Any recommendations for non-baseball hats that look good on men?

May 18, 2005 12:13 PM

I'm going to be doing some outdoor travelling in Europe this summer, and I'd like to wear a hat for protection from the sun (my hair is thinning, sad to say). Are there any recommendations for hats for men that A) look good B) are not baseball caps C) won't make me look like a mountaineer?

Most of my wardrobe will be relatively casual: button-down short-sleeved shirts, maybe some sturdy t-shirts, lightweight khakis and shorts. I mostly dress in earth tones. I live in the SF bay area, if that helps.

posted by bjennings to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (23 answers total)

Best answer: Tilley! I have one. They're expensive, but they have a lifetime replacement warranty, and loss insurance, even (if you lose it within two years, you can get another for half price--I just replaced mine, and the customer service was flawless). Available at Hudson Trail Outfitters (and, I'm sure, other places, too).
posted by MrMoonPie at 12:20 PM on May 18, 2005

I have a Tilley hat too--it's great, and it has a little secret compartment in the top. I have been surprised how often I'm outright asked, "Where did you get that hat?" by random passerby. It was a real life-saver when I was travelling out in Arizona and Nevada.
posted by josh at 12:33 PM on May 18, 2005

josh is right--total strangers will come up to you to talk about your hat. Many of them will be wearing Tilley hats themselves. Most of them will be overweight, bearded men wearing suspenders. It's kinda weird.
posted by MrMoonPie at 12:38 PM on May 18, 2005

Gotta put in my vote for the Tilley.
I have two and love them both.
posted by TheFeatheredMullet at 12:48 PM on May 18, 2005

Gilligan/bucket hats are cute too.
posted by amberglow at 1:02 PM on May 18, 2005

I am a sucker for a boy in a kangol. They have a variety of different styles, but my favorite is the basic cabbie hat. Comes in a variety of colors and materials so you're sure to find one that'll go with your wardrobe.
posted by salad spork at 1:05 PM on May 18, 2005

I, personally, would prefer a fedora...probably because I wish to look like Indiana Jones...but the tilley sounds good...
posted by schyler523 at 1:05 PM on May 18, 2005

Get a Stetson.
posted by Netzapper at 1:07 PM on May 18, 2005

You could always try the Debonair Sysadmin model.
posted by matildaben at 1:58 PM on May 18, 2005 [1 favorite]

I'll 5th or 6th the Tilley recommendation. They have a model (Airflow or something like that) that works great in warm summer weather. They also make a neat winter hat that I have loved for the last two years.
posted by jaysus chris at 2:47 PM on May 18, 2005

Tilleys are hot. That's all there is to it.

(Sexy hot, not temperature hot. They're actually quite cool. Temperature-wise. And cool like Fonzie as well. Kthxbye.)
posted by jennyjenny at 2:51 PM on May 18, 2005

My first thought, too, was a Tilley (disclosure: I used to be HS friends with one of their kids).
posted by PurplePorpoise at 4:03 PM on May 18, 2005

I wear a Tilley in the summertime, although complements from appreciative strangers have been rare. In fact, after hearing of stories like MrMoonPie's, this style of headgear doesn't seem at all 'cool' to me. The young daughter of a friend calls it my 'Gilligan' hat -- how cool can that be, Little Buddy? So alternatively, I wear my cheescutter, and I've been waiting for a hat-related thread in order to bring this term to the attention of the AxMeFi community. In a previous thread, stupidSexyFlanders wondered about alternate names for the Flat Cap or Newsboy; well, there it is. Before learning of this amusing term I called 'em driving caps, to a friend of mine, these hats are known as dealbreakers, due to her reaction, whenever a man she's dating shows up wearing one.

As for the original question, I think the cheesecutter is an ideal cap for traveling, since it can be folded up flat and stored in a back pocket easily. I've also bought one there (in Vienna) so when wearing one in Europe you might even blend in a bit.
posted by Rash at 4:15 PM on May 18, 2005

White straw hat. A small black ribbon makes it more formal.
posted by Nelson at 4:18 PM on May 18, 2005

Best answer: A Panama hat ! They look great on a man (and not bad on a woman). Some of them even roll up. These are the very pricey real ones - but you can get cheap ones too.
posted by Flitcraft at 5:24 PM on May 18, 2005

Yup, Panama is the only acceptable summer hat for gentlemen. WTF is a Tilley? They look hideous.
posted by blag at 5:37 PM on May 18, 2005

The Panama or Trilby, for sure. Definitely the gentleman's hot weather headgear. That Tilley monstrosity looks like the sort of thing the geek kid who always got beaten up at school used to wear.
posted by Decani at 5:52 PM on May 18, 2005

Okay, I officially want a Panama hat now.
posted by josh at 8:16 PM on May 18, 2005

The beaten-up thing is exactly what I thought about my dad's Tilley. Admittedly, he wore it during the portion of my life when my parents' every action embarassed me, so that might be the reason for my antipathy for his hat.
posted by Netzapper at 8:31 PM on May 18, 2005

Another vote for the panama. I've got three, in varying states of wear; they're light, comfortable, and look great.
posted by languagehat at 7:06 AM on May 19, 2005

Response by poster: Thanks, everyone. It sounds like the choice is between a Tilley and a Panama, so I marked those as best answers.

Now I know what to look for!
posted by bjennings at 3:52 AM on May 20, 2005

er, a greek fisherman hat, a newsboy, a carribean style straw hat, or a desert cap which i dont know the name of but its a cross between a newsboy and a painters cap.
posted by GleepGlop at 7:23 PM on May 21, 2005

I have both a Panama hat and an AirFlow Tilley...

Winner?

Tilley! Hands down.

Yeah, the Panama hat is a little prettier, but once the canvas is sweat-soaked, it gets pretty gross. And besides, the Panama hat is heavier.

I really love my Tilley. I do still wear both hats, but the Tilley wins every time.
posted by SlyBevel at 3:50 PM on May 23, 2005