The blog of photographer Kim Ayres

Get ahead, get a hat…

I’ve never been one for wearing hats. The exception was when I was in Canada on a student exchange programme 13 years ago. Baseball caps seemed to be de rigueur across the North American continent, and I needed something to keep the leaves/snow/rain/sun out of my eyes. But once back here in the UK, well, it just looked silly to be honest: baseball caps were things worn by teenagers, and were usually worn facing backwards for that matter.

Kim with a hatBut the other day, in the shop where I bought my coat-without-an-X-in-the-size, Maggie saw some hats and I tried a couple on, just for a laugh really. However, Maggie, it turns out, actually has a bit of a thing about the right hat and thought that this was the one for me. Well, when your wife thinks you look sexier in something you’d be a fool not to buy it, so I did. I’m not saying that I think I look sexier by any means - it is her perception that counts.

For me though, apart from the feel of a hat on my head, the strange thing has been when I pass a mirror or shop window, because I keep catching glimpses of my father and my grandfather (and that’s my grandfather on my mother’s side, which is even weirder) staring back at me.

But then, as I get older it seems that more and more I’m turning into my father. I once realised that the way I’d climbed out of the chair, grunted and adjusted my trousers was pure Dad. There are times when, if it wasn’t for the fact that he is actually alive and well and living in Chesterfield, I’d swear he was haunting me. Of course there are many ways that we are different, but I sometimes find the amount of similarities quite disturbing.

When I was a teenager my father once said (never one for political correctness), that if I wanted to know what a girl would be like in 20 years, then to look at her mother. But I’m beginning to think that men turning into their fathers are probably more widespread. Almost every guy over the age of 35 that I’ve talked to about this has worried about how much he is becoming like his dad at some point.

18 comments

Anonymous said...

I don't think the hat makes much of a difference, you were pretty sexy to begin with.

kats said...

Greetings from the Highlands.

Oh dear, I see my mother reflected in shop windows when I walk by - I try not to look now.

My Dad is alive and well, 10 miles from Chesterfield.

Love your Blog, will visit again.

Kats

Kim Ayres said...

Anonymous - is that you Maggie? Actually Maggie's in Glasgow for the day and has no idea how to post on Blogs, so either I have a fan or a sarcastic bugger posting anonymously. What the hell, I'll pretend it's real and allow myself a *smug* moment.

Kats - Thank you for dropping by and commenting. I enjoyed your blog too :)

Unknown said...

I love the hat. I actually love hats,,,took me a long time to get used to wearing one because I always had this feeling that wearing hats was a way of 'showing off' lol!

and a very smart man you are...when your wife adores you in an article of clothing, you must buy it! I remember asking my husband to change his shirt before we headed off to the hospital in labor with our first child to a shirt that I adored. I obliged me...I guess that is why we are still married! ;-)

The hat looks smashing on you and I didn't get to post about the X on the label.....what a great feeing, congratulations!

Peace, TM

Onlinefocus Team said...

With that hat you are starting to look like Terry Pratchett!
(which is not a bad thing!)

Kim Ayres said...

tara marie - ah, so my wife isn't the only one!

chris - if I can end up making the kind of money he does then I'll be very happy :)

melvis4sure - any more compliments like this and my head will be too big for the hat!

kats said...

Hi Kim, Yes I do reply to blogs. But on the messenger's blog site.

Otherwise I would be e-mailing myself, err wouldn't I?

Am I breaking some sort of blog etiquette? Being fairly new at this I'm still on the blog learning curve.

As for HTML coding, I am woman I am not genetically programmed to read maps :0)

Thanks for visiting my blog.

Kats

Siddharth said...

hey that was a nice one...u look nice and macho with the hat on...whether its look or personal traits no one can escape genitics i guess!!

Kim Ayres said...

Kats - I don't know if there are any official blog etquette guides, but often when I'm reading postings, the comments section can add extra information and interesting digressions or debates, which don't tend to happen if the original writer doens't reply to the comments.

I think as well that most people will also return to a site to see if their comment has been replied to, so it's actually another way of encouraging visitors to return.

Siddharth - I've always believed that our genetic inheritance gives us a structure to work with, but it's up to us as individuals what we do with it. But the amount our genetics influences our behaviour is an interesting question.

Gyrobo said...

First you hate your father, then you ARE your father. The circle of life is complete.

Hats rule, but some people just look terrible wearing one. Not you, though.

So speaketh the Master of Time

BStrong said...

Kim,
I used to wear hats then one day for no reason I stopped. My wife finds me attractive in the right hat but I think it's because it covers up more of my face. I look in the mirror everyday and see my dad, very strange, but I like it.

Your hat looks good. You have a little Indiana Jones thing going on. Wear it with pride and confidence, just watch out for those flaming arrows and the sword bearing Persians.

Maggie is sucking you in to the shopping thing. First it's the hat then the new shoes to go with that new coat you bought last week. The next time we see you it's going to be on the cover of GQ. You need to put your well tailored foot down (make sure not to scratch your new shoes) and put a stop to it LOL.

Cheers
B.

BStrong said...

Yes, I know that my profile pic shows me wearing a hat. It was a part of my mid-life crises thing so leave it alone.
B

Kim Ayres said...

Thank you for your words of wisdom Gyrobo. In fact it sounds like the theme for the next Star Wars trilogy :)

BStrong - I wore the hat when I picked up Meg from school this afternoon, which she thought was very amusing, although no one else batted an eyelid.

All Nations Christian Reformed Church said...

Kim - the hat's cool, and it suits you. But then, I'm a hat guy.
-Rob

Belly said...

I am horrorfied that baseball caps are so popular over here. I figure if one is going to wear a hat, then wear a hat! Ah well, I have never succumbed to the baseball cap frenzy and I suspect I never will. Of course I am getting off topic, tis a lovely hat your have found and your wife was correct, it suits you!

As for becoming my mother, I refuse to acknowledge this at this time!

Cheers!

Kim Ayres said...

Rob - I seem to remember you having quite a cool leather hat, although I'm sure you'll correct me if I'm wrong

Belly - thank you :)

Well, I'm quite gobsmacked. It's strange how a post about a new hat seems to have generated the most number of comments I've ever had for a posting!

stinkypaw said...

Intersting thing to realise, isn't it? As for the hat, I'd say you wear it well.

Kim Ayres said...

Well I'm about 40lbs lighter than when that photo was taken, so it looks a little different now :)

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