Category Archives: Hat How

It’s summertime, and we’ve all been there: it’s hot, maybe a little humid . . . you’re outside. You might be active or you may just be sitting perfectly still hoping for that puff of a slight breeze. You have a hat on to protect from the sun, but your hair is wet, your hat damp and it’s just gross.

What can you do? There are a few options:

1. Paper Towels (cheap and on hand)

Take a single paper towel, fold it lengthwise and tuck between your hair and your hat. The towel will absorb the sweat, but keep an eye on it. If it gets too wet, paper towels have a tendency to shred themselves and pull apart.

2. Hatliners (high quality, but a slightly higher price)

Headline It! is a specially designed hat liner that soaks up sweat. These thin liners have a self adhesive back and hold up against the elements. One thing to note: these will make your hat fight a little tighter! If you have a style that fits perfectly, these might not work for you. They’ll keep you dry but it might be uncomfortable. They are perfect for a hat that is the slightest bit big (also a great solution for making you hat fit better!).

3. Dri-Lex® Sweatbands

There’s a great selection of hats now using a sweat absorbing band inside the hat. Now, this does mean you’d have to buy a new hat, but you would have no lining or bulky addition to the inside for a great comfortable wearing experience. Try the stylish Bailey of Hollywood Guthrie (right) or the Bailey Ontario Outback!

Cooler weather is creeping up on us as August zips by into September. A traditional, popular and constant winter accessory has been – and probably will always be – knits. Sweaters, hats, scarves, mittens, gloves, thick socks, leg warmers . . . if it’s knit, it’s toasty, soft and perfect for winter! But when you’re reading about a cable knit sweater or a garter stitch mitten, what does that MEAN?! Here’s a quick lesson in the anatomy of knitwear:

1. Garter Stitch

This is the elemental knit stitch. The first, the classic, the “man” so to speak. Sturdy, functional and textural, this slightly open knit is soft and flexible allowing for drape and form adjustments. However, the slight openness of the knit allows heat to escape some of the holes, so while it is perfect for autumn, it may not be the warmest for a snow storm!

Try the Ignite Crop Circle Peak for a great garter stitched knit!

2. Stockinette Stitch

This is the stitch people think of when they hear “knit”. The most common stitch, the stockinette is also the warmest, creating a thicker and tighter knit fabric to trap body heat.

Try the Timberland Stripe Toque for a toasty stockinette stitched style.

3. Ribbing

Creating raised panels of stitching, ribbing functions like elastic. Allowing the fabric to stretch and contract, ribbed knits are more form fitting and tight – perfect for a winter beanie to hug your head in precious warmth!

Try the Kangol Fully Fashioned Pull On for a great ribbed style!

4. Cables

Cables are purely decorative – and absolutely beautiful! Allowing the fabric to remain functional, cables are twisted stitch patterns stitched in the actual knit fabric. The actual design of the cables can vary from simple and delicate to intricate and robust, never losing the functionality of the piece.

Try the Kangol Bubble Cable Deeto for some fun cables!

5. Fair Isle

Another purely decorative technique, Fair Isle is the style of knit where different colors are interwoven through the design. This allows color work while maintaining the solid knit of the fabric.

Try the Kangol Noric Knit Earlap for some classic Fair Isle!

I’m going to postpone this week’s planned Hat How for a great video Kangol has released. Called “How to Wear a Kangol”, this beautifully produced video takes 4 people of different styles and face shapes and helps them find great looks in the Kangol range. From the Colette and Cloche for women to the 507 and Duke for men, this is a great look at what Kangol offers for your style!

For more info, you can check out KangolStore.com’s page, How to Wear a Kangol!

Love the style of Helen Kaminski sun visors but weep when you see the price? Now you can have all the style you want with just a little elbow grease! All you need is a wide brimmed sun hat of your choice (we chose the hats.com Signature Brand Carmen Sun hat), scissors and twine or ribbon! If you want to get fancy, you can also add trim, decoration and eyelets (which we’ll go over).

