felt,straw,and,palm leaf hats

[USS Marshall]

Should felt hats be worn in the summer or warmer weather or should only straw hats be worn?Are palm leaf hats better than straw hats?

 

[DougC]

Depends on where you are and what the climate is like.

 

[casechopper]

Felt can be worn any time you feel like it but is the hottest option when the weather is hot. Palm can get wet without being damaged but is much heavier and hotter than straw. Poly-straw is another option which is plastic woven to look like straw. It will not be damaged by water and is usually cooler than palm leaf.

 

[USS Marshall]

I live in the american south hot humid summers. winters can be cold here, but summers are very hot.

 

[splintercellsz]

Wear whatever you wish to wear! If you want to wear a felt in the heat, go for it. You may melt., but if you enjoy it, do it! If you wish to wear a straw in the snow, you may freeze, but the decision is all up to you! Each has it's perks, felt for the colder days, keeps your head warm, straw for the warmer days keeps your head cooler.

 

[RBH]

In Arkansas the milan Stetson Stratoliner will hold up well to the heat.

I plan on mine getting a workout this summer.
I do have one to 'work' in and one for 'sunday go to meeting.'

 

[job]

If I wore a felt hat in my area during the summer when I would remove the hat I would have a river of sweat pour down my face.

 

[Tomasso]

If I wore a felt hat in my area during the summer when I would remove the hat I would have a river of sweat pour down my face.

Ditto

 

[USS Marshall]

Stetson is out of my price range I buy hats that look as good as possible and are as comfortable as possible as cheap as I can.Any suggestions in the $30 range?

 

[jlee562]

You can get a low grade Panama from Panamabob at panamas.biz, starting at $27.

I would argue that it's better to save for a more substantial offering though.

 

[DJH]

USS-M, Jared is right - hard to beat Panama Bob. Also check out Tom Gomez (Tom-n-Perris on the forum) who makes very nice Panamas at good prices - Tom also blocks a lot of the hats PB sells.

You might also find some good deals on vintage straw hats on eBay.

Lots of places to look but tracking down the right hat at the right price is a big part of the fun - for me anyroad!

 

[Rick Blaine]

I live in the american south hot humid summers. winters can be cold here, but summers are very hot.

Me too.

Palm hats are HOT, heavy, cheap & disposable. Cross them from your list.

Genuine panamas (even the thick & woody cheaper ones) are far lighter & cooler and, moreover, are what people mean (& think of) when they say "Panama Hat".

Wearing one in the summer is the only real option in (much of) spring-summer-(much of) fall down here in Dixie, save a Tilly®.

Believe me, I've sought out every alternative (e.g.- tin-cloth®, weather cloth, oilcloth, poly-straw [not too bad actually], Bao, Sisile, Dyna-Straw, Lite-Straw (ok), Wood (?!) & straw, Felt (brim) & straw (crown), Hemp [can't wear it, can't keep it lit! ], Silk, Linen, Cotton, Toyo/Shantung... and finally- nothing at all).

Of all the wanna-be faux paja toquillas I have found Toyo/Shantung to be the least of all evils. Cheap, good lookin', tough & durable as hell, near as light as the real thing... et al. (IMHO)

$12 china paper straw at Targét is hard to beat. Who cares what happens to it?

That said, I'd rather have the real thing last for two seasons than a faux last for five.
Being a snob, that is... to say nothing of keeping the art alive in Ecuador.

See Panama Bob. he hasn't disappointed me yet & I have been a customer for 5+ yrs. He can get you anything from a Cheeeeep inexpensive Cuenca to a $500+ Montecristi that would leave Brent Black drooling.
..........My.o2

 

[USS Marshall]

what about paper straw hats they seem to be pretty common and some are even price at 40$ or more?Do they hold up well ,and are they cool?

 

[gtdean48]

A palm leaf hat, even with eyelets, is as heavy & hot as a lightweight felt to me.
A bangora straw with vented weave is more comfortable. The straw is lighter & the vent lets air flow thru to cool.
They don't hold up well, so I usually get a new one each year.
I have some lightweight felts with vent holes that I take the liner out & wear year-round.
I live in the Hot & Humid South as well....

 

[carldelo]

A bangora straw with vented weave is more comfortable. The straw is lighter & the vent lets air flow thru to cool.
They don't hold up well, so I usually get a new one each year.

Do you have a link to one of these? I'm not familiar with this type of straw.

 

[gtdean48]

Do you have a link to one of these? I'm not familiar with this type of straw.

It is a common western straw hat. I do have a short brimmed Resistol...
http://www.callisters.com/product.asp?itemid=14090&gclid=CND9zaaB37YCFcXe4Aod-UwA_g

 

[Orangegrad]

I purchased a Sunbody palm leaf fedora. As already said, it's very heavy. It won't be traveling with me to Florida the last week of May. I'll take my Panama that's seen better days to Disney World and Universal Studios. It's much lighter.

After wearing my Sunbody for a couple weeks, I think it's a nice hat for cooler weather, but not the heat of summer. I'd rather wear a light weight felt fedora like a Como or Stylemaster than a palm leaf hat in the summer.

 

[DougC]

Palm leaf + cold bottle of water = nice evaporation, but a wet head. I wear a palm leaf down here is South Central Texas during the summer if I don't mind a wet head. I wish I could find a nice REAL panama straw cowboy with a 4 inch brim and a 5 1/2 crown. That said, I really like my Atwood, Sunbody and a hat from Big Bend Saddlery in Alpine, TX.

 

[carldelo]

It is a common western straw hat. I do have a short brimmed Resistol...
http://www.callisters.com/product.asp?itemid=14090&gclid=CND9zaaB37YCFcXe4Aod-UwA_g

Wow, the price is certainly right - if those came in a teardrop fedora style in 7-3/4 I'd buy a dozen.

 

[memphislawyer]

I have worn some pretty heavy/hard/not panama-type hats, usually picking them up in a beach store while on vacation in Florida. Always stiff and scratchy. Never again. Got me a Tilly to do yardwork for summer, and it is washable. Still a bit hot even with with ventholes.

Got me a Panama Bob cuenca and looks nice, but I am excited by my Buckaroo Hatters Parbuntal straw hat I picked up in NOvember. Really, really light and airy. Too nice of a hat to do yardwork in but makes for a super dress or wearing around hat. Ill use the Tilley for the beach and yard work, but if I could find a durable airy Panama hat around $50 to $75 Im gonna try that