The Summer Hat Edit
The days are growing longer and the sun is shining much brighter. I spend a lot of time outdoors in that sunshine at festivals, at the river, the beach, the lake, the field, and wherever else my travels take. After my first sunburn of the year at the Gold Cup Horse Races, I was pretty mad. I love hats. I have a great collection. And I left mine in the car thinking I would be okay without it on an overcast day. I was WRONG.
Every summer, I also seem to either lose my hats, ruin them by traveling, or I give them away to a friend or cousin to wear and I never see them again. So, here I am hat shopping! I wanted to share my personal favorites and finds for you as you shop and get ready for your own summer travels.
Pro Tip: While I’m linking to a a lot of great hats here, I find that thrift shops are also wonderful place to find them, especially high quality hats.
The Western Bolero Hat
The bolero hat is characterized by a perfect circle brim and crown. It’s often made of a felt material, but you can find it in different materials. I’d especially look for thinner fabrics for the summer. I love my black felt bolero hat I wore at Coachella. It’s structured, clean, and a little edgy.
The Wide Brim Straw Hat
This one is made for the pool and the beach, mostly because it’s light weight and allows your head to breathe. I go for structure instead of a floppy brim for my straw hats. It’s a more polished look and really keeps the sun off of your face. It also creates a very feminine vibe.
The Bucket Hat
After Coachella, I knew the bucket hat had made its return in this decade. I haven’t added one to my closet yet, but I’m searching. Here are a few simple bucket hats I’m considering inspired by trends I saw at the festival:
The Cotton Baseball Cap
I got a cotton baseball hat from a wine brand that I’ve sort of been wearing nonstop this spring. It’s a crisp white color and says “BABE.” I love the simplicity and it’s more appropriate for more physical days. Something about the cotton hat I like is that it’s casual, yet polished at the same time.
The Wide Brim Fedora
This is similar to the bolero hat, except it’s got a little more western flare and is more mainstream. I have a tan one I found from Billabong and wore all over California. I’m digging these wide brim fedoras in other colors, too.
