when do you guys wear a panama?

[Benzadmiral]

I always thought the "traditional" switchover days in the USA were Memorial Day (go to a straw) and Labor Day (switch back to felt). Of course, in Hell's Hinge Factory, aka Noo Awlins, those were probably always honored more in the breach than in the observance.

Temps here have been unpleasant already, so I'm shopping for Milans now.

 

[Sam Craig]

Ignorance of the law is no excuse.
It is against the law to wear a straw hat before Memorial Day or after Labor Day.

There is that weird hour, at midnight, May 27, when the Fedoral Equinox allows for either material to be worn and when unholy spirits wander the earth in search of lids to lift.

Truly horrifying, far beyond any scary movie.

Sorry, lost track for a moment ...

I keep the straws put away until I break out my Aloha shirts each year. I have a few "light felts" that I keep out for spring and cooler summer wear, but once the dog days kick in, it's straw all the way.

That is out here in the Great American Desert, though.

Sam

 

[1961MJS]

I always thought the "traditional" switchover days in the USA were Memorial Day (go to a straw) and Labor Day (switch back to felt). Of course, in Hell's Hinge Factory, aka Noo Awlins, those were probably always honored more in the breach than in the observance.

Temps here have been unpleasant already, so I'm shopping for Milans now.

Now Paul, you KNOW you have to Google stuff to know for sure. I'm pretty sure that the reasoning behind NOT using Memorial Day and Labor Day is to have a new separate holiday we are supposed to buy greeting cards for. Ha Ha ... Oh heck, that's not funny because it's probably the REAL reason...

Sam, I'm still here in the Great American Desert. I keep a Sun Body hat for sweating through.

Later

 

[Sam Craig]

I think it was Monbla who pointed out that down in Texas it gets so hot that you just CAN'T wear a felt after a while and I know that is true, unless you just have ones you don't care about staining.

I've had Living History fur felts that I would wear in the triple-digit heat and douse with water, but I wanted them to look like they'd been rode hard and put away wet.

I don't really want that for my dress hats, even casual dress.

So after a while I switch over to just straws.

I really like the Sunbodys and having Wichita Hat Works to shop at helps, but when it gets really hot, I prefer a lighter straw.

Jack sold me a great coconut straw last season and one of the new Stetson polystraws in a blue-gray mix that reminded me of the 40s.
I didn't think I'd like the poly straw, but it wore well and was really comfortable.

I think they have it in a green mix that I'm thinking about getting to go with Aloha shirts this season.

It ALMOST makes me miss the heat ... ALMOST.

Sam