# Straw hats?



## katon (Dec 25, 2006)

What are the right options? 









(1958)

Panamas? (Anyone know a good source for folders with narrow brims?)









(1943)









(1981)

Coconut straw seems to be a Brooks Bros. favorite... (Traditionally from the Bahamas, I think. Does the country of origin still matter?)









(1979)

L.L. Bean has sold macora braid hats before...

Italian-made leghorn straw used to have a following...

What about raffia? Anything else?

General styles? The pork pie seems pretty popular... okay with suits, or would one want to go with something like a trilby? (Or are straw hats really not appropriate in summer suit settings anymore?)

Any other styles?

I imagine that a narrow brim is more in tune with the aesthetic, but maybe not quite so practical for sun protection purposes? :icon_smile_big:

Thoughts?


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## leisureclass (Jan 31, 2011)

Through a shady ebay sale, I ended up with a hat a lot like the second LL Bean one pictured here, with a solid navy band though. I like it, but it's sort of hard to wear and has kind of limited use (Music festivals, Working outdoors, when in proximity to water). I say shady because the pictures made it look a lot more like the first LL Bean hat, with a small brim, so if anyone has any leads on a similar decent hat in XXL or XXXL it would be much appreciated. Having such a large head limits one's hat options greatly.


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## Sir Cingle (Aug 22, 2009)

DelMonico hatters in New Haven has a nice selection of panama hats:


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## leisureclass (Jan 31, 2011)

Wow, that's a great resource for larger sizes. Many thanks Sir Cingle. I'll have to stop in sometime when I'm back in New England.


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## The Rambler (Feb 18, 2010)

A true Panama is made, of course, in Ecuador. The finest from the area around the village of Montecristi, where hat making is an art. This is where the legendary weavers can produce hats with well over a thousand weaves per square inch, tht can cost thousands of dollars, but also very extraordinarily light, strong and flexible hats that cost a few hundred. As for the styles of montecristis, they are generally rough formed, with the final shaping done by artisans in that, in the US. Many more hats are produced in the Ecuadorian city of Cuenca: these are the typical Panamas, of somewhat coarser weave, that are found in US shops, and cost 40-150 bucks. These are usually blocked in Cuenca, and the better ones are very fine hats. Styles are pretty standard, and can be seen at hatsellers on the web: English style Optimo, countless fedora variations, the "gambler" types, narrow brim models, etc. A good blocker will make any style you want, from the kind Sam Snead and Chi Chi wore, to the urban porkpie, etc. Look on the web and you'll see you can get any style and pay any price.
Non panama straws are made all over the sub tropical world. I've seen guys in the Bahamas knock em out of green coconut fronds in no time. Some are ok. Quality is judged by the tightness of the weave.


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## mcarthur (Jul 18, 2005)

an excellent source of straw hats is optimo hat company in chicago. graham thompson the owner is one of the best hat makers. the quality is outstanding. the website is optimohat.com


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## Patrick06790 (Apr 10, 2005)

leisureclass said:


> Having such a large head limits one's hat options greatly.


Yes it does.


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## Orgetorix (May 20, 2005)

If you're after a Panama, I can't recommend Robert Webber of Panama Hat Works of Montecristi highly enough. His prices are unbeatable for the quality. I have a Montecristi from him that's been great for going on five years now. It's not the finest weave, but it works for my purposes. I plan to get a finer hat someday. I'm getting ready to send this one to have the brim cut down and bound.



I also have a navy Milan straw hat by Dobbs that I got from Hats Direct in Chicago. It's nice for a change of pace, and the darker color goes better with suits.


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## The Rambler (Feb 18, 2010)

Are you really going to get that nice backwoven edge cut back and bound? Another choice to narrow the brim would be to get it curled into a "pencil roll," if you like that look.


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## Titus_A (Jun 23, 2010)

The Montecristis are quite fantastic. I have also seen an intrepid fellow around Nashville sporting a strawboater during the summer months. It looked fantastic, but I don't know if I would be that courageous.

