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Messages
19,001
Location
Central California
Hi all,

It currently 29degrees Celsius here (I don't know what it is in freedom units) and all I have for sun protection is an old baseball cap that's slowly giving up the ghost...

In short, I need a hat! Now I understand that I could go for a floppy boonie hat, but I want something with a bit more flair and style. What would be a good choice to put on my sweat soaked head? I'm guessing something wide brimmed like a Panama?


There all sorts of points you can add to your personal calculus. Do you want a wide brim for maximum sun blockage? Do you need something rugged? Do you need something that won’t get ruined if it gets wet? Do you want a leather sweatband? Do you need something that blocks a lot of light (high SPF rating)? Do you need to be able to dress it up, say with a sports coat? Are there budget constraints (always a factor with me)? Is there a style you prefer (e.g., brim down all around, snap brim, ventilated crown, tall crown, bound brim, etc.)?

It’s impossible to know what might be a right hat for you. With that in mind, and seeing that you’re coming from a ball cap, I’d say you might look at the offerings by Akubra in either hemp or polypropylene. I’d also give a look at the hemp Stetson Stratoliner, and the “straw” Open Roads if the western vibe is to your liking. If you go with a synthetic (polypropylene, shantung, etc.) then be sure the crown has good venting.

Even though there are lots of things you could consider, most of us just go with what strikes a chord that day and we do just fine. You don’t have to overthink it if that’s not your way. An open weave Panama could serve you well if that’s what you like.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 

AbbaDatDeHat

I'll Lock Up
Messages
8,851
Hi all,

It currently 29degrees Celsius here (I don't know what it is in freedom units) and all I have for sun protection is an old baseball cap that's slowly giving up the ghost...

In short, I need a hat! Now I understand that I could go for a floppy boonie hat, but I want something with a bit more flair and style. What would be a good choice to put on my sweat soaked head? I'm guessing something wide brimmed like a Panama?
Just Google hat images fedora lounge and throw a dart.
B
 

AbbaDatDeHat

I'll Lock Up
Messages
8,851
I finally got a hat rack. It’s a little wobbly, but it is fun seeing all the hats out of boxes.
ceb76358b8fee8725be1fc5d39366357.jpg



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
What a view!!
Inside and out!
Better order a couple more.
B
 

scottyrocks

I'll Lock Up
Messages
9,178
Location
Isle of Langerhan, NY
Yeah, there's tons of styles and materials that'll do well in hot weather. Whatever you choose, you'll have to like the way it looks on your head, unless, of course, you don't care about such things.

I prefer a fedora style, although I have other types of breathable (that's the hot weather key for me) hats.
 
Messages
12,017
Location
East of Los Angeles
I tried on a Sunbody as I loved the wide brim but even in the shop I found it way too heavy and hot.
They're definitely at least a little heavier and hotter than most straw hats, but in my experience not as heavy/hot as a felt hat and far better at providing protection from sun damage than most straw hats; I believe it really comes down to personal preference. I tend to think of Sunbody as the Akubra of straw hats. They're a "working person" hat--not as polished as a high-end dress hat, but they aren't meant to be. And you get a heck of a hat for the price.

Edit: Wyldkarma beat me to the Akubra/Sunbody comparison while I was typing; great minds think alike. :cool:

Are you living in a dessert???
In the part of the U.S. where M Brown lives there isn't much difference at this time of year.
 

GHT

I'll Lock Up
Messages
9,795
Location
New Forest
Hi all,

It currently 29degrees Celsius here (I don't know what it is in freedom units) and all I have for sun protection is an old baseball cap that's slowly giving up the ghost...

In short, I need a hat! Now I understand that I could go for a floppy boonie hat, but I want something with a bit more flair and style. What would be a good choice to put on my sweat soaked head? I'm guessing something wide brimmed like a Panama?
The best choice of hat would be the one that you saw in an advert, on the internet, in a movie or on TV and thought: "I like that." But if you are looking for inspiration I can show you five different hats that I wore at a vintage festival last weekend, where the UK freedom units were in the 90's, I'm assuming you mean Fahrenheit. Two of the hats are straw, and three are felt.
Of the two staws, the one with the blue hatband is a Panama, the other is a Biltmore fedora. The felts are a grey, they call it caribou, Stetson, the brown is by a company that make more than just hats, Susquehana, and the light blue was made by fellow lounger, Esther Weis. But these are my choices, whatever you choose will look right because hats are like any other part of your wardrobe, you wear whatever appeals to you. Find a milliner and go and try a few on.
Twinwood 2019 002.JPG Twinwood 2019 010.JPG Twinwood 2019 018.JPG Twinwood 2019 027.JPG Twinwood 2019 005.JPG
 

