Hat Trick

Friend Jane emailed us a few weeks ago with a hat conundrum.  She wants to protect her face from the sun, but she does not want to look or feel silly - something that can easily occur when donning a chapeau.  Please tell me, how do you wear or find a hat for the warmer weather?  

Thank you for asking.  We discussed the topic at our last editorial meeting and agreed that we were singularly and collectively unqualified to dispense hat advice.  Luckily, we know an expert.  Allison Hamilton-Rohe, is a style coach and founder of DailyOutfit.  Below are her thoughts on sun hats. 

The Perfect Hat
By Allison Hamilton-Rohe

 

Hats can be so difficult to get right and yet they are absolutely mandatory if you like being outdoors at all.  The good news is that I have found the perfect hat! 

Fabulous.  The design of the Scala hat ($22-$30) echoes the big, floppy sun hat you might expect poolside in Capri, but is much easier to pull off.  Because the brim is not quite as wide as your usual straw hat, it’s a little less fah-bulous without being unfabulous.  Rather, it is totally fabulous without being over-the-top. 

 

 

Practical.  Not only is this hat washable and UPF rated to 50, it also has a very handy inner drawstring which keeps it on your head.  I have tested the drawstring on the beach at the Outer Banks, on the top of Cadillac Mountain in Maine and on a boat.  It stayed on in all three situations, which is impressive!

Packable.  Because the hat is cotton versus straw, it folds, rolls and goes easily in your suitcase, backpack or big purse, which is wonderful for full day trips or if you live or are visiting a place where the weather changes rapidly.
Now what about the most important part -- how does it look?

Flattering.  I have now seen this hat on almost all the face shapes -- rectangular, oval, round and heart-shaped – and it’s looked great on all.  Short hair and long.  I can’t yet say it’s universally flattering, but I’d be surprised if that were not the case.

Color.  The most difficult part about this hat is choosing a color.  Available in 20 shades, there’s no doubt you can find at least one that brings out your eyes or flatters your skin tone.   However, you want to match the color to your situation.  A bright pink hat is great at the beach, but not so fitting on a hike.  Luckily, since it’s inexpensive, you can buy a different color for each occasion and still be a-head  (sorry, couldn’t resist the pun!)

 

Still Not Sure?  While hats can be confusing and sometimes it feels easier to just don a baseball cap and call it a day, I suggest trying the Scala hat to stretch your sartorial muscles.  If you’re not sure, order the hat and test your look by using your timer on your camera and taking a photograph of yourself in the hat.  Send the photo to some trusted friends and to me.  I promise I’ll tell you if you look foolish.  But, my guess is you might want to prepare for some compliments!

Allison Hamilton-Rohe developed DailyOutfit to help you reorganize and develop a fantastic wardrobe that flatters your body type, works for your lifestyle and helps you express who you want to be. Transform your life through your look.

 

Thank you, Jane for asking and hats off to you Allison for you help!

Enjoy the weekend.

Vacation, all I ever wanted?

For many mothers, summer “vacation” is no holiday. Never is this more true than when she decides to take a trip (yes, a “vacation”), say, for example, to a beach house filled with her own extended family. She is lucky to be there, lucky to have access, lucky to spend time at a scenic waterfront spot. Lucky indeed. So, how can it feel like such drudgery? Is it the endless cycle of changing into swimsuits, applying sunscreen, preparing snacks, dragging chairs, buckets, bags across the sand, supplying drinks of water, supplying clean towels, wiping sand out of eyes, and then cleaning everyone and everything up only to do it all again the next day? Is it the difficulty (exacerbated by the new setting) of keeping track of all the swimsuits, coloring books, hats, sunglasses, and favorite stuffed animals? Is it the exhaustion of letting the kids stay up later than normal, only to have them wake with the sun, ready for another busy day of vacation? Whatever it is, it can leave a modern mother feeling fatigued and, well, in need of a vacation from her vacation. But of course there is no time off from motherhood. Perhaps the modern mother can take solace in the fact that she is not alone, and the U.S. has recently been called “No Vacation Nation” for the paltry vacation time Americans typically receive and take from their paid jobs. Better consolation might be found by curling up with her digital camera after everyone is in bed, and flipping through the photos of the day: frolicking in the surf, sandcastles, learning to body surf. Her children’s happiness in the photos should help put the schlepping in perspective. These luminous and gritty days at the beach are quintessential childhood summer memories.  The modern mother can cling to their brightness and shake off the fatigue as she shakes the sand out of her beach bag.