Where to get basic but high-quality sun hat in Chicago?
August 13, 2018 12:12 PM   Subscribe

I want to get a basic sun hat from a store in Chicago, straw or woven paper, and maybe stick a flower or ribbon on it to give as a gift.

The ones listed on the Macy's site are too fancy. The ones at the drug store (if there are any) are too ... I don't know. They tend to be low quality? I also found a couple of "hat stores" but those, again, have stuff that's over-decorated and/or quite expensive. I'm looking for an excellent base that I can work on.

Also, a lot of sun/beach hats can be very floppy, and this is for wearing while walking around on the streets, so a stiff brim that won't flop down and block vision would be very helpful.

I found the Judith M millinery supply shop online, but that doesn't seem quite right, and anyway I'd rather not wait for shipping. I am open to online sources potentially, especially if they're located nearby.

I'm also hoping to avoid extraneous decoration, but I have purchased one and removed the store-provided decor.

Has anybody seen a good hat or hats in the city?
posted by amtho to Shopping (7 answers total)
 
I got a good basic one at REI, not too floppy, not too expensive.
posted by mai at 12:39 PM on August 13, 2018


This one is available at the Michigan Avenue Nordstrom. I have one and it's quite nice, not at all floppy. If you purchase it online, they will have it waiting for you at the concierge desk on the first floor.
posted by crush at 1:04 PM on August 13, 2018


What's your ideal budget?
posted by Stewriffic at 4:24 AM on August 14, 2018


I ask ^ because this one on the Macy's website seems to tick all your boxes.
posted by Stewriffic at 4:26 AM on August 14, 2018


Response by poster: That is close to the ideal budget, and I love the color and apparent quality! However, I definitely want a bigger/shadier brim.

Maybe something like this but less floppy. I think it would need to be made of a slightly different material or stiffened somehow.
posted by amtho at 6:51 AM on August 14, 2018


Yeah, I think you're going to find that the wider brims are floppy in the paper hats that are typically available just by nature of the material and that form. The cloche style should shade the face, but maybe not the chest. I suspect you're in one of those "Pick two" situations. Best of luck!
posted by Stewriffic at 9:10 AM on August 14, 2018


I have a couple of paper/polyester mix sun hats from Sunday Afternoons - they're of great quality and look good.
posted by hellopanda at 8:06 AM on August 15, 2018


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