Home as Hat: Jonnie Green

Jonnie Green for Home as Hat

THE HAT IN UNIFORM

"Elegance is not standing out, but being remembered." —Giorgio Armani

The facade of our dwelling is very revealing of who we are on the inside. It immediately shows what our tastes are, our economic status, and whether we welcome others into our lives or not.

I often walk around neighborhoods looking at the variances each front yard displays and wonder how each selection of plant, fence, pot and door mat was obtained through the experiences and tastes of its owner.

Large swaths of America are covered in various shades of beige tract homes. I suppose uniformity is comforting to a large majority of the population and its economic benefits of the housing development helps to keep homes affordable.

This notion of uniformity in architecture led me to think of the implications of the hat in the context of uniforms people wear at work. The uniform, much like tract housing, provides a shield of protection against individuality and helps to foster a sense of belonging to a larger community.

For instance, military, police and fire hats allows fellow officers the ability to identify the individual by rank and number quickly. The military hat is actually referred to as a "cover" and etiquette while wearing the cover is quite stringent. Law enforcement hats were in fact artifacts of war. Early LAPD uniforms were actually left over from the Union Army. 

As I continue to delve into the comparisons the shelter of our homes provide like a hat on our head, the more I realize how interconnected our every action is with who we are as an individual.

Hang on to your hat,

Julie Green
July 9, 2016