chulentmoma613:
Black hats are a fashion choice. The people who wear think they are fashionable. Since many people don’t wear them, it stands out. If formal hats (fedoras, homburg, derbys, etc.) returned to popularity among American men, no one would attempt to fathom great meaning in the fashion choice of Jewish men who prefer to wear formal black hats.
Wear pants is also a fashion choice (referring to long pants, which is what most American men have been wearing since they switched in the early 19 century). Since most people in America also wear pants, it doesn’t stand out. If the styles change, and American men switched to kilts or to knickerbockers or to wearing long gowns (styles that were popular in the past), and frum well continued to wear pants that go down to the ankle, people would notice and ask “do long pants make you closer to G-d” or “do long pants help you learn Torah.”