Which is the meaning of the fez in lounge culture?

i'll ask my friends in the rat patrol

Great thread...I wondered about the fez/monkey/tiki conection. It looks like it works well, so I just went with it, but a little history is always good. I too have one "real" collectible fez, but don't wear it. I am looking forward to Oasis to see if any of those Fez-O-Rama babies will fit my fat head (full of air).

Great picture...Rat Patrol :lol:

Tipsy: Thanks for the story. I had no idea they were like the Hells Angels about their stuff.

Hiltiki: I choose to believe your story.

Johnny Dollar: Please let us know when the Rat Patrol gets back to you.

Vamp: I think the connection is someone saw a Fez in SHAG painting and said "That looks like fun!"

Okay I have to admit that it does look like fun but I still stand by original post!

[ Edited by: Bora Boris 2008-07-24 18:30 ]

..actually, i think fezzes were being associated with the lounge/cocktail culture before shag started painting them....i seem to remember a long time back before shag's art was even near the level it has become that folks were see at those early gallery openings and cocktail parties wearing fezzes....it just kinda happened all of sudden together.....the convergence of fez, tiki, lounge....

this brings to mind another great look that i wouldn't mind duplicating and harkens back to old 60's spy films.....and korla pandit.....none other than the turban!!!...i remember a great scene in "our man flint" where the hero, james colburn eludes the villians in the bar by slipping into the restroom, turning his tuxedo inside out so that now it was a white suit and then wrapping a towel around his head like a turban...and i believe he slipped some shades on and then walked out into the bar....it's classic...

there is a neighborhood here in north chicago that is predominately middle eastern with all sorts of cool shops and they sell pre- wrapped turbans, which are basically turbans that behave like hats..just put it on your head and go..no wrapping everytime you want to wear it.....it's like clip -on neckties!!

they come in different colors..but sadly, since 9/11 and all the mideastern craziness going on, it would probably not be such a good idea to adopt that look at this point in time.....damn.

I gotta say it...my father was a Mason and a Shriner. He was adamant that his fez go back to the Masonic lodge when he passed away. It was the symbolism and the pride he felt in a lifetime's worth of work that it represented. He never pulled one off of someones head, but I pretty sure he thought about it at times!

Here is some of my stuff.

On 2008-07-24 10:51, Jason Wickedly wrote:
So a few months back I purchased a fez at an antique market. It is a genuine Shriner's fez from the Al Malaikai Shrine in Los Angeles. I bought it with the express intent of wearing it at Tiki events. What I'd like to know from people with more knowledge on such subjects than I, is if that is kosher? Or is it the equivalent of wearing a Roman collar and not being a priest? ...I would in no way want to take anything from the hard work and diligence that the members of the Shrine do in the community. Any thoughts?

On 2008-07-24 12:19, Tiki-Kate wrote:
Aloha Jason.
You need to get Mai Tai to tell you about his fez wearing adventure at Oasis last year.

Yeah, I had a minor skirmish with someone, first at the Bali Hai, and then later that same night at the Cult Of The Eye Room Party, where tons of folks were wearing fezzes, ironically enough. I was wearing a real Shriner's fez, and I believe it was from the "Oasis" chapter, but I forget, I have a few vintage fezzes. I feel no need to single out anyone about this incident, it's all in the past, but I do realize why he was upset. He is working hard and diligently to become a Mason/Shriner himself (currently a Mason now, I think), and he thought that I was mocking and being disrespectful of real Masons and Shriners. But there is no way I would ever do anything like that, I am not that kind of person. I was in no way trying to be disrespectful, it was more of a vintage wardrobe kind of thing, and if I was going to the Cult Of The Eye's party (where several close friends of mine are members and were hosting) then I wanted to represent and wear my best fez. In the same vein, I'm not trying to be disrespectful to polynesian culture when I wear an aloha shirt, but folks from Hawaii and other South Seas locales might see it differently.

But that minor skirmish isn't the worst thing that has happened to me while wearing a fez.

