On Choosing a Hat for Nashville

Boys,

I know what you’re thinking — if he’s choosing a hat for Nashville, he’s probably talking about a cowboy hat, right? Well I see the logic there, but that isn’t correct. It’s a regular old ballcap. Oh, now you’re thinking, “well doesn’t he have a bunch of hats? Why would he need to get a new one?” Well I see the logic there, but how many pairs of the same sandles does your mom have that are this or that shade of brown and these ones go with this dress and those ones go with that dress. Also, live a little. Get a new hat sometimes.

Choosing a hat is not something one should take lightly. A hat says a lot about the guy whose head sits underneath it. With that as my north star, I’ll present you with some options I’m considering for an upcoming trip to Wallen country.

This one has a lot going for it. When I think of Nashville, I think of fun, a little bit crazy, and a little bit cool. I think this hat checks all three boxes. The image of Wile E. Cayote riding a rocket says I’m old enough to know what’s going on. It says I come from a simpler time, but I’m also modern enough to wear it ironically. There is a bit of danger going on here, but the Bob Dylan lyric also plays in Music City without being too “fake country.” The hat says “send it” but also says, “you’re going to be OK tomorrow.”

Another good hat with a lot to say and, at the end of the day, isn’t that everything we want in a hat? It’s got a touch of the supernatural (isn’t that luck, after all?), adventure (what’s he doing where dying is even on the table?), and there is a skeleton in a cowboy hat riding what looks like a giant tuna. The cowboy hat says that it plays in Nashville, too, so it’s got that going for it, which is nice.

Again, another hat with a lot going on. We got the western element, a catchy phrase that gets you thinking (this trip is [partly] because I turned 40 this summer). It’s a cool color with a cool blue rope which I think catches the eye. It’s another conversation starter and something you won’t see anyone else in Nashville wearing.

Now this is a solid choice, but the brand is a Nashville brand and I hesitate in the same way you’d hesitate to wear a Dave Matthews Band t-shirt to a Dave Matthews Band concert. With that said, it’s a cool brand and there is a dog on it, which says I’m a cool dog guy (on brand). I also like that the color is different than other hats I have, which tend to be black or navy.

Not that I’m a big Deadhead, though Friend of the Devil is a fantastic song and I don’t mind listening to a little GD every now and again, but the bear is just a fun guy who says the guy wearing this hat is also just a fun guy. It’s also got the golf element, which means I can dual-purpose this baby. Stacking a lot of W’s with this hat.

In doing “research” for this post, I’ve looked at a lot of brands that lean a little western. As such, and as it tends to be, my instagram is now flooded with all the brands and all the hats. When I was sitting with Oakley in the VEG ER, the Wranger x Coors collab that we’ve all be waiting for hit my feed. Do I own any Wrangler? No. Do I drink Coors? No. Would I consider wearing and drinking? You bet your bottom dollar I would, especially if I were wearing this hat. But also, would be funny drinking a Miller Lite wearing this hat, and I’m big on irony.

First thought: who’s going to fight a guy in a “freedom” hat? Second thought: who’s going to fight me, anyway? It’s not like I’m out there in the streets looking for trouble. But it’s nice to have insurance in case things go awry. But there will also probably be a moment when I have this on backward in a honky tonk, and some guy behind me yells “freebird!” and I’ll turn back and we’ll make eye contact and silently solute each other. And when that happens, well, the hat just paid for itself, didn’t it?

This little trio all comes from the same brand, which I’ve gotten before and I am just a fan of. The first one is a corduroy material which isn’t for everyone, but the color is different and just a cool cowboy strumming on a six string is just a vibe that works for me. The second hat, Rowdy, well, it would have the opposite effect as the “freedom” hat. But our last name is Rauch and, well, when in Nashville…. The last one just makes me laugh and it speaks to the fact that I’m not a real cowboy. So, might as well let everyone else know.

I could go on because, like I said, my whole feed is snapbacks and strapbacks and that is all it will be until I actually buy a hat. Maybe I’ll still have the hat when you get older and you can look back to this post and say, “oh that’s where that one came from.” Or maybe you won’t.

Either way, love you boys.

Dad