Baseball caps are great for bumming around — or playing baseball — but wear one to dinner and you just look like a bum. Indeed, for every occasion there is a hat. To take you from the beach to the bar, we present the ultimate summer lid roundup.
Bucket Hat
The laid-back, beach-friendly bucket hat is perfect for days in the sun. The simple, classic shape means it’s easy to wear, even for non-fashion types. We like the super-summery Brooks Brothers bucket hat, in blue seersucker.
Poor Boy
Also known as a driver’s cap, the poor boy’s clean lines are the epitome of urban cool. Samuel L. Jackson made the black Kangol version his trademark; we like Roots’ plaid take. Warning: Steer clear of this style if you have a round face.
Fedora
Bring a hint of the Rat Pack to your summer style with a cool straw fedora, like this colourful number from Modern Amusement. It’s all about the angles: Tip it to the side and pull down over one eye for a hipster-meets-Sinatra look.
Pork Pie
Fans of the Degrassi series might think of Joey Jeremiah’s trademark as an ’80s throwback. But dudes like Pete Doherty have made pork pies the new frontier for fashion-forward types. We like the lightweight black-and-white East Side Pork Pie from Big it Up.
Boonie
Styled on military safari hats, this soft canvas, wide-brimmed outdoorsy cap should only be worn on tours of duty in cottage country. A triumph, some would say, of function over fashion. Tilley makes a classic version, though it takes a real outdoorsman to pull it off.
Image courtesy of Robert C.
Brooks Brothers make wonderful hats I am sure, but there are Canadian hat makers too. Magill from Montreal make a wonderful straw fedora (with the removable feather). Biltmore out of Guelph make great summer hats too and have for generations. Both places have websites and will help you find a store in your neighbourhood. If you are in Stratford this summer, check out Hudsons Department Store (141 Downie Street, just South of the Avon theatre). They have some great hats. In Niagara on the Lake, there is Beau Chapeau (mostly foreign made hats). Enjoy. A man with a hat makes a positive fashion statement. Women love them; men are envious of you.
I was in BeauChapeau recently and found that they actually have a lot of Canadian and US made hats. Apparently they are trying to buy more locally. I found out that on each price tag is an indicator (either a maple leaf=canada or star=USA) to make it easy to see which hats are made domestically….thought that was a neat touch. Also don’t forget the Hatter on Ave Rd in Toronto – that’s a great place too!