1. The Cut

This may be the most difficult part . . . not because it’s hard, but because you are taking a pair of scissors and hacking up a beautiful hat. First step is to breathe. Second, I would recommend using a marker or felt tip pen to mark your cut lines. You want a straight line around the crown about 1 1/2″ – 2″ above the brim. Then, at the back, a straight line down the crown and brim (see the gallery images for our example). These marks will make the cutting easier and much less stressful. You should make sure your scissors are nice and sharp. Dull scissors may chew the material of the hat. For aesthetics, you may now want to curve the edges of the brim at the back.

2. If you want to keep it simple: Punching Holes

Using the point of your scissors, punch holes in the crown and lace your string, twine or ribbon through the holes. You have a visor!

3. If you want to go fancy: Trim the edges

Right now, you have raw edges…and if you used a straw hat, it’ll be sharp and itchy and probably not look perfect. Using glue and ribbon, you can fix this! Fold your ribbon over the edges and glue in place. If you want to add flowers, bows, sequins, glitter, etc: go to town! Have fun with it and express your style.

4. Even fancier: Eyelets

There is a great tool at craft stores (and even in Walmart’s craft department!) for creating metal eyelets. Called “eyelet pliers” or “grommet pliers”, these bad boys allow you to get professional looking eyelets in just about any color. Plus, they’ll last a lot longer than just holes. Place some eyelets and lace up the back!

Hats are an amazing extension of our style. They scream “High class!”, “Super stylish!” or “Casual day!” . . . but unless you get one custom made, there’s a high probability that it won’t fit perfectly. Now, there is always that one style that you find where it fits perfectly the first time. But unless you want to limit yourself to just one style the rest of your life, you’re probably looking around.

The first step to a good fit is obviously finding the right size. But every brand is a little different, and different styles sit on different parts of the head, etc. Start by determining your hat size and then jump off from there.

Speaking from personal experience, I wear a medium hat. Unless it’s a Kangol 504 which I can usually wear a small. I wear a medium Kangol Deeto, and can usually squeeze into a kids large. Bailey of Hollywood straw fedoras are a snug medium, but their fabric or paper trilbys are a really loose medium. Ignite’s medium trilbys fit really well, and most of their winter hats are one size fits most.

A quick remedy is to adjust the way a larger hat sits on your head. For larger fedoras and trilbys, instead of the traditional perch straight on the head with the brim above the eyebrows and extending straight over the ears, try tilting high on the crown of the head. For women with long hair, another trick of mine is to curl your hair into a bun, but don’t secure it with pins or bands. Just use the hat to secure it in place. Pins and bands will present major discomfort once you put the hat on and they get pressed against your scalp.

For a more permanent approach, let’s address hats that are too big first. If you don’t have time for a quick trip to the hardware store (stick with me here, it will make sense), grab some paper towels or toilet paper. Roll lengthwise like you did with Play-Doh as a kid (c’mon, you loved making snakes. I know I did!). Tuck this padding into the sweatband inside the crown of your hat. The best solution is to run down to the hardware store (or major multi-purpose place like Target or Walmart) and purchase foam tape, preferrably at least 1″ wide. Measure the opening of the hat and cut a length of foam tape the same size. Remove the sticky backing and stick to the inside of the hat so that the sweatband covers the tape (same location as the temporary paper towels).

Now for the more difficult size transition: tight hats! If you by chance have a steamer, you’ve got it made. But it’s not a popular home appliance unless you’re a tailor, wear a lot of dress clothing or have OCD. Other options include an iron with steaming capabilities or a giant boiling pot of water. NOTE: Remember that  steam is created by boiling water. That means it is HOT. Please don’t burn yourself!! You want to hold the hat over the steam to soften the fabric and warm it slightly. Then use a bowl, soccer ball, or your head if you have a tolerance for heat to stretch the hat and hold in place until it dries AND cools.

