Reporters are an eccentric bunch. Some shower. Some don’t. Some show up on time. Others disappear for hours (or days) on end and then show up in the morning reeking of booze. And then some wear things that are hard to comprehend.

As many White House correspondents have noticed as of late, Tommy Christopher, who recent moved from Mediaite to The Daily Banter, has been wearing a top hat that looks rather gangster. The top wear first turned up when Christopher appeared on Roland Martin‘s TV One morning show. Since then, Christopher wears it everywhere — the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, White House briefings. The Mirror would not be shocked to learn that he showers with it, but for the hat’s sake, maybe it comes off momentarily.

This week he finally came clean about the origin of the hat. It’s actually pretty cute.

“My kids gave me the hat for my birthday,” Christopher told The Mirror. “I like it. It’s reporter-y. More importantly, as many people stopped me to say they liked the hat as broke my balls about my giant phone, so it’s a source of balance in my life. I think I will get another one, maybe for my next birthday. Hint-hint.”