Hatless Jack

by Neil Steinberg

"Not so long ago, we were a country of hat wearers. Hats were tipped, raised, handed, tossed, snapped, passed, checked, waved, and eaten (metaphorically, at least). Many believe the end of this way of life was precipitated by the presidential inauguration of a bareheaded John F. Kennedy; suddenly desperate American hatters were convinced that persuading the young, charismatic new leader to wear a hat would save their declining business. Author Neil Steinberg uses January 20, 1961, as the jumping-off point for uncovering a near-forgotten slice of American history. Using a cast of famous men from Mark Twain to John Glenn, he recaptures the fascinating world of hat wearing, with its hatcheck girls, straw-hat riots, and globe-trotting fedoras taking trips in place of their owners. Hatless Jack is a fascinating look at the history of men's headwear that cuts through the mythology surrounding JFK's impact on the industry, and helps to explain the move from our formal, conformist society to o