Women's Straw Brim & Sun Hats

More Than a Label

Created With Our Hatmakers in Italy

We don't simply travel to Italy to buy hats. We go there to help create them.

Twice each year, we visit the workshops behind our Belfry Italia collection, working directly with experienced hatmakers on materials, colors, shapes, brim proportions, trims, and finishing details. Their generations of craftsmanship bring an understanding of hatmaking that can't be replicated on a specification sheet.

We bring something to the table as well: decades of experience selling hats and direct feedback from the women who wear them. We know which shapes customers find flattering, which materials feel best in warm weather, which styles travel well, and how traditional silhouettes can be refined for the way women dress today.

That exchange of Italian craftsmanship and Belfry customer insight is what shapes the collection.

The result is a selection of straw brim and sun hats developed together, beautifully crafted, and exclusive to Belfry.

Discover Belfry Italia

Find Your Shape

From an easy everyday straw hat to a dramatic wide brim, the right sun hat comes down to shape, coverage, material, and where you plan to wear it.

Classic Straw Brim
An easy warm-weather silhouette with a surrounding brim and lightweight construction. Versatile enough for everyday wear, vacations, and outdoor occasions.

Wide Brim Sun Hat
A generous brim creates an elegant silhouette while providing additional shade and coverage for the face and neck.

Raffia Hat
Natural raffia brings beautiful texture, flexibility, and relaxed character to a summer hat. Its versatility allows for everything from softly rolling brims to more defined silhouettes.

Packable Sun Hat
Designed with travel in mind, packable styles use flexible materials and construction that make them easier to bring along for vacations, weekends, and days on the go.

Panama Hat
A genuine Panama is handwoven in Ecuador from toquilla straw. Lightweight, breathable, and beautifully crafted, it brings a refined character to warm-weather dressing.

How to Choose a Women's Straw or Sun Hat

Start With the Brim

Medium Brim
A versatile choice for everyday wear, offering shade and coverage without the stronger proportions of a wide-brim hat.

Wide Brim
Provides greater coverage while creating an elegant, confident silhouette that works beautifully for travel, outdoor occasions, and summer dressing.

Soft & Rolling Brim
A relaxed brim creates movement and a softer silhouette, making it an easy choice for casual summer style.

Then Consider the Material

Raffia
Lightweight and naturally textured, raffia offers flexibility and relaxed character that works beautifully in warm-weather hats.

Toquilla Straw
The natural fiber used to handweave genuine Panama hats in Ecuador. It is prized for its light weight, breathability, and ability to be woven into beautifully refined hats.

Natural Straw
Different natural fibers and weaving techniques create varying degrees of texture, structure, flexibility, and breathability.

Packable Materials
Certain materials and constructions are specifically designed for flexibility and shape recovery, making them better suited to travel. Not every straw hat is packable, so always check the individual hat before folding or packing it.

Women's Straw Brim & Sun Hat FAQs

What is a sun hat?

A sun hat is a brimmed hat designed to provide shade and coverage in sunny conditions. Women's sun hats range from casual packable styles and raffia brims to elegant wide-brim and structured straw hats.

What is the best type of women's hat for sunny weather?

Look for a surrounding brim that provides shade for more than just the front of the face. Wider brims generally provide greater coverage, while lightweight and breathable materials help keep the hat comfortable in warmer temperatures.

Do straw hats provide sun protection?

A brimmed straw hat can provide useful shade and physical coverage for the head and face. The amount of coverage depends on the brim width, weave, and construction. Unless a particular hat has a tested UPF rating, it should be used alongside other recommended sun-protection measures.

What is the difference between a straw hat and a Panama hat?

Straw hat is a broad term covering hats made from many different natural fibers and straw-like materials. A genuine Panama hat is specifically handwoven in Ecuador from toquilla straw. Panama refers to the material and weaving tradition rather than one particular hat shape.

Are Panama hats really made in Panama?

No. Genuine Panama hats are traditionally handwoven in Ecuador from toquilla straw. Despite the name, Ecuador is the home of the centuries-old Panama hat weaving tradition.

What is raffia, and is it good for a sun hat?

Raffia is a natural fiber derived from the raffia palm. Its light weight, texture, and flexibility make it particularly well suited to summer hats, including relaxed brims and styles designed with travel in mind.

What is the best material for a women's summer hat?

It depends on how you plan to wear it. Raffia is an excellent choice for relaxed style and flexibility, while genuine Panama hats are valued for their lightweight construction, breathability, and craftsmanship. Other natural straws offer different combinations of structure, texture, and ventilation.

Are straw hats packable?

Some are, but not all. Packable hats use materials and construction specifically designed for greater flexibility and shape recovery. More structured straw hats may be damaged by folding or crushing, so always check whether the individual style is designated as packable.

How should a women's sun hat fit?

A sun hat should feel comfortably secure without excessive pressure. A good fit is particularly important with a wider brim because wind can catch the additional surface area more easily.

How do I choose the right brim width?

Think about both coverage and style. A medium brim offers an easy balance for everyday wear, while a wide brim provides additional shade and creates a more dramatic silhouette. The best proportion is ultimately the one that feels balanced and natural when you wear it.

How do I care for a straw hat?

Avoid crushing the brim or repeatedly pinching the crown when handling the hat. Keep it away from unnecessary moisture and excessive heat, and store it where the shape won't be distorted. Because different natural fibers require different care, always follow the instructions for the individual hat.

Explore Women's Summer Hats

Raffia Hats
Lightweight, flexible summer styles with beautiful natural texture.

Wide Brim Sun Hats
Elegant silhouettes with generous brims for additional shade and coverage.

Genuine Panama Hats
Traditional hats handwoven in Ecuador from toquilla straw.

Packable Sun Hats
Flexible, travel-friendly styles made for summer on the go.

Straw Fedoras
Classic fedora silhouettes interpreted in lightweight warm-weather materials.

The Belfry Difference

Superior Materials. Master Craftsmanship. Inspired Design. Streamlined Pricing.

For more than four decades, we've specialized in hats. Today, we take that experience directly to the source, working with accomplished hatmakers in Italy, Ecuador, and beyond to create and curate women's hats around what matters most: exceptional materials, skilled craftsmanship, beautiful design, and lasting value.

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