The Kangol 504 is immensely popular. The only argument I need? Samuel L. Jackson wears them. I win the debate! But the 504 isn’t just for movie stars and hip-hop artists. The hat can be worn in a variety of positions on the head, and the sheet number of choices from the Kangol range means you can personalize your look for a signature style.

Here are so images of different ways to wear the hat, and then read below on where to place it on your head or how to match a position to your style.

1. Backwards: high on the crown

• This is the Sam Jackson look. The bottom edge of the hat creates a ring from the nape of the neck, behind the ears to the top of the head.
• Considered a traditional hip-hop style of wearing the hat.

2. Backwards: flat on the crown

• Similar to wearing a backwards baseball cap, the bottom of the hat rests above the eyebrows and ears with the brim protruding straight out the back of the head.
• Considered  more of a modern hip-hop or urban look.

3. Sideways

• Worn in the same fashion as #2, only with the brim protruding over one ear.
• Considered  more of a modern hip-hop or urban look.

4. Front: flat on the crown and straight forward

• Worn like a baseball cap, flat on the head with the brim straight over the face. The bottom of the hat rests above the eyebrows and ears.
• The typical way to wear a hat and considered more mainstream.

5. Front: tilted or skewed

• Similar to the style of #5, the hat can either be twisted slightly to the side where the bottom of the hat still sits straight, resting above the eyebrows; or the hat can be tilted so the bottom of the hat sits at a slight angle (closer to one ear than the other).
• Considered more of an artistic  look (think coffee shops and open mike nights)

6. Front: tipped over one eye

• This look could be considered slightly more feminine as the hat resembles more of a beret or cloche as it is severly tilted forward to hide one eye.
• Considered feminine and mysterious.

7. Front: high on the crown

• Tilting the hat backwards to sit high on the head.
• Considered casual and/or highly stressed.

We’ve all done it. In a movie, on a magazine cover, or any other variety of mediums. We’ve seen a celebrity in an AMAZING look and thought “I wish I had that look.” While celebrities have stylists, professional photographers and budgets to the sky, it’s not that hard to replicate a celebrity look on your own terms.  You don’t want to just wear an outfit or accessory exact like a photograph that doesn’t blend with your own style.

Here are some tips to get a similar style that suits your style (and budget!) while resembling that amazing image you fell in love with.

Since you know we love hats, I’ll use a hat for this little experiment, but the same principles apply to clothing, accessories and shoes.  Inspiration images:

1. Look at shapes

I look at the images and immediately determine that they are wearing fedoras. Sometimes, it’s not as simple, so I would recommend a little bit of internet research.  Once you have determined the general style you are looking for, it makes finding your perfect look a whole heck of a lot easier.

2. Figure out colors and materials

There are hundreds or thousands or hundreds of thousands of fedoras on the market today. And if you’re looking for a specific type of jeans, well, good luck. Narrowing down the colors and materials you want will help eliminate large groups of products. In the three inspiration images, there is a straw hat base with a high contrast hat band. Each of them have a small detail as well like small puffs of feathers, polka dots and stitching.

3. Set a budget

I don’t know about all of you, but I have bills. I need to get groceries, pay my rent, etc. While I would love to just buy the most perfect, beautiful, wonderful and amazing hat ever made, I know that I can’t. I have to have restrictions. For this example, I am not going to spend more than $100.

4. Starting the search

Now that you’re armed with an image and a general idea of what you are looking for, it’s easier to find that perfect gem. I know that I’m looking for a straw fedora, so I don’t have to look at baseball caps, cloches or wool hats. That’s less time browsing – which for someone with a short attention span is important…oh, something shiny! What was I doing?

Armed with my product specs, I head over to hats.com (yeah, shameless plug). I find hats like the Pantropic Habana Hat for $58 or the Kaminski XY Vanko for $250. Immediately, I have to sadly say no to the Vanko. While I love it, I do also enjoy eating and having a place to live. I also notice that these hats are lacking that little bit of flare that I want.

I keep looking further down the page and it’s like a punch in the gut.

