Tilley R7 Town Hat?

[felkor]

I'm looking to get a nice hat for the summer that is durable and I can wear without worrying about rain, wind, etc. It seems that most straw fedoras are not rain resistant and aren't built for going for doing anything too "adventuresome."

I've come across the Tilley R7 Town Hat though, and it's rain resistant, durable, and has a strap for windy days (or when you're speeding out on a lake in a motorboat.): It also, unlike just about every other Tilley, actually looks pretty nice.

I was just wondering if anyone had any experience or thoughts on this hat, or suggestions for alternatives for similar weather-resistant but fashionable hats.


(EDIT: Here's a link to the official product description: http://www.tilley.com/The-R7-Tilley-Town-Hat.aspx )

 

[Duper]

I did try one on last summer. I did like the lightness and feel of the rafia straw, but I found the crown to be a bit smaller than I usually like. I also found the hat band to be a bit drab. If I was to buy one I would switch out the hat band fairly quickly. I greatly prefer my Tilley LTM5 over this particular Tilley.

If you were looking something with a more traditional fedora shape perhaps something in a tech straw like the Riverz Safari that they sell over at Noggintops, or also Akubra has a number of tech straws like the Rink or the Capricorn.

Hopefully someone will suggest another rafia hat as I did like the feel of it.

Come on Summer!

 

[felkor]

Thanks Duper.

I tried the hat on over the weekend and did like the feel of it. I just had nothing to compare it to. I will check out those other hats you mentioned.

I'll also look into that Tilley LTM5 hat - it actually doesn't look too bad, unlike so many other Tilleys.

 

[felkor]

Hmm, I hadn't heard of the tech straw hats before. Looking into what others have said on the forum, some seem to be saying they don't really look like real straw and they are heavier and hotter than real straw. Unfortunately it doesn't look like there are any stores nearby where I could try one out.

 

[zetwal]

I was just wondering if anyone had any experience or thoughts on this hat, or suggestions for alternatives for similar weather-resistant but fashionable hats.

Have you seen this page? You may find the thread interesting,

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?36290-Akubra-Capricorn-Review

 

[felkor]

Thanks zetwal - that review certainly shoots the capricorn to the top of my list. Now I just have to see if there's somewhere in Canada to get it (or somewhere that would ship it reasonably to Canada.)

 

[zetwal]

Thanks zetwal - that review certainly shoots the capricorn to the top of my list. Now I just have to see if there's somewhere in Canada to get it (or somewhere that would ship it reasonably to Canada.)

I'm glad it helped ... :yo:

 

[T Rick]

Like my Capricorn quite a bit. Found one color in stock at Hat's Direct, got here in about 10 days.

 

[felkor]

If I order it, I'll probably go with Australian Gear, as they provide free shipping.

 

[felkor]

So it looks like I'm decided. I'm going to order the Akubra Hayman. It's similar to the Capricorn, but with a slightly shorter crown and narrower brim which I like better. I plan on ordering it tonight. It says it will take 11 weeks, so it should be in just in time for the summer. Thanks for all the help guys!

 

[Terry "The Hat"]

I've had the R7 for about a year and really love it. I've got about a dozen Tilley hats and they are very well made and really keep the sun off of your lid. As far as rain goes, I would not wear any straw out in a bad rain shower. The Tilley Raffia is light and kinda floppy instead of stiff like most of the new straws out there. Tilley is also a great company to deal with. Check out their Facebook page if you ever have any questions about their products.