A good all round hat for a summer holiday?

[vespasian]

Im getting this one in asap as summer is only a few paypackets away and saving for a hat deserves some planning and scheming to sneak it past the wifes hawk eyes.

Anyway, Im going away in July to one of the Greek Islands with the wife and two kids. I wont be taking a damned awful baseball cap so need a good style fedora that I can put with casual clothes, even shorts (generally I wear cargo style anyway) or with slacks and a shirt. Now I dont want to look like Beloq from Raiders of the Lost Ark, or some quaint old english chap acting twice his age, nor do I want to look like sad dad trying to look like a geek.

This is no easy task gents. I want a summer hat, so throw in your comments and have a bash (ho hum)

 

[Biltmore Bob]

Greek Fisherman's or Eight Quarter Newsboy in linen or cotton twill.

 

[vespasian]

Ill check both types out. If you know a link for them please post one.
Ta.

 

[SHARPETOYS]

Custom made Newsboy Cap. B! Wear Cap Co.

http://mariposa.yosemite.net/bwear/ Brett

I myself wear a Montecristi Panama hat about 10 months a year. I buy mine from PanamaBob here at the lounge. Just send him a PM.

http://www.panamas.biz/ Robert Weber

 

[Hemingway Jones]

I am also a big fan of the Montecristi Panama, and I don't think you'll look like Belloq! I wear one all summer.

 

[Biltmore Bob]

http://www.getahaton.com/search.php

http://www.millerhats.com/

http://www.millerhats.com/greek_index/greekindex.htm

http://www.millerhats.com/cap_index/caps1.htm

 

[photobyalan]

Sharpetoys is right.

Panamas are great warm weather hats because they can look good with a suit or on the beach.

But you don't necessarily have to spring for a Montecristi. Robert has some nice Cuencas on his site, too. I think there are enough different blocks available there that you should be able to find something you like.

 

[MattC]

How hot is it (and what will you be doing)

Panamas are the best all around summer hat. But if you'll be at the shore with the kids, you want to be careful. Water is death to a Panama (well, if not death, serious injury). If its not too hot, a linen or cotton cap or a lightweight felt is fine as well.

 

[Panamabob]

Not death at all. Just might need a touchup.

 

[fedoralover]

Get a Cuenca, if you're on a trip anything can happen and you don't want to loose or ruin a hat that cost 100s of dollars.

fedoralover

 

[vespasian]

Its probably because I have never seen myself in a panama. Im sure I would be just as fantastic looking as I am in a fedora. (And my hat size will increase by many as I disappear up my own..) where was I, ah yes the panama. I'm going to have to try one and see. The other suggestions were good too but just not my thing. I may however just go with an indy fedora, a federation maybe. I dunno.

 

[John in Covina]

Straw Boater?

I have a Dobbs Rouge in straw that's really fun.

A straw boater could be nice!

 

[Raindog]

I think you'd be good in a panama if it was of the fedora style and not the round topped and ridged type favoured by the old bowling guys in the UK.
Another good one could be the more casual straw hats of fedora shape, usually in a yellow straw shade.
If you can stand the heat (although it's not as hot as it sounds) then a lighter shade fedora might do the trick. One without a liner even better. Maybe get a cheap one off ebay and rip the liner out.
Actually that last suggestion is what I might try if I can afford it. Akubra do some with vent holes and no liner which could be cut down in the brim to make a nice fedora for summer.


Jeff.

 

[Bebop]

I don't know exactly how hot it gets where you live but I did just fine wearing a Stetson Open Road while traveling last summer. I thought I was going to have to hang it up and get a straw due to the heat, but I just never found a decent straw hat and decided the Stetson was not all that hot. It being a silverbelly probably helped. If it would have been darker, I think I would have suffered.

 

[Panamabob]

never found a decent straw hat

Where did you look?

I'll get you one of the finest hats in the world for $300.00. Any takers? There are those here that will vouch for the quality!

 

[nightandthecity]

Now I dont want to look like Beloq from Raiders of the Lost Ark, :

Hey, what's wrong with Beloq. I think he looks pretty cool!

 

[epic610]

i agree about Beloq

that is a cool look. and besides, while travelling jaded travel industry workers might come to fear you . . . and give you a lot better service!

 

[Pilgrim]

Panama! When you get a real one (even an inexpensive one), you'll marvel at how soft the straw is. I got my first one last summer (Ebay - what can I say?) and really like it. It's now my summer hat and my baseball caps spend most of their time in the closet, unless I'm going to alumni meetings - nothing beats a logo cap for that kind of function.

 

[MattC]

Sorry for the mininformation

About Panamas. I really had been told that rain would ruin one.

 

[SHARPETOYS]

Montecristi Panama Hat

Here is Fino Fino from Robert Weber. The weave is 2000 weaves per square inch. Art Fawcett did the block for me. He called it the Bogie. This is my favorite of 12 i own. The hat is light as a feather 1 1/2 oz. finished.

http://www.panamas.biz/images/roger.JPG

If it got rain soaked I would just have to have it reblocked no harm to the hat!