On 2008-07-24 11:55, Bora Boris wrote:
What's the worst that could happen a Shriner would drive a Go-Cart over your foot?

How about a well known and incredibly drunk Tiki Central member taking a swing at you and/or your fez, and punching it off of your head. And then you're wondering if he's going to keep swinging, and if you're going to have to drop the hammer on him during the special event being thrown in his honor? Yeah, stuff like that happens. No hard feelings on either side, we're buds. But be forwarned, if you wear the fez, sometimes that's the risk you take. Kind of like being a haole and wearing a loud aloha shirt in a remote local's only area of Hawaii.

On 2008-07-24 11:55, Bora Boris wrote:
***Personally I don't understand the whole fez thing anyway to me it seems like "Oh my aloha shirt doesn't make me interesting enough? How about this wacky hat?" :) ***

Others feel this way too. See my post above. But I find it interesting that a group of people so die hard dedicated to a a retro culture thing, and feel that none of their "straight" friends will ever get it, and constantly lament about how once again they had to explain to some coworker/aunt/dude at a bar about what tiki is, absolutely don't get the fez and bash it, in the same way that their acquaintances that "don't get tiki" look down their noses on them, either condescendingly or even hostily.

On 2008-07-24 13:43, Tipsy McStagger wrote:
..none of the above applies to plain red fezzes, new fezzes, custom fezzes, etc....only to the actual vintage and masonic fezzes ....if you really like that look..buy a red fez and some rhinestones and create your own wacky fez that when finished, will look like the old time fezzes but will be recognized as not being from any existing fraternal order like masons or shriners....

My feelings on this is that if you decorate a plain red fez up good enough to look ilke a real Shriner's fez, then you are going to run the same risk of having to explain yourself to a shriner or others. I get the same strange comments/jeers even when I wear that cheapy leopard skin fez. So if you're willing to deal with the grief, why not just wear the real thing?

On 2008-07-24 12:07, Johnny Dollar wrote:
it's like anything; if you dig it, cool, if you don't dig it, cool.

I feel the same way about it, but some folks here don't. And that's not sour grapes, lamenting, complaining or whining. It's just a simple observation. I think that some people want to fiercely guard what is Americana Polynesian Pop, so anything that falls out of those rigid guidelines becomes suspect to scrutiny. And I guess that's fine. I'm certainly not trying to Buffetize the place by wearing a fez, the main reason I enjoy wearing one to a vintage type event, especially a tiki event, is that I feel that the Shriners would have been the guys that you would have seen hanging out at the bar at Trader Vic's or Don The BeachComber or The Kahiki or the Mai Kai, whooping it up while adorned in their fezzes and finest smoking jackets.

So in answer to your question, it's kosher enough to wear a vintage Shriner's fez to tiki events, but be prepared to answer some questions, just like when your co-workers ask "what is tiki?" It sounds like a nice fez, you should show it off. I'll still be wearing my fez to Tiki Oasis, and other events too.

Nope, I'm still not on board although I always thought Morocco Mole wore a nice Fez.

sounds good everyone...but just remember...you are missing the mark when you try to draw comparisons between things other than the fezzes and the masonic relationship to them....hawaiian shirts and girl scout uniforms are not the same issue!! they do not have the signifigance behind them that shriners have toward their rituals and props...the masons go back 100's of years and have influence much of our present society from it's beginning.......you are dealing with a long standing sub cultural group of people that take their connections to their masonic roots seriously..even if they drive around on motorized fiberglass camels....i really have a hard time believing that hawaiians care who wears a hawaiian shirt and who does not...and girl scouts do not hold the same reverance toward their clubs that shriners do....they are not as deeply invested as the shriners on so many levels...

Tipsy, I agree. The Masons and Shriners are a venerable organization. But most people aren't familiar with the work they do- Everyone probably knows an individual or family that has benefited from their philanthropy. One example: Shriner's Children's Hospitals. My opinion is to leave the authentic, insigned fez at home in respect of the guy who earned it.

