Hello from the past. Hadley here, writing a few weeks before maternity leave. I hope you all have been having a great summer and I look forward to my full on return this fall!
Our house had a low entrance. Big wooden beams crosshatched the ceiling before the house swooped up into a barn-like architecture. Across those beams hung my father’s collection of hats. Western hats, vintage cycling caps, fur toppers, sombreros, and more. A travelogue of headwear collected over his lifespan.
Some hats rested as art pieces, whereas others could be taken for a spin by any of us in the Hammer clan. There was that one epic high school house party where my friends and I drank Smirnoff, ate enchiladas, and danced around with each of us wearing a topper of choice (I believe, Mom, who is certainly reading this, that the statute of limitations for getting in trouble for said party has elapsed…no hats were harmed). In order to take a hat off its hook, you really had to choose which personality you were stepping into.
Because that’s the thing about hats. They seem to make a statement in a way unique to other parts of our wardrobes. Hats, rooted in function, tend to say something. Something like: I’m a cowboy. Or: I’m a cyclist. Or: I’m a fur trapper and it’s 1820.
While I love using garments to express my insides (hence creating TOGS), I equally understand why people shy away from wearing hats.
But it’s summer, and the sun is real, and here in France we are living through a billion heatwaves and hats are simply necessary.
The go-to for most is your standard cap. But, I have found that I’m just not loving the few caps I own. While Kellyn and North sure can rock a cap as seen in this month’s Mudroom, I never totally feel like myself while donning one.
So for this week’s TOGS, let me suggest three fun summer alternatives to your cap collection.
Make the most sense in terms of sun protection and ventilation. And since their association at its strongest is to a chill gardener, it’s an easy identity to slip into.
I found my straw hat at the farmers market during the first of what would be a billion heat waves that would roll through France this spring and early summer.
Farmers markets and random beach stalls in Greece or Spain are surely the best place to find such a gem, but of course that’s not a realistic option for many.
Instead, I’d suggest balling out and getting one from Janessa Leone, Maison Ola, or Gigi Burris. Pricey, but definitely in the category of buy it nice or buy it twice, and I just love the idea that there are still people out there who are milliners and dedicate their life to the craft of making hats! This dreamy Lauren Manoogian one is also in the buy it nice or buy it twice category, but a bit on sale to lessen the price tag.
On the much more affordable and less delicate end would be a Magic Hat or one from COS. For pure ventilation it’s ideal to find one made from raffia. (You’d be surprised how many hats sneak in polyester!)
One of the best parts about straw hats is they come in an endless variety of shapes (see Skall’s latest runway styles below). Pierre and I spent a good 20 minutes of me trying on hats because, in my humble opinion, the interface between the shape of the hat and the shape of your face matters.
In French, a bucket hat is called a Bob. A linguistic fact that makes me giggle.
I had written off “bobs” for years until a few birthdays ago in Paris where I jokingly tossed one on while shopping at the famous Merci. I abhor logos yet still deeply regret not getting this hat. There’s something nostalgic and playful and ridiculous about a bucket hat and I’m here for it.
Buckets these days come in a variety of shapes. You could go traditional (and a perfect throwback to the 90’s). Or like Kellyn often stylishly displays, very oversized. Or for the coolest of cool, you could emulate Laila Gohar (here’s her sold out but sometimes still available hat collab with Arket) and go with a Yoji Yamamoto knit vibe. I’m loving the playfully named Emily Dawn Long’s “Hat Named Wanda” that pull off a similar look.
Ultra pro trail runner Jim Walmsley proves that they are sufficient headwear for mountain running (though I guess he could probably run well while wearing a football helmet so…)
The loose bucket can carry you onto fall with these two stunners from my favorite high street French brand Soeur.
And last but not least but potentially the trickiest in terms of identity is the cowboy hat. It’s easy for your entire look to quickly turn costume-y when wearing one.
While my family owns no cows, I am from Wyoming and have a deep reverence for cowboy culture. I am shaped by the wind and landscapes of the west. Donning a cowboy hat is an act of nostalgia for me. A nod to my hometown while living very far away.
The trick for me is to contrast my hat with either simple clothes or un-western wear. Unless you’re actually going on a horse—then throw on a pearl snap shirt, a silk scarf, a bolo and your finest cowboy hat and ride!
Happy summer hat-wearing to all,
-Hadley
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