milandro
A-List Customer
- Messages
- 396
- Location
- The Netherlands
I am just back from a trip to southern Italy where temperatures were (still, this late in October, I went swimming and it was really warm weather and water, never before in my life, and I was born there!) that hot that the only summer hat that I owned which I deemed suitable for the weather was this Stetson Raffia Crochet Western
. I bought this hat this year to replace a ventilated Panama which had, unfortunately, succumbed during my last trip to Cuba and was no longer reparable.
The purpose of these hats, seems to me, is to offer good sun protection while giving enough ventilation (much needed in hot and humid climate).
They are really good and resist well the abundant transpiration caused by the elements.
However the very big enemy of the material itself is water wether is the form of rain or, I suppose, the very transpiration which they seek to protect you from.
I have been treating the hat (which was new) ahead of time with some stiffer that I sometimes use for felt hats too.
It is a starchy spray called " Crack-Free" , we have it in the Netherlands.
It is readily available , cheap, doesn't stain anything , smells nice but is not overpowering. It exists also in powder should you want to do a more intense treatment.
Another medium that I have for felt hats is non scented hairspray but that is probably not as good as the first medium , which is return, being water soluble, cannot really last too long and requires some periodical application.
I would like to hear from other members and their experience with such a Raffia Crochet hat and how to keep it stiff enough that doesn't get floppy
Click to expand pics if you so wish!
. I bought this hat this year to replace a ventilated Panama which had, unfortunately, succumbed during my last trip to Cuba and was no longer reparable.
The purpose of these hats, seems to me, is to offer good sun protection while giving enough ventilation (much needed in hot and humid climate).
They are really good and resist well the abundant transpiration caused by the elements.
However the very big enemy of the material itself is water wether is the form of rain or, I suppose, the very transpiration which they seek to protect you from.
I have been treating the hat (which was new) ahead of time with some stiffer that I sometimes use for felt hats too.
It is a starchy spray called " Crack-Free" , we have it in the Netherlands.
It is readily available , cheap, doesn't stain anything , smells nice but is not overpowering. It exists also in powder should you want to do a more intense treatment.
Another medium that I have for felt hats is non scented hairspray but that is probably not as good as the first medium , which is return, being water soluble, cannot really last too long and requires some periodical application.
I would like to hear from other members and their experience with such a Raffia Crochet hat and how to keep it stiff enough that doesn't get floppy
Click to expand pics if you so wish!
