# A hat to wear with my business attire while commuting in the summer
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-hat-to-wear-with-my-business-attire-while-commuting-in-the-summer/623873
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [June 2, 2012, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-hat-to-wear-with-my-business-attire-while-commuting-in-the-summer/623873 "2012-06-02T15:36:38Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2012, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-hat-to-wear-with-my-business-attire-while-commuting-in-the-summer/623873/1 "2012-06-02T15:36:38Z")
I currently walk about a mile between my house and the subway each day to and from work. It’s sunny, and my hair is thin. I can (and do) wear sunscreen on my face, but that doesn’t work so well for my scalp, so I need another way to protect it from the sun.
I don’t like the look of a baseball cap with a suit\*. I’d like to wear something a bit dressier, but I’d like to avoid anything that screams hipster or old man (I’m ~30). Any thoughts?
\*I have light and dark grey, and blue pinstripe. I also sometimes where light slacks with a blue jacket on Friday or if I expect to have no contact with clients.
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### Author:  [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2012, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-hat-to-wear-with-my-business-attire-while-commuting-in-the-summer/623873/2 "2012-06-02T15:43:02Z")
Summer in Virginia? [Panama.](http://www.rtp3.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/041105v.jpg)
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### Author:  [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2012, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-hat-to-wear-with-my-business-attire-while-commuting-in-the-summer/623873/3 "2012-06-02T15:49:17Z")
Though I myself wear a [T4](http://www.tilley.com/The-T4-Cotton-Duck-Hat.aspx).
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### Author:  [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2012, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-hat-to-wear-with-my-business-attire-while-commuting-in-the-summer/623873/4 "2012-06-02T16:19:20Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#):
>
> Summer in Virginia? [Panama.](http://www.rtp3.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/041105v.jpg)
I forgot to change my location to DC, not that there is much difference. A hat like that might work.
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### Author:  [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2012, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-hat-to-wear-with-my-business-attire-while-commuting-in-the-summer/623873/5 "2012-06-02T17:05:29Z")
A search on “straw fedora” will also turn up some good options.
Personally, I wear the [Milton](http://www.goorin.com/milton-749).
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### Author:  [@Arrendajo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrendajo)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2012, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-hat-to-wear-with-my-business-attire-while-commuting-in-the-summer/623873/6 "2012-06-02T17:48:01Z")
That Milton is really good looking. I would call it a Trilby rather than a Fedora, but the styles are very similar. If there are any good haberdasheries in your city I would go there and spend some time looking at styles. For cool, straw hats are great for the summer, but too many of them are very casual and not suitable for dressier wear. I have found light fabric Trilby styles work well in the summer. I wear a hat always, and have quite a collection.
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### Author:  [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2012, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-hat-to-wear-with-my-business-attire-while-commuting-in-the-summer/623873/7 "2012-06-02T18:03:28Z")
I would happily throw a baseball-cap wearing man onto the train tracks just to ogle a dapper gent in a Panama. _Yum_.
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### Author:  [@Turble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turble)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2012, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-hat-to-wear-with-my-business-attire-while-commuting-in-the-summer/623873/8 "2012-06-02T18:13:02Z")
If you’re going to wear a hat with a suit you need to wear a good hat.
I’ve bought two panama’s from [Panama Hats Direct](http://www.panamahatsdirect.com/) and am very happy with both of them. Lots of information on their funky website. And their prices are waaaay below what you’ll pay for a real panama hat in a good men’s store.
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### Author:  [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2012, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-hat-to-wear-with-my-business-attire-while-commuting-in-the-summer/623873/9 "2012-06-02T18:42:38Z")
> [@Arrendajo](#):
>
> That Milton is really good looking. I would call it a Trilby rather than a Fedora,
Concur. Fedoras have more brim than that.
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### Author:  [@Arrendajo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrendajo)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2012, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-hat-to-wear-with-my-business-attire-while-commuting-in-the-summer/623873/10 "2012-06-02T18:48:14Z")
Some of those Panama hats are very nice. Scroll through the styles and you will see one called the Optimo - I have one like that, but made by Dorfman Pacific. I often wear it for dressier occasions. I like the center-line ridge rather than the traditional C-crown. Scroll further down and you will see one called the Classic Gambler. I have one like that, but made by Stetson. In fact, I think I am wearing my Stetson Gambler in the photo I posted in the SD photo gallery. That’s another hat I wear for dressier occasions. I don’t buy hats off of the internet though, because fit and feel and look all have to be just right, and I don’t want to hassle with returns. Since I always wear a hat, it has to both fit right and look right.
