At what temperature do you change your hat?

[scaber]

Although there are no hard rules do to rain, humidity and personal preference, we often hear of straw in summer, felt in winter. I'm curious about other's practices. Is there a magical temperature, date, or season that you switch the general type of hat that you wear? Of course it varies from region to region but what are your habits?

 

[Mike in Seattle]

What I've most often heard is Memorial Day to Labor Day is straw, felt the rest of the year...or variations on the theme. May 15 to September 15 is another really common guideline. And really, I don't think there are any hard and fast rules chiseled in stone somewhere. Whatever works for you, and whatever works based on the current weather conditions.

 

[kaosharper1]

I wear straw above 85, then lightweight felts below 85, Heavier felts in the low 70s and lower. That's here in Southern California where there's little humidity.

 

[zetwal]

I don't change or wear hats by season. I take it day by day. I take into account temperature, wind and rain (as well as what I actually plan to be doing). Then I just go with what I feels right and good.

Calendar dates as such don't factor into my own choices. Mood and comfort and personal style do.

 

[Delthayre]

Cold weather creature in a warmth-lover's world

I prefer felt hats and as I lack any light felts, I wear only straw above 70°F (21.11°C) and only felt below it. My practices will probably change when I acquire a hat of lightweight felt, but that won't be for quite a while.

 

[jpbales]

I find here in Georgia, where it's pretty humid, if the temperature gets over around 70-72 degrees it becomes too hot for a felt hat and I get a sweaty head. Once the temp drops below that, I can usually handle a felt with no issues.
My usual technique in deciding what hat to wear, especially during transition seasons, is I look at the hour-by-hour temp predictions at weather.com. If the majority of the day is going to be over 72, I'll wear a straw, if it's going to be under 72, I'll wear a felt. I also consider when I'm going to be outside, since I have a set class schedule and know when I'll be traveling. Rain also goes into my considerations.

 

[Mr. Paladin]

I wear my felts all year around. I think I wore only one of my three straws once this summer.

 

[daizawaguy]

When wearing a felt feels comfortable...and I don`t sweat in it...22 degrees C...:eusa_doh:

 

[High Pockets]

As in many other places, the temperature is apt to change drastically from day to day around here, even from hour to hour….therefore it would be tough to base your hat choice on any specific temperature.

Also due to that,....I can’t really base my choice of hats on any specific date, or even month.

So Generally speaking I wear both Panamas and felts during the spring and summer,....and put the Panamas back up in the closet when the months cool off, leaving them there until the days warm back up again.

During the summer my attire and destination have more to do with my choice of a Panama or a felt hat than anything else.




Flat caps, (newsboys), get a good workout 365 days a year and in any temperature!

 

[johnnycanuck]

fir felt hats until it gets to -20 Degrees C. then its usually a touque or trappers fir hat.
Johnny

 

[filfoster]

Snow=chapeaux

I do not wear straw hats (yet) and wait for the first snow or teens temperature to wear my fedoras. Why? I don't know, it's just what I do.

 

[jamespowers]

I don't change or wear hats by season. I take it day by day. I take into account temperature, wind and rain (as well as what I actually plan to be doing). Then I just go with what I feels right and good.

Calendar dates as such don't factor into my own choices. Mood and comfort and personal style do.

That is about how I decide. Yesterday was a milan today is a felt. It just depends on what I expect to be confronted with.

 

[Pilgrim]

My trigger point is about 80 degrees. Above that, Panama; below that, felt.

 

[Cigarband]

Above 70, straw
70 to 30, felts and newsboys
30 to 0, Navy Watch cap
Under 0, Fur

 

[Dewhurst]

My general rule of thumb is 80f. Switch up to straw, switch down to fur felt at that point.

Particular days make a difference though. If it is raining, for example.

 

[Matt Deckard]

81º

I stare and stare at the thermometer.

The other rule is, if I'm sweating too much I take off my hat.

 

[fiddletown]

The "rule", as I've understood it, and as Mike in Seattle mentioned, is straw from Memorial Day to Labor Day. But I pretty much switch off as the spirit and mercury moves me. Once things start to stay generally below the high 70s, the Panamas get put away.

This I started to wear felt on the cooler days beginning in early September, and I finally put the Panamas away for the season around mid-October.

 

[Akubra Man]

Did not change to straw except when extremely hot

This year I only changed to a straw when the temp hovered around 30C...when lower temps were around I stuck with a couple of vented Akubras. They worked well for me as I adjusted to wearing felt hats in the summer. I am surprised at how comfortable felt hats were for me in the high 20'sC.

 

[ScionPI2005]

The low to mid seventies (Fahrenheit) is the changing temperature for me. Most of the time, I get warm pretty easily, so it's not always easy for me to wear a fur felt past 70-75.

Overall, where I live, I get nearly six even months of straws and linen caps, and another six months of wool caps and fur felts every year. My straw season is generally April-September, and fur felts October-March.

 

[Carlisle Blues]

When I lived in your neck of the woods I wore my panamas pretty much most of the year. I did wear me felts as the temp and humidity dictated. And when it was simply too hot and wet. I wore a beater so I would have protection from the sun..