I find big, floppy hats to be a bit too cumbersome, and prefer something with a narrower brim, which—and maybe I’m fooling myself—keeps the sun off my face equally well. Having said that, I have included some wider-brimmed options here, like this cute little number.
There’s something kind of appealing about going old school with a classic Kangol hat, and this one has a delightfully fuzzy texture.
The frayed edges here are a nice touch, and it’s so crisp-looking in white.
And I dig the fun little confetti-ish abstract print on this one.
This striped hat just screams summertime to me.
Mustard yellow is a less-than-predictable choice.
Such an appealing red and white print.
And there’s something kind of weirdly chic about this tie dye option.
This mesh choice is cool—both literally and figuratively—and so is the stripe detail.
How fun is this Hawaiian print?
This wide-brimmed hat is packable, which is a big plus.
A plaid hat is pretty spiff in a menswearish kind of way.
A denim hat in a really nice, clean wash. Here’s another denim choice I like.
I’m pretty bonkers for this leopard print hat, and may just have to go for it.
I am most likely to get burned on the back of my neck/top of my back, so I need a bigger brim. Wish these would work for me.
It’s not available online (I think you can call), but The Hat Shop has a great travel hat that has a medium brim (which seems to be rare). https://www.thehatshopnyc.com/artists#/travel
It’s the nomad. It comes with whatever color ribbon trim you want. The best part is that you can dunk the whole thing in water when it’s hot. Packable too.
I love hats, but as a woman with a large noggin and a lot of hair, I’ve been shut-out of women’s chapeaus until recently. Finally, some brands are starting to realize that, like men, women have different sized heads! I’ve got a cute straw number by J Crew for summer, and I love it.
I can’t wait until these go away again. I think they can work if your features swing to the sexy side, but for those of us who read as ‘cute’ they’re just so infantilizing. I need a sharper brim, I need to bring in some angles.
Baby hats. That’s what I think when I see these. Adorable hats for babies.
Really love the protection from sun and hair color but straw is a must for me. Canvas too hot with menopause!
Try a lightweight nylon. Added benefit—it’s washable
The only hat that stays on my head is a baseball cap. The bucket and straw hats are always falling off if I move my head or bend over. If snug enough to stay on, then it is too tight. The good old baseball cap with ponytail out the back works for me. Great for summer sun and keeps my head warm in fall/winter.
When you posted a bucket hat a while back, I was skeptical. But I’ve changed my mind and bought the Madewell hat in mustard. It actually looks like a soft version of a conventional hat on me because the brim can be adjusted and then holds the shape. It’s light, looks great, easy to pack, and does a great job.
There’s another reason to wear a hat in summer besides shielding your face from the sun’s rays. Let’s not forget protecting your hair color. As a brunette whose hair gets too red and too light when exposed to a lot of sunshine I wear a hat when I hike, walk the dog, etc. So many of these are aces! I’m talking to you, red print and striped hats.
I was going to say the same thing about protecting hair color. I bought a bucket hat in Hawaii years ago and besides protecting my face & hair in the warmer months, it brings back great memories of my trip.
I bought a couple of bucket hats for a spring cruise this year. I think they’re dorky as anything but they have the advantage of being packable, unlike my spendy straw hats (including the supposedly foldable ones that are absolutely not). But, so dorky on me. Still, that mesh one is tempting. Wondering if the short brim and mesh fabric negate any possible sun protection. Hmmm.
I normally find bucket hats too warm so as soon as I saw the mesh bucket hat it went into my cart. Sidenote: yesterday I ordered the white linen J.Crew shirt and was so excited about it only to get a notice last night that it had been sold out before my order was processed. Snooze, you lose. dang!
I am wondering if the mesh will protect my hair from oxidizing. It seems to be solid on the top, but I don’t know about the sides. As for face protection I glob on so much SPF 50 that I hope that works. I live at the beach and am the palest one around every summer!
Just ordered the Kangol hat in white because it comes in sizes as well
I really want to get into a hat for the sun protection, but I’m having problems finding one that looks decent with my hair besides a ball cap. Picture shorn on the sides and back with longer on the top. I guess that makes it a faux hawk, but a super cool one that gets me stopped by strangers every week with a compliment. 🙂
Very exciting–as a hat problem. (I am, of course, paraphrasing the luggage salesman in Joe Versus the Volcano.) Have you tried any men’s hats? Your haircut sounds elegant and sophisticated: men’s hats tend to abide with dapper sophistication, while women’s hats can risk cutesy-ness. Being a year-round hat wearer who is 5’3”, I live with the constantly looming threat of someone calling me cute and have thought much on this concern.
Looooove men’s hats. And my favorite resource for mens’ hats in NYC is JJ Hat Center on Fifth Ave & I think about 32 Street. https://www.jjhatcenter.com/
Your haircut sounds lovely. I would guess that most hats are going to hide most of it though. If not, the hat will be so small there may not be much point in terms of sun protection.
That is just the downside of hats. With long hair, sometimes one can pile it up in the crown of the hat to avoid some of the hothead, but, even that is iffy.
Hey, is anyone else having autocorrect all of a sudden here? is it Safari, do you think?