trailrunner
Familiar Face
- Messages
- 60
- Location
- Knoxville, TN USA
Anyone have a Sunbody with a wide hatband and the ribbon edging? Portolan's looks sharp, but I'm thinking that I might like a wider hatband.
mikey517 said:New to this board, but I've got this hat on order form a local New Jersey store
The 2-1/2" brim, Guatemalan fine palm. Tear Drop crease SunBody
mikey517 said:That's the one I ordered, but I did it at a store that measured me. From everything I've read or heard about them, you can soak the Sunbody and form it the way you'd like.
skyvue said:I received my Sunbody today, and I have a number of issues to solve (I could use the advice of someone here):
My first impression of it was how thick and stiff it is -- much more so than my other straw hat, which is a thin and pliable Panama from a company called Monterrey. In fact, I worry that the Sunbody is too thick for NYC summers (I perspire a lot in this humidity); it feels as though it might be hotter than a felt hat.
But I love the fact that it can be worn in the rain, so I would probably keep it -- except it's very tight on my head. I can push it down to its proper position, but it's a tight squeeze.
I'm a 61 extra-long oval so I usually buy 63's and pad the sides (that's what I did with my two Stylemasters, though my Sydney is a 62). But with this hat, there's very little room on the sides (a little, but not much), so even if I were to soak it and try to reshape it to my head, I have my doubts it would get much more comfortable.
I went with the advice of Scott at Sunbody, who told me a 62 would do, and I'm very disappointed to find it so snug.
Finally, it has almost no flange at all -- the brim is almost flat. I perhaps should have expected that, based on the pics at their web site, but sheesh -- it seems to me it's a lot easier to flatten a flanged brim than to add flange to a flat one, so what's the deal with all these hat makers sending out flat-brimmed hats?
What should I do? Send it back and get a 63? Try soaking it and see if I can get it to fit (the sweat band is much thicker than I imagined, which I guess is part of the problem)? Order a 63 (or even a 64) and sell this one to a Lounger?
I hate hat disappointment. I dream of the day I order one and find when it arrives that it's just what i was hoping for.
dang it...
scottyrocks said:RBH, I need your expertise.
A short while back, you posted a photo of yourself in a brown straw with a high crown and very tight pinch. I love that hat. In your opinion, which Sunbody would give me the ability to shape it like the hat of yours I referenced? Would the $36 on-sale fedora do it? It looks tall enough in the picture, but you probably know better than I. Thanks.
If you want that much brim you can get close enough with that one.scottyrocks said:RBH, I need your expertise.
A short while back, you posted a photo of yourself in a brown straw with a high crown and very tight pinch. I love that hat. In your opinion, which Sunbody would give me the ability to shape it like the hat of yours I referenced? Would the $36 on-sale fedora do it? It looks tall enough in the picture, but you probably know better than I. Thanks.
RBH said:..
I do know with that you can 'get' the look that my Peters Brothers milan has.
...
the shot in the link would not show up but here is a photo.CRH said:Since I'm to lazy to search do you by any chance have a link to a pic of that hat?
RBH said:the shot in the link would not show up but here is a photo.
hope this helps...
skyvue said:Thanks. i've got it packed back up for returning (but not yet sealed). I'll give them a call tomorrow and see what they say (they definitely take returns, that I know -- I just didn't want to go through the hassle and expense).
But they might not want me fooling with the hat too much if I'm likely to send it back, eventually.
I just have to decide whether to get a 64 or maybe even a 64.
I wonder if they can add some flange to the brim (though the way they pack it for shipping would tend, I think, to flatten out the brim, so it might be pointless).
Nice to to hear it gets more pliable with some work and water -- this is by FAR the stiffest hat I've ever held, aside from a straw boater.
It's also not as high a crown as I'd like.
CRH said:Oh, shoot :eusa_doh:, I was look'n for a straw hat lol.
... but while we're at it, the crown height looks good - need more brim. I gotta protect my neck in a t-shirt.