like this without it looking weird or bad, but it really depends on the context of that person’s wardrobe. I’d strongly recommend against wearing something like this with jeans, sneakers, and a graphic tee - you’ll just look like a fedora kid, if that makes sense.
Also, the region of the US you live in will impact how people look at clothing that could be considered western wear. It’s not that out of the ordinary to see it throughout the South (and I’m assuming throughout the West as well).
I’ve lived in the west and southwest my whole life and over here literally anyone can wear a hat like this. I’m talking literally from fascists to turbolibs to people on anarchist compounds to MLs.
Will nobody bat an eye if I wore a 10 gallon to Costco
At least around here, the only person who would acknowledge a 10 gallon would be someone else wearing one saying they like your hat. You could dress in full blown Yosemite Sam cosplay and no one would say a thing.
Shorts t shirt and some Jordan 1 lows