On 2008-07-25 06:53, ahvyna wrote:
Tipsy, I agree. The Masons and Shriners are a venerable organization. But most people aren't familiar with the work they do- Everyone probably knows an individual or family that has benefited from their philanthropy. One example: Shriner's Children's Hospitals. My opinion is to leave the authentic, insigned fez at home in respect of the guy who earned it.

Ya know for organizations who take themselves so seriously you'd think they'd wear hats that didn't look like lampshades.

kemal ataturk hated on the fez as well:

http://www.phy6.org/outreach/books/Fez.htm

Oh absolutely- I used to try not to just bust up when I saw my dad in his, considering what a dignified man he was. Almost negates my "respect the fez" argument! But it really meant a lot to him that he earned the right to wear it...

As an aside, it was said above, the proper thing to do with say, your Grandfather's fez and apron etc., if you are not keeping it, is to give it back to the Lodge, along with anything else.

Wearing a Shriner fez is like walking around in an Army colonel uniform. In the right place, it's fun, in the wrong place, you will get in trouble, maybe big trouble.

Context is key and even if you are knowledgable and a Shriner, you ought not get too miffed by a guy at a Tiki event in a fez. If they were elsewhere, maybe. But, no one there is confused and neither are you.

However, there are aspects of some things that are flat "sacred" and you have to be careful about that. If you care.

On 2008-07-25 09:41, Swanky wrote:
As an aside, it was said above, the proper thing to do with say, your Grandfather's fez and apron etc., if you are not keeping it, is to give it back to the Lodge, along with anything else.

Wearing a Shriner fez is like walking around in an Army colonel uniform. In the right place, it's fun, in the wrong place, you will get in trouble, maybe big trouble.

Context is key and even if you are knowledgable and a Shriner, you ought not get too miffed by a guy at a Tiki event in a fez. If they were elsewhere, maybe. But, no one there is confused and neither are you.

However, there are aspects of some things that are flat "sacred" and you have to be careful about that. If you care.

There's nothing wrong with wearing a fez if you are not a Shriner, but wearing our Shrine Fez when you are not even a Mason is considered VERY rude. The Shrine Fez(with the Scimitar, Sphinx, and Tiger talons) is a badge of Masonic honor and shows that you are a philanthropist and have donated several hours (or are about to) to the Shrine Hospitals for children. Shriners do a LOT of hard work and do fundraisers constantly.....in fact, outside of meetings, if you see a Shriner wearing his fez, he's probably in the middle of a fund raising event or parade. A lot of people collect our Fezzes and that's fine, but wearing them in public is akin to impersonating a police officer(*side note-30-40% of Shriners are active or retired law enforcement).
I, myself am a 32nd degree Master Mason and do not wear Shrine fez because I have not joined the Shrine yet and EARNED the right to do so, yet I see plenty of people running around in our regalia who aren't even Masons. This is VERY disrespectful and if this is you, please stop. A lot of people who have no respect for what we do, simply say "It's mine, I bought it at an estate sale, and I'll wear it if I want to, wherever I want to". After last years Oasis, where I saw many people wearing them, I reported to the Potentate of the local chapter of the Al Bahr Shrine, and he was pretty saddened by this. These symbols are sacred to us and if a Mason who was not yet a Shriner was seen gallivanting in Shrine regalia, he would be reprimanded and in some cases, removed from the fraternity altogether. There is also a certain code of public conduct that surrounds the wearing of the Shrine Fez and someone who is NOT a Shriner is very capable of portraying our ancient fraternity in a negative light. We run on honor and dignity and there is no room for fallacy and false representation.

If you are not a Shriner, I suggest you go to the Fezz-o-rama website and buy a fez without our symbols on it, if you wish to wear one in public.

Just two cents from the East......

..and there you have it!!...

...thanks for chiming in mr. crud to confirm what i had already suspected...

Thanks Billy for weighing in...that pretty much confirms what I suspected. The fez will remain a tiki-bar decoration. That's all right, the tassel drives me nuts anyways.

