What's the Word on Ladies' Hats?

[Etienne]

I have a pretty good collection of 40's hats which I really love, but I think I need some expert advice about which ones are okay to wear in the warmer months. I dress pretty much in suits or very tailored, fitted dresses (alas, never in anything sleeveless) so I need to know which hats can be worn in spring/summer with them. For example, the wool felt ones--can they be worn year 'round? Obviously, straw is fine for summer, but I have a lot of the wool ones. Any thoughts?

 

[magneto]

Re: felt in warm weather.

Hi Etienne,

Just my experience, I can't wear felt over 75~ degrees; felt is so dense and insulating usually it seems to make me feel hotter... I think a hat lining, though, seems to keep you cooler (paradoxically!)

Maybe it's just my luck of the draw--virtually all the (wool and fur) felt women's hats I have are unlined (unilke men's hats) plus w/wool in particular, if you'll be out in the sun I'd be worried about fading...

Thinking of the old "summer pictures" I can remember, women seem to be in lightweight/straw hats or bareheaded.

I have several straw hats, the nice thing is that they seem to be still fairly cheap (and if you have a plain modern one, easy to decorate for a vintage look).