The only time that first-year College student David Rose takes off his hat may be when the National Anthem plays at sporting events - or when he goes to bed.
While some people wear hats to make a fashion statement or merely to disguise a bad hair day, others have more of an affinity. For these devotees, hats become part of their personal identities.
"The personal attachment to your hat grows," second-year College student Steve Buck said. "It is something that you break in, and it's your trademark."
School spirit
Lounging on his bed in jeans and an American Eagle T-shirt, Rose subconsciously folded the bill of his white University hat with his hands.
"My hat came with a nice shape," Rose said. "It has better curves than Jennifer Lopez, but I continue to fold the bill out of habit."
Although Rose is from Memphis, Tenn., he has sported a University hat for the past few years, even before he was accepted into the school. His current hat is less than one year old and replaced a University hat that he had lost. Finding a new University hat in Memphis was not easy.
"It was hard to find a Virginia hat in a sea of orange T's," Rose said in regards to the enthusiasm of University of Tennessee fans and the apparel that they demand. He eventually found a new hat at a store called Lids.
Rose has chosen to wear a hat with a Virginia logo with crossed sabers because he has always been a University fan.
"I knew that I wanted to go here so I might as well show my support," Rose said.
He admits, however, that wearing a hat also serves to compensate for his laziness.
"The reason I wear my hat is so I can wake up later," Rose said, truthfully. "If I don't wear a hat, I have to put gel in my hair or wet it which all takes time."
Despite his underlying reason for owning a hat, Rose has grown close with his University paraphernalia.
"I wore it to the Georgia Tech game, and it was on my head when I rushed the field and was tackled by a state trooper," Rose recalled.
When Rose's hat is not on his head, it rests on his desk holding his wallet, watch and keys. Despite slight discoloration due to Rose's preference for the weathered look, this hat will likely be Rose's companion for a while.
A man of many hats
Many hat-wearers sport the same hat day after day, but first-year College student Mark Dausen prefers to add a little variety to his wardrobe.
"I don't wear one hat constantly," Dausen said. "I'll go through times when I wear one hat more than other hats."
As one strolls into Dausen's bedroom, the overflowing pile of hats on his bookshelf is enough to catch anyone's eye.
"I had to bring my beanies, and I had to bring my fitted hats, normal baseball caps and my visors," Dausen said of his collection of over 20 hats that he selected to bring with him to school from his hometown of Monterey, Calif.
"I got my Cal hat from my friend who goes to Berkeley," Dausen said as he flipped the black hat embroidered with "Cal" in yellow onto his head. "For my birthday, he got me a Cal hat, and for his birthday, I got him a Virginia hat."
Another one of Dausen's favorite hats is a green beanie with a ball on top that has the Pebble Beach Golf Course logo embroidered on the front.
Dausen worked at the golf course as a caddy over the summer and owns over 10 Pebble Beach hats.
"When I wear this beanie, the logo can never be in front. It always has to be off to the side," Dausen said, adjusting the logo. "When I was in middle school, I had long hair parted in the middle. I wore a Nike headband with the symbol on the side when I played soccer, so that is how it started."
Although one cannot identify Dausen by a particular hat, it's almost a guarantee that he'll have one on.
Feminine fashion
Although first-year College student Kathae Mon has no need to wear a baseball cap for bad hair days, she finds creative ways to cover up her long, straight hair. Mon has a unique and personal style and even makes some of her own clothes. Back home in Union, N.J., she buys black shirts to cut up and decorate with rhinestones. She even has her own philosophy on fashion.
"It's not what you're wearing but how you wear it," Mon said.
Over Thanksgiving, Mon bought a blue bandana with silver rhinestones on the front while visiting Chinatown in New York City.
"It's pretty anti-Abercrombie," Mon said about her new bandana.
She does not wear a bandana or a hat every day, but it adds spice to her wardrobe. In fact, the last time she wore a bandana was when she dyed her hair red.
"I also dyed my scalp bright red so I needed to cover my head," Mon said.
In addition to her new bandana, Mon will often be seen wearing a Burberry plaid bucket hat. She also found this hat in Chinatown and bought it to match her two scarves.
"It's potentially very grandfatherish, but wearing it tipped puts an edge to it," Mon said as she put on the hat and adjusted it to the side.
Although, Mon is not attached to one hat, she has an eye for style and can be seen sporting the latest trends in hats to reflect her personal taste.
For many people, a hat becomes a central part of their identity. For these diehards, the loss of hat can feel like losing a piece of themselves. Who would have thought that people could be so obsessive over an accessory?
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