It’s the Bailey of Hollywood Guthrie Hat . . . and look at that: it’s under my budgetted $100! It’s the right color, the perfect hat band . . . and feathers. I LOVE those feathers.

This is where my brain chimes in: do you really want to spend that much money on a hat? If the answer is yes, I can add to cart and be on my merry way. However, if I could get it under $50, I would be able to get something else within my budgeted monthly splurge money! Now, I start eyeing up the Bailey of Hollywood Rhett Hat. It’s a light straw hat with a high contrast hatband and a little bit of detail work. And it’s $48. I could get a blu-ray, pay my World of Warcraft subscription, go out on a fancy date AND get this hat…decisions.

The decision is ultimately up to you, but always remember to live within your means, remember your own personal style and try to have a little patience. If you take the time to figure out exactly what you’re looking for when you hit the market, you’ll have a much easier time finding it.

Protecting from the sun has always been important. In modern times, it’s more important than ever as we battle harsher UV rays, global warming and the medical insights into skin cancer. One major way to protect your head, face and shoulders is a hat!

When looking for sun protective clothing, you may stumble upon the term “UPF rated”. This stands for UV Protection Factor – meaning how well that piece will block UV and keep your skin safe. The highest rating is UPF 50+. Guess what . . . hats.com sells UPF 50+ hats. But don’t run away scared! A high UPF rating doesn’t mean a low style rating! Above is the Betmar Ocean Beach Sun Hat, a comfy but super stylish sun hat that will keep you UV safe.

Looking for a traditional outdoorsman hat? Don’t worry, we got those too! Check out the Tilley Lightweight Medium Brim Sun Hat (right). Lightweight, highly durable, and still a great look! Imagine fly-fishing by a peaceful river or hiking through a scenic mountain . . . that hat’s on your head in those daydreams, isn’t it? Did I mention that Tilley hats have a lifetime guarantee to not wear out? Now, that’s why I call rugged.

If you’re interested in seeing all our UPF 50+ hats, click here!

Betmar Glamour Sun Brim Hat (click to shop)

Pantropic Fedora Explorer Panama Straw Hat (click to shop)

Baseball caps are great casual wear. Whether you’re sweating in the hot sun, getting covered in dirt and mud, or just adding everyday wear and tear – baseball hats end up getting filthy. But they’re made of cotton or something, so you can just throw it in the washing machine and forget about it, right?

Well, before you do, think of a few things: the bill and the crown. This may seem like a simple common sense statment, but the bill of the hat is hard. When you toss a hard object into a round, gyrating bin, it isn’t going to flow around the agitator like a soft fabric. It’s going to clunk and bang and get caught, possibly damaging the hat. As for the crown, it might lose its shape and ultimately change the entire appearance of the hat.

So, what can you do? First step is to look at the care tag inside the hat. Find out what material the hat is made of and if there are specific instructions for cleaning.

Newer hats made of cotton, twill or jersey are an exception to the washing machine rule. The sturdy fabric holds up well in the wash, and in recent years the cap industry switched from cardboard bills to plastic. Check the tag if it is machine washable.

If you are terrified of throwing it in the washer (or if it is a wool cap), hand wash with a gentle detergent. This will avoid the harsh environment of a washer but allow you to remove dirt.

You can also try a product like the Perfect Curve Cap Washer. The cage allows the cap to hold its shape perfectly while in the washer, which is great for structured caps. I did a test run this past week just to make sure I wasn’t recommending something that didn’t work. Months ago, we had found a Timberland baseball cap on the warehouse floor. It still had the tags on it, but let’s just say it had a bit of a rough time (there’s a small possibility it was run over with a fork lift…and walked on…and boxes were stacked on it…) – ok, let’s just say it was a little dirty. I hooked it into the cage, threw it in the washer and let it go. After air drying over night, the cap was clean! It also held its shape, which is always a plus.

However you clean your hat, make sure you wash it the right way. Just ignoring the washing instructions on the tag inside and tossing it in the wash may lead to you buying a new hat.