I love hats. I mean, I really love hats.
I love wearing them, buying them, designing them, talking about them, and spotting another woman in a good hat from across a room like some sort of well-accessorized bird dog.
I once designed hats for Ralph Lauren. I have owned more hats than any sensible person needs. I have even considered becoming one of those women who only sells hats, talks about hats, and perhaps eventually answers to “Hat Lady” at parties.
And yet, for years, I did not have a favorite beach/travel hat. Absurd.
I wanted a hat that was useful without looking like I was leading a nature walk. I wanted something feminine. Stylish. Elegant. But not precious. I wanted a sun hat I could actually live with. So I designed one.
I had hats, of course. Straw hats. Big hats. Pretty hats. Hats that looked wonderful until I tried to travel with them and suddenly I was carrying them through an airport like a small, fragile pet.
The problem with most beach hats is that they are a pain in the hat. They don’t fold. They don’t pack. They get crushed if you look at them the wrong way. You have to place them gently in the car, guard them from children, luggage, and husbands, and basically treat them like they have trust issues.
Then there’s the other option: the practical sun hat. You know the one.
It says, “I may be hiking later.” Which is perfectly fine if you are hiking later. But I am usually not. I am going to the beach, the pool, the farmer’s market, lunch, or possibly walking from the car to a chair where I intend to remain until further notice.
I wanted a hat that was useful without looking like I was leading a nature walk. I wanted something feminine. Stylish. Elegant. But not precious.
I wanted a sun hat I could actually live with. So I designed one.
This is the hat I wanted but could never find: beautiful enough to make you feel pulled together, durable enough to toss in the back of the car, and packable enough to fold into a beach bag, suitcase, backpack, or whatever tote you are pretending is organized.
It packs flat. Pancake flat. Without drama.
The brim has wire inside, so you can shape it the way you like. A little down for more shade. A little up when you want to see who just walked by in that questionable cover-up. It keeps its shape, but it is not stiff or bossy about it.
The linen gives it that softer, prettier feeling I was after. It feels feminine without being fussy. It looks polished without trying too hard. And yes, it has a chinstrap.
There. I said it. A chinstrap sounds deeply uncool until you are standing on a windy beach trying to look elegant while your hat is attempting to join the Coast Guard.
The difference is, this chinstrap is removable. So when the wind is behaving, off it comes. When you’re on a yacht in the Med and a French Mistral wind is bowing back on it goes.
Practical when needed. Invisible when not.
That’s what we need.. I also wanted real sun coverage. A baseball cap is fine for some things, but let’s be honest: it leaves most of your face, neck, and general future-self exposed. I use sunscreen, obviously, but I do not need my skin auditioning for vintage luggage.
A good sun hat should help. It should shade your face. It should protect your neck. It should make you feel prettier, not like you borrowed something from the lost-and-found at a tennis club.
The final push came from my sister-in-law Liz, who is a very good traveler and beach person. She told me she also didn’t have a go-to beach and travel hat that was actually stylish.
That was it. I would fix this problem come heck or high winds.
Because if women who love hats, travel, and the beach still don’t have a favorite hat, then something is missing.
So here it is. A beach and travel hat that is pretty, feminine, packable, protective, and durable enough for real life.
Throw it in the beach bag. Fold it into a suitcase. Keep it in the car. Take it to the pool, the beach, the boat, the mountains, Palm Beach, Stinson, East Hampton, or the minivan full of children headed to Main Beach.
It can handle it. And you will not look like a lifeguard, a surfer, or a person who accidentally wandered away from a birding group. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
I love birds. Keep birding on. But wear a pretty hat.
PS. DM me on Instagram @heidicareydesign and join my Design Diary and get a sneak peak on my summer adventures.