As for the smaller pork-pie types, I think that's riskier than the larger panamas. They were, frankly, a bit ugly to begin with. Today wearing a hat like that is most likely to make people think you're trying to be a hipster. A large-brimmed hat might make people think you're bold or peculiarly stylish, and heaven knows that's a lot better.


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## Joe Beamish (Mar 21, 2008)

^ I doubt that most onlookers would make the distinction (pork pie = hipster; large-brimmed hat = bold and stylish.) Many people would think nothing of it (since anything goes), and some would think "style geek" or "doofus" regardless of which hat you wore, and some would think "hipster" regardless of which hat you wore, and some would think "oh that's very nice, one of those old fashioned hats" regardless of which hat your wore.


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## Orgetorix (May 20, 2005)

Dirty hipster.


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## dorji (Feb 18, 2010)

I like my Bailey's
https://img638.imageshack.us/i/dscn0310a.jpg/
Uploaded with ImageShack.us

About $65 I think, sized S-M-L etc., made somewhere in Ecuador. Sometimes it rains and I don't even care :icon_smile:. Although I will get a real nice one someday, this one works great for knock-around summer use.


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## The Rambler (Feb 18, 2010)

Orgetorix said:


> Dirty hipster.


such elegant ease!


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## dwebber18 (Jun 5, 2008)

Orgetorix said:


> If you're after a Panama, I can't recommend Robert Webber of Panama Hat Works of Montecristi highly enough. His prices are unbeatable for the quality. I have a Montecristi from him that's been great for going on five years now. It's not the finest weave, but it works for my purposes. I plan to get a finer hat someday. I'm getting ready to send this one to have the brim cut down and bound.


I second the recommendation for Panama Bob, I have a Cuenca and a Montecristi from him and they are both very nice. I also agree his prices are really good and he responds quickly to email and will send extra pictures of different shapes. I will also recommend the Panama Hat Company of St. Augustine https://www.mypanamahat.com/ I'm from St. Augustine and frequented Tony's store and he is very helpful. He doesn't have much of an online store but he is good about email and will sell what you want that way.


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## TheGreatTwizz (Oct 27, 2010)

dorji said:


> I like my Bailey's
> https://img638.imageshack.us/i/dscn0310a.jpg/
> Uploaded with ImageShack.us
> 
> About $65 I think, sized S-M-L etc., made somewhere in Ecuador. Sometimes it rains and I don't even care :icon_smile:. Although I will get a real nice one someday, this one works great for knock-around summer use.


OM EFFING G ---- Where did you find that Bailey's!!!!! I just looked at two at Nordstrom, one in each color of that weave, but that is a gorgeous weave and I want one....please help me source it!!


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## DoghouseReilly (Jul 25, 2010)

TheGreatTwizz said:


> OM EFFING G ---- Where did you find that Bailey's!!!!! I just looked at two at Nordstrom, one in each color of that weave, but that is a gorgeous weave and I want one....please help me source it!!


 has some Bailey's. I really like the Carnegie, but ended up going with a Stetson instead.


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## straw sandals (Apr 14, 2010)

^That is too much hat for little ol' me. When I'm feeling adventurous, I wear a boater and pretend that I'm a booze-busting G-man.


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## The Rambler (Feb 18, 2010)

Gents, as the weather warms, we'll start a what straw hat are you wearing? thread. Uncle Mac's collection is something to behold.


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## Titus_A (Jun 23, 2010)

Orgetorix said:


> Dirty hipster.


Yes, we all know that Ol' Blue Eyes wore one. I'll reiterate that I don't think it looked very good, but _gustibus non disputandem_. And if one of you is Frank Sinatra, you should feel free to wear whatever hat---even a pork pie---that you like. And Joe may be right: maybe the average onlooker won't make the distinction I identified, especially if the wearer is not otherwise dressed like he lives in a dumpster. But the pork pie was, I think, a less restrained hat when Sinatra wore it and is a less restrained hat now. But if that's what blows your skirt up, by all means wear one and look good doing it.