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### Author:  [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2012, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-hat-to-wear-with-my-business-attire-while-commuting-in-the-summer/623873/11 "2012-06-02T20:20:17Z")
> [@Turble](#):
>
> If you’re going to wear a hat with a suit you need to wear a good hat.
>
> I’ve bought two panama’s from [Panama Hats Direct](http://www.panamahatsdirect.com/) and am very happy with both of them. Lots of information on their funky website. And their prices are waaaay below what you’ll pay for a real panama hat in a good men’s store.
That site seems to have many good choices. It also has a very loud autoplay voice message. Just so you know.
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### Author:  [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2012, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-hat-to-wear-with-my-business-attire-while-commuting-in-the-summer/623873/12 "2012-06-02T20:23:07Z")
A straw boater might also be good, though it might make you look like a carnival operator.
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### Author:  [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2012, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-hat-to-wear-with-my-business-attire-while-commuting-in-the-summer/623873/13 "2012-06-02T20:40:46Z")
> [@appleciders](#):
>
> That site seems to have many good choices. It also has a very loud autoplay voice message. Just so you know.
Yeah I just blasted the room with that and had 1996 geocities flashbacks.
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### Author:  [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2012, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-hat-to-wear-with-my-business-attire-while-commuting-in-the-summer/623873/14 "2012-06-02T21:06:43Z")
I endorse the Panama hat idea. I recently bought one on a trip to Panama (it seemed the thing to do) and I get lots of compliments on it.
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### Author:  [@tomcar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomcar)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2012, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-hat-to-wear-with-my-business-attire-while-commuting-in-the-summer/623873/15 "2012-06-02T21:25:49Z")
I am going against the grain here and say no to the panama hat…it screams old man. Get a hipster hat! Get a cool hat and just wear it casually. Newsboy style hats ALWAYS look smart with a suit. Get one that isn’t wool for warm weather. Or get a straw fedora, and own the look.
Heres a good site \<[http://www.brixton.com/>](http://www.brixton.com/>);
Kangol has some really good stuff too.
I do agree that trying hats on will help. What looks right with your head shape matters. Like glasses.
You need a hat, get a cool one.
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### Author:  [@tomcar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomcar)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2012, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-hat-to-wear-with-my-business-attire-while-commuting-in-the-summer/623873/16 "2012-06-02T21:32:46Z")
One thing though, if you get a hat. NO MORE ACCESSORIES! Like if you already have a cane, monocle, ring other than a wedding ring or some type of necklace that is prominent, don’t get a hat. Parents won’t let children near you. People won’t take you seriously 🙂
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### Author:  [@Arrendajo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrendajo)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2012, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-hat-to-wear-with-my-business-attire-while-commuting-in-the-summer/623873/17 "2012-06-02T22:59:12Z")
At your age a nice Trilby would look good, not seem stylistically anachronistic, and protect your head. A Trilby is like a Fedora, usually with the C-crown, but with a smaller brim. They are sometimes called “stingy brims.” A [pork pie](https://www.aztexhats.com/images/multiple/toledowoolstingyup_2.jpg)can look good dressed up, too. It’s like a Trilby but has the “pork pie” crown, and often the brim is turned up all the way around the hat rather than folded down in front. Find a nice toned-down looking pork pie or you will end up looking like Buster Keaton.
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### Author:  [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2012, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-hat-to-wear-with-my-business-attire-while-commuting-in-the-summer/623873/18 "2012-06-02T23:02:31Z")
I love my Wallaroo. It is light, stylish, and fits my oversized head.
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2012, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-hat-to-wear-with-my-business-attire-while-commuting-in-the-summer/623873/19 "2012-06-02T23:10:30Z")
I like to wear a pork pie or a trilby.
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### Author:  [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2012, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-hat-to-wear-with-my-business-attire-while-commuting-in-the-summer/623873/20 "2012-06-02T23:49:01Z")
> [@tomcar](#):
>
> One thing though, if you get a hat. NO MORE ACCESSORIES! Like if you already have a cane, monocle, ring other than a wedding ring or some type of necklace that is prominent, don’t get a hat. Parents won’t let children near you. People won’t take you seriously 🙂
Yeah, you don’t want to be mistaken for [Mr. Peanut](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/6e/Mr_peanut.png).
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