New Straw Hat

[FedoraFan112390]

Bought a new white cuenca straw hat (Stetson Frontier) which was shipped from Amazon. Says the hats are handmade in Equador. It's got a 3 1/4 inch brim and a 4'' crown. I will post pics in a bit. Question, I was wearing it right after I took it out of the box, should I have washed it before wearing it?

 

[duggap]

Not unless you want to ruin it. Getting it wet will cause it to lose its shape and the brim will get real wavy.

 

[Dewhurst]

Straw tends to puff up and lose shape with the introduction of moisture. So, avoid getting it wet/washing it.

If it is brand new, it should be fine to wear right out of the box. It is the used crap on eBay that you need to worry about, concerning bacteria, lice, etc.

Not saying you have to be concerned, I'm sure there are thousands of people on here who have never gotten anything from a used hat. But, if you are concerned, those would be the ones to be concerned over.