Summer Hats That Sizzle — Top Picks That Can Make Even a Heat Wave Fashionable

Texas’ stylish swans know that sun hats are a viable commodity year-round with poolside weather dominating a good chunk of the calendar and, when temps dip, there is always the call of sunny Cabo and Lyford Cay. So while fashion retailers are stocking up on winter garb and discounting most everything related to beach time, we have perused the web in search of the ultimate in sun hats including the venerable Panama hat.

Eric Javits, an established leader in ladies headgear and handbags, caught our eye with his playful floppy brim, fringed tropical sunhat dyed in an alluring chartreuse. We’ve long been fans of his sophisticated designs (though this one is completely playful) and now applaud the SPF factor of his sun hats. The website boasts that “Independent testing in accordance with AATCC (American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists) test methods have determined this product’s effectiveness for blocking ultraviolet radiation as well as UVA/UVB radiation.”

The hats are said to block 95 percent of UVA/UVB rays.

Kudos to footwear and accessories designer Joyce Echols of Houston who recently picked up one of Nick Fouquet‘s stylish fedoras while vacationing in San Miguel de Allende. Fouquet is the darling of stars — including Pharrell Williams and Lady Gaga — and those who are willing to stretch disposable income to include one of his beauties that range from around $450 to more than $1,200. We would certainly make that stretch. His hats are sold at Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf, Moda Operandi and beyond.

At the opposite end of the millinery spectrum is the wildly popular and playful Hello Sunshine  chapeau, priced at a meager $17.99 on Amazon. That joins Ale by Alessandra’s Kenzie Hat that registers more fedora than sun hat but with a brim that is wide enough to do the job. Priced at $66. And we love the colorful Eugenia Kim offerings that are on sale at Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and Barney’s

Then there is the ubiquitous Panama hat in all its carnations for sun shade, which can be found everywhere from ShopBop to Kate Spade to Cuyana.com. But the authentic, high-quality Panamas must be handmade in Ecuador.

Say hello to Montecristi Panama Hats. As the website boasts, “Montecristi means the highest standard in the Panama straw hat trade. This hat takes longer to weave, patience, expertise and harder to find.” The Panama hat white fedora from Montecristi is handwoven by Homero Ortega of paja Toquilla straw in the town of Cuenca, Ecuador, priced at $129. If only the finest will do, there is the milliner’s Montecristi Supreme that weighs in at $5,000.

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