Location: HPN/LGA/EWR, but never JFK (OK, sometimes, but always begrudgingly...).
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tfar
Certainly an excellent real rain hat for hard downpours.
But in terms of looks as a general travel hat your wife is exactly right. Sorry!
Meh, I'm married, anyhow...
With the sides folded up, it looks like a goretex cowboy hat. I think it gives one the allure of being outdoorsy, and it's really freaking comfortable...
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tfar
Certainly an excellent real rain hat for hard downpours.
But in terms of looks as a general travel hat your wife is exactly right. Sorry!
OR makes some other hats that have smaller brims and look much better. I had one a few years ago that I really liked. I will try to figure out which one it was.
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"And the only sound that's left after the ambulances go
Is Cinderella sweeping up on Desolation Row"
have you looked at the Coolibar site? they have some very nice summer hats that are packable and quite nice for urban environments. I wish my husband would consider wearing a hat more often as his hair is becoming quite thin on top.
Programs: AA EXP 1MM, UA 1K MM, Hilton Diamond, Costco General Member
Posts: 19,339
Quote:
Originally Posted by mc719
have you looked at the Coolibar site? they have some very nice summer hats that are packable and quite nice for urban environments. I wish my husband would consider wearing a hat more often as his hair is becoming quite thin on top.
Welcome to Flyertalk.
It looks like an interesting site. Thanks for pointing it out.
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"And the only sound that's left after the ambulances go
Is Cinderella sweeping up on Desolation Row"
Not exactly cheap, unfortunately. But quite exactly what I wanted. It is a rollable Borsalino with a 3" brim and no lining but a grosgrain band. Made of Belgian rabbit fur. With a textile sweatband.
The grosgrain ribbon is the only thing that is not specifically for travel. Usually packable/rollable hats are unlined, have textile sweatband and a leather hat band because the lining, leather sweatband and grosgrain would get too easily wrinkled, whereas the outside leather hat band serves as a cinch to hold the hat together when rolled.
I found some other interesting options including wool caps and baseball style caps that are made of wool or even Loro Piana Storm Cashmere or Ventile fabric with integrated ear flaps. Those come from Germany and Sweden respectively. Of course! I will probably get one of those, too.
Otherwise it seems that the most popular felt travel hats are the Akubra Traveler and the Christy's Foldaway, as well as the Scala Litefelt Outback.
I have even come across some fine Panama Montecristi hats that can take a beating but are not inexpensive starting at $250 (and going up to over $25,000 but you wouldn't want to travel with those).
In principle any hat can be used as a travel hat but the stipulations above hold true. It is also advisable to choose a floppier felt over a stiff felt. I was told by a very capable CSR at the vendor above that I could also give back some stiffness to the felt by steaming it or even starching it a little.
In terms of water repellency the usual products work well, I am told. Just take care to buy something that can be used for fabric, too, and don't drench the hat in it. Nikwax spray seems to be a favorite. However, your average wool or rabbit felt hat should be pretty water repellant already. Wool is better than rabbit felt but beaver felt is even better than wool felt. Beaver hats start in the $200-250 range for fedoras.
Just wanted to add my 2˘. I can't wear a hat - my head is large (no, not grossly big, but enough that hats balance on the top of my head) and my hair is a little on the long side.
I've been in stores around the world where strangers have seen me trying on hats in a shop and burst out laughing and then just shake their heads no. Even my Tilley, which is large, looks pretty silly on me.
I thought it would get better, but at 61 my head is just getting bigger and my hair is getting thicker - and longer. Not complaining, just a comment.
You probably have a pointy head. Those are difficult to accommodate but not impossible. Look for a hat with a high crown, 4"+, and have it fashioned with a diamond or C-crown crease. Also look for something with a wider brim, nothing less than 2 3/4 inches. Most hats are 2.5" or less. 3" is a wide brim, more than 3.5 are rare in a non-cowboy hat.
My Borsalino came in today. I am quite pleased. It is a bit darker, one tone or so, than in the picture but I don't mind. The little Borsalino writing on the hat band is rather less visible than in the picture which is good. The slightly asymmetric hat ribbon is a nice touch that I only noticed when I held it in my hands. The inside says it is actually water repellent felt from the water repellent collection. So that's nice. Unlined and with a textile sweatband, as I said. The hat was unblocked (no pre-pressed shape). It is easy to crease it yourself and the brim stays turned up or down very nicely. I also rolled it up and folded it with no harm to the hat. Just what I wanted. The brim is a tad less than 3" wide even though it is the 3" model. Perhaps they measured on the underside of the hat and I measured brim to crown on the upper side.
It is good to know the proportions of a hat that looks good on you. It gives you a reference point when ordering a hat online. I now know that I find even a 3" brim, which is considered on the wide side, to be just normal and would probably not want to wear anything that is less than 3 or even 2.5 inches. I believe my hat back in Germany probably has a 4 inch brim. That's very wide and I love it.
I hope that helps some of you pick a nice travel hat.
One thing I did notice is that it will be smart/necessary to carry a small brush now because the dark grey color does show any fuzz you pick up quite easily. Perhaps a lighter grey would be better in that regard but it would show stains more readily.
