From coast to coast road trips, cruising ocean blues toward awaiting islands, to backpacking distant countries soaking in the sights, sounds and varying cultures of our international neighbors-- wherever your wanderlust takes you, a hat is always a companion to consider as you make your way.
Let's look at some of our prime picks for protection and packability to ensure your summer adventure remains one of the very best!
Men's Straw Hats for Sun Protection
If you're planning to globetrot to sunny vistas, something to keep in mind is making sure you're appropriately shielded so you can best enjoy all the sights without getting burned literally and figuratively for your want for some summertime fun.
It is recommended by dermatologists to wear a hat with a brim of at least three inches in width for appropriate coverage from harmful UV rays, and a solid, flat weave of lightweight summer straw is going to keep you both sufficiently covered and cool!
The Belfry Portofino with its gently sloped safari brim offers a lightweight natural toquilla (otherwise known as Panama) straw hat body and neutral brown suede band providing comfort, coverage, and flexibility in styling. The flat weave of the straw itself provides a nicely solid cast of shadow, and with it, you get ample coverage on your face, neck and ears.
For anyone looking for breathability, the Dunraven by Stetson has its own added advantages. The slightly looser weave of natural seagrass straw helps promote airflow through the crown to keep you cool, but it maintains the ability to provide sun protection by the addition of a solid cloth batch on the underside of the brim and inside the reinforced crown. The straw has also been lacquered, which gives it a sheen, but also means that between long stretches of beach and surprise rainfall, you don't have to worry about the integrity of your hat!
One of our other favorites for optimal sun protection is the Belfry Brando. Now, we hear you-- "A black straw hat in the dog days of summer? Wouldn't that be hot?" Would it surprise you to learn that it honestly isn't at all? The lightness of the Toyo paper straw trumps anything the dark coloring would really try to do, and it makes a great summer travel companion for anyone whose felt hat of choice tends to be a classy black hat (I speak from owner's experience and as someone whose coworkers tease anytime I aim to buy yet another black hat, ha!) As an added bonus, it dresses up easily because of its color and sleek silhouette just in case in your travels you want to have a nice evening out enjoying local cuisine.
Men's Packable Hat Picks
On the other end of the spectrum, and while we are always adamant fans of looking extra stylish on the plane by simply wearing your hat, it's also good to give consideration into how crushable and packable your hat could be if you're needing to stash it in your luggage for any amount of time.
Hats constructed from crocheted natural raffia straw tend to be one of our personal favorites here at Hats in the Belfry, like the Belfry Spello. Due to the nature of its construction, the crocheted straw fibers make for an incredibly durable summer straw hat. Flat woven straws often have pressure points in the pinched block of the crown that can crack if mishandled with continued pressure, so if you tend to handle your hat by the pinch while wearing it, a crocheted straw option is meant to hold up to that manner of donning and doffing your hat. It also makes the crown very breathable, so you'll be able to enjoy many hours out and about in breezy comfort. (Sidenote, if you're looking for a non-safari brim option, the Belfry Ragusa is a trim trilby travel ready just for you!)
The Belfry Tanaro and Asti are linen crushable options too that fold easily into any bag you need to stash them away in, and have the benefit of being easily spot cleaned for general upkeep. The material is naturally moisture wicking, and has a gentle enough weight to it that we consider these linen options to be great multiseasonal hats to carry you spring through fall. Their neutral color options make them completely flexible in pairing them with a wide variety of wardrobe options, so they make fantastic go and roam hats for wherever the roads take you.
But what if fedoras are more what you imagine sporting during your summer adventure? The Belfry Agapito and Belfry Trisola are both durable and breathable hemp options that are also fully crushable!
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Between straw hats for sun protection to crushable packable straw and linen hats easily stashed in your luggage, know you have tons of options available to you. So, wherever your travels take you this season, we hope you enjoy the adventure that awaits, and don't forget to pack your hat! (Don't forget to tag your #belfryselfie with us on social media! We'd love to see them!)
Curious, have questions and need help? Contact our customer service at 888-999-HATS (4287) or by email at hats@hatsinthebelfry.com. In-person shopping more your thing? Come see us at 103 Main Street, in Downtown Annapolis!