Beast

New in Town
Messages
30
Location
Netherlands
Right all, after some sleep and seeing that my thread was moved to ask a question... I'll do my best to reply to all who responded.
@Doctor Strange : That Akubra Cattleman looks amazing and is definitely something i'll check out! Thank you for your reply!
@Pellie : Goedemorgen, and thank you for your picture as well. That hat seems an excellent provider of shade, but the wider brim of the akubra in the post above you has my preference.
@belfastboy : thank you for post. Along with the other replies i'll be taking Akubra as a baseline and compare other hats against theirs
@M Brown : to me it's hot. We only just broke our national (NL) heat record here. The highest recorded temperature in the Netherlands is now 40.7. The previous heat record was 38.6... in 1944. I'll be checking out Sunbody as well!
@Hats Matter : could you please elaborate? What is a Milan?
@deadlyhandsome : great questions! You have eloquently worded all the questions I needed to ask myself but couldnt think of! Thank you for that. I'm looking for a wide brim, rugged, something that may/will see a lot of sweat, any sweatband would be fine i guess, it should block light well, it's not necessarily for dressing up, there are budget constraints but i'm yet unaware of what would be a reasonable price, the only style i'd dismiss on forehand would be a classic cowboy hat, other than that I'm really unexperienced so I couldnt really tell. I will be checking the brands you mentioned.
@AbbaDatDeHat : there is now an arrow stuck in my monitor :p
@scottyrocks : breathable is something I'll also be looking at!
@Wyldkarma & @Zombie_61 : thank you both for your replies and pictures. Sunbody is on my list!
@GHT : I did mean Fahrenheit, it's somewhat of a snirk used on other forums I visit. "[...]whatever you choose will look right because hats are like any other part of your wardrobe, you wear whatever appeals to you." You are absolutely right! The pictures you posted are very nice indeed and really helpful, thank you very much!
 

AbbaDatDeHat

I'll Lock Up
Messages
8,851
Right all, after some sleep and seeing that my thread was moved to ask a question... I'll do my best to reply to all who responded.
@Doctor Strange : That Akubra Cattleman looks amazing and is definitely something i'll check out! Thank you for your reply!
@Pellie : Goedemorgen, and thank you for your picture as well. That hat seems an excellent provider of shade, but the wider brim of the akubra in the post above you has my preference.
@belfastboy : thank you for post. Along with the other replies i'll be taking Akubra as a baseline and compare other hats against theirs
@M Brown : to me it's hot. We only just broke our national (NL) heat record here. The highest recorded temperature in the Netherlands is now 40.7. The previous heat record was 38.6... in 1944. I'll be checking out Sunbody as well!
@Hats Matter : could you please elaborate? What is a Milan?
@deadlyhandsome : great questions! You have eloquently worded all the questions I needed to ask myself but couldnt think of! Thank you for that. I'm looking for a wide brim, rugged, something that may/will see a lot of sweat, any sweatband would be fine i guess, it should block light well, it's not necessarily for dressing up, there are budget constraints but i'm yet unaware of what would be a reasonable price, the only style i'd dismiss on forehand would be a classic cowboy hat, other than that I'm really unexperienced so I couldnt really tell. I will be checking the brands you mentioned.
@AbbaDatDeHat : there is now an arrow stuck in my monitor :p
@scottyrocks : breathable is something I'll also be looking at!
@Wyldkarma & @Zombie_61 : thank you both for your replies and pictures. Sunbody is on my list!
@GHT : I did mean Fahrenheit, it's somewhat of a snirk used on other forums I visit. "[...]whatever you choose will look right because hats are like any other part of your wardrobe, you wear whatever appeals to you." You are absolutely right! The pictures you posted are very nice indeed and really helpful, thank you very much!
Ha ha
You have good humor!
Stick around!!
B
 

Xylophile

One of the Regulars
Messages
132
Location
Shenandoah Valley of Virginia
I have a Hanna Hats Tweed newsboy cap "handcrafted exclusively for LL Bean" and was wondering anyone knows when it might have been made? Its my first flat cap, nice too. Thanks!
I thought folks here would appreciate the reply I received from Hanna Hats:
"Dear Pete,

Thank you for your email My Father John Hanna Started selling into LLBEAN in the Mid 70 ‘s would you believe, I am 42 now and when I was 14 I traveled to Free port main to sell Hanna Hats to LLBean with my father 28 years ago.

Sadly My father John Hanna Passed away very suddenly in May this year after a Heart Bypass.

https://www.donegaldemocrat.ie/news...nas-final-note-to-family-lets-go-fishing.html

He is sadly missed .

He loved fishing and he loved LLbean

Thank you for your email

Regards

Eleanor Hanna ( Third Generation)"

Pretty nice, huh?
 

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