Hat Days of Summer

I love hats! I’ve been wearing them and admiring them on other people's heads forever. Growing up, my sisters and I were given new Easter bonnets every spring. My childhood favorite: a straw version of a Glengarry cap with two tartan ribbons down the back. I also remember seeing men wearing boaters and seersucker suits in the summertime. I thought that was a very cool look—I’d love to see it come back. Recently, I ventured into New York City on a very hot, very sunny day and was tickled to see so many over 50 women wearing hats. Click “read more” below to see some of the hats I saw on the street as well as a sample of hats available online.


Quick: How many garments or accessories can you say are both fashionable and healthy? I can't think of more than one or two. The health benefits of wearing a hat are hard to resist. In fact, hats offer triple protection from those nasty UV rays. They protect your skin, eyes and hair.

Interesting fact: I recently read that melanomas are most commonly found on the legs of women and on the backs of men. However, according to my dermatologist brother-in-law, a bad burn on your face can cause a melanoma anywhere on your body--hence, the need for regular full body screenings. And hence, the need to protect your face from sun damage.


The most popular hat this summer seems to be the natural-colored straw hat. However, I did see some lovely colored straw hats like the one at the top of this post. I also saw the random floppy canvas hat on the city streets. Both narrow and wide brimmed hats are popular this summer. The narrow brimmed hats I saw were either a feminine version of the classic Panama hat or the Fedora (the Joe Friday-style hat). I love the way the woman below has paired a straw Panama hat with a beige summer suit.





I saw plenty of straw hats with wider brims, too. These were more like a garden party hat or a Scarlett O'Hara hat. Fiddle-dee-dee! Here are two women in wider brimmed hats, one in a skirt and the other in wide-leg Capris. I think they both look smashing. As you can see, the straw hat looks great with neutral colored slacks, dresses, Capris, blouses and skirts.







Here's a few straw hats I found on Beall's Online Department Store and Shopbop. As I'm sure you know, July is a great month to shop, since there are "End of Season" sales all over the web. 


[Original image unavailable: Capelli Toyo Braided Hat]

Capelli Toyo Braided Hat (was $30, now $22.50)

Bop Basics Raffia Crochet Crusher Hat (was $98, now $68.60)


[Original image unavailable: Capelli Crickle Brim Buckle Hat]

Capelli Crickle Brim Buckle Hat (was $35, now $26.25)



[Original image unavailable: Nine West Spiced Stripe Floppy Hat]

Nine West Spiced Stripe Floppy Hat (was $36, now $27.00)



Or…how about a super floppy brim?.

Bop Basics Floppy Raffia Sunhat(was $98, now $68.60)