Straw, paper straw, can someone break this down for me?

[tinpanalley]

I've always been a fan of paper straw, I suppose Bailey and other brands I like make this type of hat that I like for summer and I'll be honest it fits my budget and even with the straw hat faring better in heat, I've never lived in a place that didn't have a more northern climate (although the way things are going weatherwise, north meaning "cooler" seems destined to change).
Nevertheless, can someone break down for me the real x-factor that separates the two? Is paper straw really a lesser quality as someone told me recently? Is it "less" of a hat? I don't care what others think of a hat if I like it, but I want to know that it's not considered a toy quality-wise.

Thanks for any insights.

 

[jlee562]

In the sense that paper straw/shantung will cover your head and keep the sun off you, I'm not sure I could make a convincing argument that natural straw is inherently superior. I've seen some discussion online that high grade natural straws having a tighter weave might lend relatively better UV protection, but I don't know how convincing I find that.

I tend to feel the breathability of natural straws is slightly better and a natural Panama is wonderfully light.

For whatever reason, there really is no "high end" Shantung hat. Although the majority of "straw" hats are some form of synthetic, the "nicest" ones are natural straw.

 

[Mustang Mike's Hats]

We've had a couple of discussions on this subject here in the past. You may be able to search for the thread. I personally like palm and panama straws for their durability. Panamas are usually a finer weave and I think awesome as a "dress straw" although I know a few guys who wear them every day. Palm has been the best for someone, like me, who wears them as a working hat with the horses and cattle, or just wants an "everyday" straw. I've had palm straws that I've worked in for over ten years and they have held up. Also, from my perspective, palm has been easier for me to maintain, costs less, and reshapes very easily (I'm sooo fickle about what crown shape I want to wear over time). Also, since I'm in heat a lot, I can get mine good and wet and it helps me stay cooled down a bit.

Paper straw, on the other hand is usually coated and doesn't allow for much in the way of reshaping, nor are they made to be a long lasting hat. Most of my buds who wear them get a season, or two, out of them before they start to break down. I've seen more than my share that have "cracked" and once that happens, the party is pretty much over for that hat.

Hope this helps a bit.

 

[tinpanalley]

Thanks for the replies. I'm just a city guy. My problem is that I can't find a straw hat, I mean a real straw one, that looks good with the way I dress. They tend to look more rugged or outdoorsy (awful cliché terms but there you go). To me a broader brim always felt more Stetson to me. Please forgive me if I'm offending anyone.

I really like my Bailey Billy hat. If I could find an affordable trilby or Fedora done in straw I'd look at one. Any recommendations?

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Thanks for the replies. I'm just a city guy. My problem is that I can't find a straw hat, I mean a real straw one, that looks good with the way I dress. They tend to look more rugged or outdoorsy (awful cliché terms but there you go). To me a broader brim always felt more Stetson to me. Please forgive me if I'm offending anyone. [emoji4]

I really like my Bailey Billy hat. If I could find an affordable trilby or Fedora done in straw I'd look at one. Any recommendations?

We need a little bit more so we are in the same page. “natural straw” takes in a wide section of hat materials. Are you after milan made from wheat straw? A Panama made from toquilla? Hemp is also a great choice. The options go on. If what you want is a thin lightweight hat for city wear, and it you are a person who is gentle on his hats, I’d suggest a Panama hat. They come in a variety of shapes and brim sizes. Panama Hats Direct is a popular place to shop, but I’m not a fan. And f you’re satisfied with paper straw then don’t feel compelled to spend more. Im hard on my “straws” and I have a hard time spending a lot on summer hats. You can be a “hat guy” and wear an inexpensive hat and look and feel good doing it.

Check out Stetson for styles, it’s a good start point. Stetson does not equate to cowboy:

http://www.hat-co.com/perch//resources/s19stetsoncity.pdf



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[jlee562]

EBay has a healthy supply of stingy brim straws from the 60's that would probably for the bill if you're willing to do a little legwork.

 

[Tukwila]

Depending on your budget, I'd also check out Mike Miller at NW Hats and Art Fawcett at Vintage Silhouettes. They get Panama straw/toquilla straw hat bodies in from time to time from Ecuador and some are very reasonably priced.

Having relatives from/living in Ecuador, I'm heavily biased toward the natural product but I also readily admit toquilla straw is not a good rain hat if the heat turns to rain quickly. But it's nice and light and the open weave and semi-calado styles let in air flow real well. Unless you want a fancy dress hat, the high weave count/high dollar beauties are not so good with the airflow because the tight weave precludes that.

I count myself incredibly blessed to be able to hand pick samples from the source and then have a couple bodies made up into nice fedoras by local hatters.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

EBay has a healthy supply of stingy brim straws from the 60's that would probably for the bill if you're willing to do a little legwork.

+1


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[tinpanalley]

Well I checked out Stetson's catalogue, really liked the Luciano and then couldn't find a single site that sold it. I love the other shops, but the problem then becomes, how do I know how it'll fit and look when I get it? Seems like such a gamble. When I bought my first fur felt hat (also a Bailey that I bought in a shop when I lived in New York just a few short months before the family closed the place for good), it took months of trying on hats to get the right one. I guess if you don't like it on your head you send them back?

 

[jlee562]

Erm, that link was actually for the spring 2019 line, those hats come out next year.

but hey JJ is having a sale....
https://www.jjhatcenter.com/collections/end-of-season

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Erm, that link was actually for the spring 2019 line, those hats come out next year.

but hey JJ is having a sale....
https://www.jjhatcenter.com/collections/end-of-season

Stetson no longer lists the spring 2018 catalog. Weird.


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[deadlyhandsome]

Well I checked out Stetson's catalogue, really liked the Luciano and then couldn't find a single site that sold it. I love the other shops, but the problem then becomes, how do I know how it'll fit and look when I get it? Seems like such a gamble. When I bought my first fur felt hat (also a Bailey that I bought in a shop when I lived in New York just a few short months before the family closed the place for good), it took months of trying on hats to get the right one. I guess if you don't like it on your head you send them back?

I think your best option is to find stores in your area and see what they have. Buying online has advantages and risks but if you’re not sure about sizing and styles nothing beats a brick and mortar store.


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[Tukwila]

Sizing can be tricky. I picked through a stack of ten straws in an upscale mall in Guayaquil, Ecuador, and only 1 hat fit me even though they all tagged the same size.

 

[tinpanalley]

I'll look around here and see what I can find. I know we have one that I visited recently that had a really good selection but the couple that own the place were very pushy about what I should buy. I think they have some stock and don't push hard to get it updated. I understand their dilemma having probably very few walk-ins, but in no time the gentleman had pushed two hats on me that I didn't like and weren't what I asked for at all. They were nice people, we hung out a bit and talked about owning a hat shop, how long they had been there and they told us some hat-related stories like the time an elderly gentleman in his 90s came in to give her three Borsalinos that his grandfather had bought when he was young and how she insisted on paying him for them despite the fact that he just wanted to give them away so they'd go somewhere they'd get used.
Anyway, it was tough because they just wanna sell you anything and you can't really just browse. Plus it was hot as heck and they had no air conditioning. We have one other place I know of that makes their own hats and has some other local Canadian hat makers as well. I'll check them out to see what they have.

 

[Mustang Mike's Hats]

Have fun! Hat shopping is a really awesome experience!!