Thanks for understanding. Some folks just think that this entire world is here for THEM and have no qualms about disrespecting ancient cultures and fraternities. If you want to wear a Shrine Fez, contact your local Masonic Lodge or even myself(I can look up your nearest lodge for you), and we can see what we can do about earning you the right. We can always use more Shriners, because there are TONS of children in need of your assistance.

I read back through the thread and found a few misconceptions about us "guarding" our symbols and being like the Hells Angels about it.......this is a horrible way to see the fraternity and we are in NO WAY shape or form like a one percent, outlaw, motorcycle gang, filled with felons and overgrown children. The Shrine is a Masonic club, filled with men who wish to do good things for disabled children and their communities and if a real Shriner saw what we call a "Cowan"(non-Mason, parading as such), wearing our regalia, he would simply be saddened at the disrespect of some people these days. Sure, the Cowan may get an explanation(even be guided towards a lodge, if he qualifies), but knocking a fez off of someones head or force-ably removing someone elses personal property is considered VERY un-Masonic behavior.
Negative actions reflect negatively on the fraternity and are not allowed. Public debate on the Craft is somewhat forbidden as well, as it reflects badly upon the entire brotherhood, so if someone is reading this and getting angry, save your typing, as I will not engage in debate.

RWT32, LasVegas Lodge 32, Free & Accepted Masons

I just used the Hells Angels comparison as an example because I know they are very protective of their colors and insignia. That's all, no disrespect intended on that one.

The following (the part in quotes) I wrote in 2000, it's on my websight, but I thought it fits here...

"Ok, so I have been an avid Fez wearer for years,
and I am most often asked one of three questions.

1. What's the deal with the Hat?
2. Are you really a Shriner?
3. Do the Shriners know you stole that hat?
   Well, Hmmm, lets see now...
4. What's it to ya?, Punk!
5. No, and this is not a Shrine Fez,
   and
6. See answer #2.
   Now, I have nothing but the highest respect for our fine Fezzed friends at the Shrine, but I am not trying to pretend to be, or make people think I am, a Shriner. I will say that the first Fez I ever acquired was indeed a Shrine Fez, but I ended up not wearing it because I felt that in a way it was like flying the colors of a club you are not in. So instead I set myself up with my own custom Fez. But I still have to deal with the occasional question. They are usually benign, but there are those who feel compelled let me know (accompanied by a disgusted sneer) that I am not a Shriner, or in the case of those who know nothing of either, a Mason, and I explain that they are right, and that is why I am not wearing a Shrine Fez. If they are still there, I point out the Logo, a rhinestone studded, martini drinking Tiki with the crossed torches, and the leopard lining. Sometimes they warm up, sometimes they do their best to kill me with their eyes. It is usually older women who get the most upset. Maybe they are aged Rainbow girls, or Eastern star, or possibly their late husbands were of the craft. Maybe all of the above. Maybe they feel that I am mocking that which they hold dear. Who knows. But for some reason my Fez just pisses them off. They gesture at me, spilling their Johnny walker red over nicotine stained fingers. "Yur no schriner" they'll slur. I don't bother explaining, they usually wave me off anyway and turn back to the bar. "He'sh no schriner" they complain to the bartender. The Bartenders don't seem to care one way or another. A few years getting people drunk for a living and a guy in a funny hat is just not a big deal.
   So, why do I wear the Fez?
   I wear the Fez because it suits me.
   Don't like it?
   Then don't wear one,
   Punk!"

Now, I have met many Shriners while wearing my Fez, and all in all they have been very nice about it. Usually they are courious about the Tiki embelem, and what ask lodge it is from. After I explain it is not a Shrine fez, and that I am not a Shriner, Tell them about who I am and what I do, they are usually Ok with it. At last years Oasis, I did encounter one Shriner who seemed a little annoyed at first, asking what it meant and such, but was by no means hostile. I also have friends who are Shriners, and it does not bother them.
Here is my custom Fez...

http://www.tikiking.com Neat Tiki and Ukulele Stuff to see and buy
http://www.tikiking.com/idol Hear the King sing!

