Seasons for your hats

[CRH]

Correct. Straw absorbs moisture, PUFFS up, and loses its shape/rots.
....

Hold on here!

It's true that straw does absorb moisture but all straws are not created equal.

This Amish farmer's hat gets cleaned with a soapy rag and rinsed with a hose . It's woven and reinforced with what appears to be cotton/nylon thread.

 

[CRH]

Wear your hats!

You wear your hats, you teach your children and grand children to wear hats - and no whining about the humidity - so they won't end up with a head that looks like this!

For those who are curious or concerned I happen to have Blue insurance and it's all covered - literally and figuratively.

End Rant...

 

[marvelgoose]

Officially It is September 15

Back when everyone wore hats, October 1 was a generally accepted date. Then the hatters got a brainstorm and started promoting September 15th as the official last day to wear Straws and May 1 as the last day to wear felt.

In New York, some enterprising hatters paid some street ruffians to go out and rip straws off of people after September 15. They'd shred the things or poke a hole in the stop. Needless to say, riots resulted and the courts were busy tossing people into jail.

Once it started, it stayed for years. You couldn't venture out with a straw hat if you were not also armed.

I read a hat history book at the beach this year.

 

[elvisroe]

As with the other Aussies I wear felts all year 'round but found in the real humidity of the north (100x100 in the shade) I learned why the leather strip is called a sweatband! I found my loose fitting, lightweight, bandless squatter much better for golfing in the far north.

I'm finding the same issue with my heavier felt fed iv at the moment. It's getting pretty warm in Sydney right now and I'm sweating like a ba***rd when I take it out on a trail-run. On the plus side it's shaping up nicely!

I heard a bush saying recently from a friend who runs a cattle station. She scoffed at my carbon grey lid and said...
"never employ someone who wears a black hat, rolls their own smokes or has lace-up boots"

The logic being that a black hat is too hot in the sun and they'll spend the day in the shade. Rolling smokes is a classic way to dodge work and the boots...no idea...can't remember[huh]

 

[CRH]

... or has lace-up boots"
...

Those are older guys with cranky ankles from to much rodeo. They need the laces for support.

 

[St.Ignatz]

The temp dropped to 74f the other day. You KNOW I couldn't wait to get the felt on. Lighter felt for extending the season is the way to go.
Tom D.

 

[Dewhurst]

It's true that straw does absorb moisture but all straws are not created equal.

Agreed. As with most things, it is general.

 

[memphislawyer]

The temp dropped to 74f the other day. You KNOW I couldn't wait to get the felt on. Lighter felt for extending the season is the way to go.
Tom D.

Ok, what sort of hats by Akubra or others are lightweight? All I have is a Stetson Saxon to go by

 

[kaosharper1]

Ok, what sort of hats by Akubra or others are lightweight? All I have is a Stetson Saxon to go by

The Sydney at David Morgan and the Fedora are both lightweight.

 

[Stern-Hank]

I tend to wear my felt or go hatless, I've never found a straw hat that looks good on me...

 

[Akubra Man]

Just started wearing a felt hat in summer

It usually gets real hot for a couple of months up north here in Winnipeg, Canada. It is a dry heat but still hot high consistently in the 80s to mid 90s with a big wide sky from horizon to horizon in summer. We are in flat prairie country up here just 45 minutes north of the US border at North Dakota. This year has been wet and cool so I dropped my Panama and tossed on an lighter weight fur felt Akubra and I am not going back. Year round felt Akubras for me.

 

[Dewhurst]

The Sydney at David Morgan and the Fedora are both lightweight.

Second that, the Sydney at David Morgan dot com is light-weight. I had to send mine back as it had a defect, but it was a very nice hat for the money in my estimation.

 

[Mr Zablosky]

For many years here in Dallas I've noticed Hispanics (people from Mexico, Central, S America) wearing hats out of season. Straw in winter and black felt in summer. My best guess is maybe it matches the month-season south of the equator. My vocabulary en espanol is not where I could quiz the man on the street about this observation. Any theories?

 

[gtdean48]

For many years here in Dallas I've noticed Hispanics (people from Mexico, Central, S America) wearing hats out of season. Straw in winter and black felt in summer. My best guess is maybe it matches the month-season south of the equator. My vocabulary en espanol is not where I could quiz the man on the street about this observation. Any theories?

The ones I have known & worked with back when I did crop harvesting & such for summer jobs only had 1 good hat & wore it regardless of season. Some saved up for a real nice felt & that is what they wore, usually dressing up for nights out or Saturday trips to town. They would also have a work hat which was straw.

 

[Ephraim Tutt]

Panama's and rain just don't mix...water takes the shape right out...a down pour would ruin one...

I had a chat to my local hatter about this when I was in there this morning. He tells me that he has often scrubbed panamas with soapy water and they've been fine. But he did agree that not all panamas are created equal. Some, he explained, are actually made of paper! Water and these hats do not play well together.

I had a look at the Akubra Balmoral while there - a sharp-looking, water resistant panama-style made of hemp. Great for a day in the Members' stand watching the cricket. My birthday's coming up - now I know what to hint for.

If I don't like it I can always smoke it.

 

[John in Covina]

Normally in Southern California the summers are pretty dry, very low humidity as it's a desert climate. However every so often we get the "El Nino" it is spelled Nino but it has that wavy line over the second "n" so it's more like El Neenneo. Anyway a warm section of the Pacific forms along the west coast of lower Mexico, Central and South America, usually in the winter Christmas time which is the link to "The Child" and it changes the weather patterns a bit. We tend to get a bit more tropical flow come up and more rain in the winter but higher humidity if in the summer time. SO while it's not NYC, San Antonio, Florida or Louisiana type humidity it's more than usual for here.

When it's hot in the day I will choose my Panama that I got as a gift recently from good friends. It's definately cooler, but I will wear a furfelt to match clothing and more so at night when we tend to cool down quite nicely in the summer.

 

[StylinLA]

Like John in Covina, I'm SoCal where it can get pretty warm in summer, but usually not too humid.

I will wear a felt in summer, but not if I plan to be walking outside a lot. Going from air conditioned car to air conditioned office I'm able to get away with felt fedoras. I usually only wear hats when I'm pretty turned out- which is a rarity in SoCal. I know I blow a lot of peoples minds in a suit, tie and fedora in summer, especially in Los Angeles.

Other loungers may weigh in, but I believe SoCal was on the leading edge of eshcewing men's hats years and years ago.

I should have gotten a straw for summer, but haven't done so yet

 

[APP Adrian]

What seasons do you guys wear your wool felt fedoras?

Spring and fall?

Or Spring fall and winter.

And how wam do you feel when wearing your hat during each season, or cold lol.

 

[fedoracentric]

I don't wear wool felt fedoras. But I do wear fur felt and all year long at that.

 

[APP Adrian]

Hmmm, interesting. You mind telling me how hot or cold it is during the fall months? I mean on your head. =D