Flattering50: Hat Days of Summer

I love hats! I’ve been wearing them and admiring them on other people's heads forever. Growing up, my sisters and I were given new Easter bonnets every spring. My childhood favorite: a straw version of a Glengarry cap with two tartan ribbons down the back. I also remember seeing men wearing boaters and seersucker suits in the summertime. I thought that was a very cool look—I’d love to see it come back. Recently, I ventured into New York City on a very hot, very sunny day and was tickled to see so many over 50 women wearing hats. Click “read more” below to see some of the hats I saw on the street as well as a sample of hats available online.

HAT-ATTACK

Quick: How many garments or accessories can you say are both fashionable and healthy? I can't think of more than one or two. The health benefits of wearing a hat are hard to resist. In fact, hats offer triple protection from those nasty UV rays. They protect your skin, eyes and hair.

Interesting fact: I recently read that melanomas are most commonly found on the legs of women and on the backs of men. However, according to my dermatologist brother-in-law, a bad burn on your face can cause a melanoma anywhere on your body--hence, the need for regular full body screenings. And hence, the need to protect your face from sun damage.

THE 'IN' BRIM

The most popular hat this summer seems to be the natural-colored straw hat. However, I did see some lovely colored straw hats like the one at the top of this post. I also saw the random floppy canvas hat on the city streets. Both narrow and wide brimmed hats are popular this summer. The narrow brimmed hats I saw were either a feminine version of the classic Panama hat or the Fedora (the Joe Friday-style hat). I love the way the woman below has paired a straw Panama hat with a beige summer suit.

I saw plenty of straw hats with wider brims, too. These were more like a garden party hat or a Scarlett O'Hara hat. Fiddle-dee-dee! Here are two women in wider brimmed hats, one in a skirt and the other in wide-leg Capris. I think they both look smashing. As you can see, the straw hat looks great with neutral colored slacks, dresses, Capris, blouses and skirts.

WHERE TO SHOP

Here's a few straw hats I found on Beall's Online Department Store and Shopbop. As I'm sure you know, July is a great month to shop, since there are "End of Season" sales all over the web.