[ Edited by: Tiki King 2008-07-30 14:18 ]

[ Edited by: Tipsy McStagger 2008-07-30 14:08 ]

On 2008-07-30 12:39, Tiki King wrote:
Now, I have met many Shriners while wearing my Fez, and all in all they have been very nice about it.

Agreed on that account..... Shriners Rock!

Me - at the hukilau taking the elevator up to someone's room. I am wearing my lavalava, aloha shirt, blue FOM Fez, holding a cocktail in one hand and my wife (also wearing FOM Fez) with the other.

Him - older gentleman escorting two younger ladies (probably wife and daughter). He has a ring on his finger, a Mason's ring. He has either been a Mason/Shriner for a very long time, or is very highly-ranked because this ring was HUGE!

He looked me over top to bottom, asked about my Fez. I told him FOM. He kinda looked puzzled for a minute so I offered that we are a new group, only three years old.

He asked if we were serious. I said yes.

He asked if we had a worthy charity. I said we think so.

He smiled and said Have fun, I hope our paths cross again.

Qualified as both the strangest and coolest moment of this years Hukilau.

On 2008-07-30 14:06, Tipsy McStagger wrote:

[ Edited by: Tipsy McStagger 2008-07-30 14:08 ]

you said a mouthful! :)

On 2008-07-30 12:39, Tiki King wrote:
The following (the part in quotes) I wrote in 2000, it's on my websight, but I thought it fits here...

"Ok, so I have been an avid Fez wearer for years,
and I am most often asked one of three questions.

1. What's the deal with the Hat?
2. Are you really a Shriner?
3. Do the Shriners know you stole that hat?
   Well, Hmmm, lets see now...
4. What's it to ya?, Punk!
5. No, and this is not a Shrine Fez,
   and
6. See answer #2.
   Now, I have nothing but the highest respect for our fine Fezzed friends at the Shrine, but I am not trying to pretend to be, or make people think I am, a Shriner. I will say that the first Fez I ever acquired was indeed a Shrine Fez, but I ended up not wearing it because I felt that in a way it was like flying the colors of a club you are not in. So instead I set myself up with my own custom Fez. But I still have to deal with the occasional question. They are usually benign, but there are those who feel compelled let me know (accompanied by a disgusted sneer) that I am not a Shriner, or in the case of those who know nothing of either, a Mason, and I explain that they are right, and that is why I am not wearing a Shrine Fez. If they are still there, I point out the Logo, a rhinestone studded, martini drinking Tiki with the crossed torches, and the leopard lining. Sometimes they warm up, sometimes they do their best to kill me with their eyes. It is usually older women who get the most upset. Maybe they are aged Rainbow girls, or Eastern star, or possibly their late husbands were of the craft. Maybe all of the above. Maybe they feel that I am mocking that which they hold dear. Who knows. But for some reason my Fez just pisses them off. They gesture at me, spilling their Johnny walker red over nicotine stained fingers. "Yur no schriner" they'll slur. I don't bother explaining, they usually wave me off anyway and turn back to the bar. "He'sh no schriner" they complain to the bartender. The Bartenders don't seem to care one way or another. A few years getting people drunk for a living and a guy in a funny hat is just not a big deal.
   So, why do I wear the Fez?
   I wear the Fez because it suits me.
   Don't like it?
   Then don't wear one,
   Punk!"

Now, I have met many Shriners while wearing my Fez, and all in all they have been very nice about it. Usually they are courious about the Tiki embelem, and what ask lodge it is from. After I explain it is not a Shrine fez, and that I am not a Shriner, Tell them about who I am and what I do, they are usually Ok with it. At last years Oasis, I did encounter one Shriner who seemed a little annoyed at first, asking what it meant and such, but was by no means hostile. I also have friends who are Shriners, and it does not bother them.
Here is my custom Fez...

