They found a city steaming with heat-91 degrees on Tuesday, April 27, with four days yet to go until Straw Hat Day, Saturday, May 1, when a man could at last break out his summer hats. Men followed this rule. A Times reporter did an impromptu visual survey of Broadway and spotted only two straw hats. Thousands of sweltering, uncomfortable men plodded along with their winter headgear at all angles on their uncomfortable heads or carried in their hot, moist hands.
On April 27, as the city experienced extreme heat of 91 degrees, there were just a few days remaining until Straw Hat Day on May 1. This day marked the social convention when men could finally transition from winter hats to lighter summer straw hats. However, despite the soaring temperatures, a Times reporter noted that only two men were wearing straw hats on Broadway, while the majority of men were still clad in winter headgear.
Thousands of men trudged through the heat, struggling with their heavy winter hats perched uncomfortably on their heads or clasped in their sweaty hands. This scenario illustrated the prevailing adherence to societal norms despite the uncomfortable weather, reflecting both the rigid customs of the time and the discomfort individuals were willing to endure before embracing the seasonal change.