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## TheGreatTwizz (Oct 27, 2010)

DoghouseReilly said:


> has some Bailey's. I really like the Carnegie, but ended up going with a Stetson instead.


Thanks for the link Doghouse - Bailey's can be hard to find in person, and their sizing leaves much to be desired; I've simply defaulted to XL after a few larges were too small. I wear a Tino daily (I have 6 of them, but can't find burgandy!!!).

This looks to be the Gillespie, but the only one I can find is navy...


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## Mad Hatter (Jul 13, 2008)

I've got three: this boater from BB. https://www.brooksbrothers.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Merchant_Id=1&Section_Id=326&Product_Id=1167524&Parent_Id=228&default_color=AS-SHOWN&sort_by=&sectioncolor=&sectionsize==

This porkpie is from Miller Hats; the Quitman-mine didn't come with the feather, which I would've removed, anyway.

And another porkpie. Dobbs "Bishop", from Bencraft Hats.


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## DoghouseReilly (Jul 25, 2010)

TheGreatTwizz said:


> Thanks for the link Doghouse - Bailey's can be hard to find in person, and their sizing leaves much to be desired; I've simply defaulted to XL after a few larges were too small. I wear a Tino daily (I have 6 of them, but can't find burgandy!!!).
> 
> This looks to be the Gillespie, but the only one I can find is navy...


You're welcome. I know the men's store in the Peabody Hotel in Memphis carries them. Sadly, however, their mint juleps leave something to be desired.


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## Patrick06790 (Apr 10, 2005)

Orgetorix said:


> If you're after a Panama, I can't recommend Robert Webber of Panama Hat Works of Montecristi highly enough. His prices are unbeatable for the quality. I have a Montecristi from him that's been great for going on five years now. It's not the finest weave, but it works for my purposes. I plan to get a finer hat someday. I'm getting ready to send this one to have the brim cut down and bound.


I have a couple like this. One's got too much brim for my taste but I keep it handy anyway, I'm outside a lot in the summer and I get fried up pretty fast.

The other one's a Christies (Christy's?) that I got cheap because I wear a 7 7/8 and the store wanted to be rid of the thing.

But the ones that get worn most are cheapos that are almost like wicker furniture, with brightly colored, semi-obnoxious cotton bands.

edit: Well, well, looky here. The Crowley is what I want, and if my hair's short I can do 7 3/4.


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## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

^^
Hopefully, in another month it will be time to pull out the old straw Stetson Temple hat but, I've gotta tell ya...those upscale Montecristi's are sorely tempting! :icon_scratch:
Curse you Orgetorix...you are a bad influence(?).


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## TheGreatTwizz (Oct 27, 2010)

DoghouseReilly said:


> You're welcome. I know the men's store in the Peabody Hotel in Memphis carries them. Sadly, however, their mint juleps leave something to be desired.


At least they can make a mint julep. Try ordering one of those in this neck of the woods and they'll look at you like you have three heads.


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## harvey_birdman (Mar 10, 2008)

eagle2250 said:


> ^^
> Hopefully, in another month it will be time to pull out the old straw Stetson Temple hat but, I've gotta tell ya...those upscale Montecristi's are sorely tempting! :icon_scratch:
> Curse you Orgetorix...you are a bad influence(?).


I've got a Stetson for Brooks Brothers straw hat I picked up several years ago on sale that is still going strong. Very nice.


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## DoghouseReilly (Jul 25, 2010)

harvey_birdman said:


> I've got a Stetson for Brooks Brothers straw hat I picked up several years ago on sale that is still going strong. Very nice.


I've got a Stetson panama that isn't too shabby. I wish the crown was a smidgen taller, though.



TheGreatTwizz said:


> At least they can make a mint julep. Try ordering one of those in this neck of the woods and they'll look at you like you have three heads.


That's true, but I whenever I order an $8 julep, I don't expect it to be made with sour mix! :crazy:


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