---

http://www.tikiking.com Neat Tiki and Ukulele Stuff to see and buy
http://www.tikiking.com/idol Hear the King sing!

[ Edited by: Tiki King 2008-07-30 14:18 ]

You see, THAT is a cool fez for a non-Shriner. I think it would ROCK if Otto put out some(limited edition, of course) red fezzes for Oasis with Moroccan-style, or even head-hunter logos on them. The company that supplies the Shrine will also supply anyone else that wants their logo on one.

On 2008-07-31 02:17, Billy the Crud wrote:
The company that supplies the Shrine will also supply anyone else that wants their logo on one.

These guys do amazing work! A bit pricey, but the quality is worth it!

http://www.dturin.com/

i've been looking for a place to buy shriner fezzes to do just that......tiki kings example of a custom fez is exactly what i was getting at in an earlier post..nice job....

On 2008-07-30 19:03, Johnny Dollar wrote:

On 2008-07-30 14:06, Tipsy McStagger wrote:

[ Edited by: Tipsy McStagger 2008-07-30 14:08 ]

you said a mouthful! :)

i would have said even more but my foot was in the way.....

On 2008-07-31 05:44, Tipsy McStagger wrote:

On 2008-07-30 19:03, Johnny Dollar wrote:

On 2008-07-30 14:06, Tipsy McStagger wrote:

[ Edited by: Tipsy McStagger 2008-07-30 14:08 ]

you said a mouthful! :)

i would have said even more but my foot was in the way.....

lol, you're a good man, tipsy mc :D

Of course, there is the handcrafted fezzes of Fez-O-Rama. Here's a preview of one of the new designs being premiered at TikiOasis:

On 2006-05-16 17:15, ikitnrev wrote:
The history of the fez in the U.S., with its various cultural meanings, can be fascinating. Even more wild though is the history of the fez in Turkey - the same leader (Kamal Ataturk) who renamed the city name Constantinople to Istanbul also declared the fez to be illegal, and people were actually killed for wearing fezes - all in the interest of becoming more modern and Europe-like.

Here is a website that gives a brief summary of the history of the fez in Turkey. http://www.historyhouse.com/in_history/fez_1/

It is really kind of amazing, the meanings that a country will apply to a head covering.

Vern

The fez was a symbol of the Ottoman empire, after the decline and dissolution of it, some of the new founded countries that belonged to the former empire like Turkey, Hungary, Morocco etc... banned it's use because it was considered an act of rebellion, of civil disobedience... It was forbidden, so it became secretive, underground... Then, (I guess) the shriners adopted it as a symbol for their secret society then hipsters then nostalgic lounge/tiki revivalist. It represent former exotic glory. Or at least that is my theory.

Long live the Shriners!

Picture taken of the back of a truck in Mexico City. Nice logo!

I thought you all would find this feztastic display in this video interesting:

http://www.youtube.com/user/Sajko8

coruscate

What an awesome & informative thread, thanks for bumping it to my attention, think I'm gonna buy a sweet gorilla fez from fez-o-rama now.

Just got my awesome robo fez from Fez-o-rama. Here's my buddy Gort giving it the intergalactic seal of approval.

Robby got ahold of my new robo fez, and I don't think I'm getting it back....

I just picked up one from fez-o-rama, Personally I don't think any shriners will care, unless they have strong feelings about extinct arthropods. http://www.fez-o-rama.com/mark-iv-fezzes-trilobite-c-11_62 . Maybe us heathens need a secular fez-wearing charitable order... But with distinctly non-shriner fez's...

Fez-A-Roni...The Tiki Central Treat!

2011: The Fezzes or No Fezzes poll - immediate results

2011: Trader Vic says no to the fez !!

2009: Show us your FEZ

2008: Fez Monkey

2007: Tikis and Fez'zzz...what's the connection ?

2006: Which is the meaning of the fez in lounge culture?

2005: Monkeys and Fezzes

2004: Fabulous Fez Instructions

2004: Fez Monkeys?

2002: Monkeys and Fezzes