Your face deserves to look good
Your face is an important advertisement for who you are, and if your eyes can no longer flash and sparkle as they did before, then you need other ways to make a statement. A great haircut, and stylish spectacles (which also protect your eyes from unseen hazards) are two of them. But now it’s summer and hats are another way to enhance your appearance. You could buy one hat (or more) for fun and one to last. A classic hat should continue to look good for some years.
Baseball caps are great – but don’t show off your face
You may already have adopted baseball caps to shield your eyes from too much light, from overhanging branches, or a half-open door. They have a lot going for them but their best friends couldn’t call them glamorous. They hide your face instead of framing it, and usually have logos or words on them which you may not read easily now. You might find yourself attending a formal event wearing a beer advertisement or worse. Much better to advertise yourself.
Baseball caps have many advantages:
- a bill to shade and protect your eyes and face
- many bills have a dark underside for extra glare protection
- an adjustable strap to hold the cap in place
- all colors and types widely available and inexpensive
All-around brims
A wide brimmed hat that shades your neck as well as your eyes besides framing your face is often much more attractive. It may also save you from getting side-swiped by lamp posts or fencing. What about a fedora, a panama, a wide-brimmed dress-up hat with a flower or ribbon pinned on to match your outfit? If you can get to a store and try on a variety of styles and colors, you will know what feels comfortable. Decide what looks good on you, perhaps with details supplied by a friend or the sales assistant. It’s fun to be looked at because your hat is so cool. Check that the brim shields your face from the sun, and decide whether you care if it can survive a downpour. (Many hats made of raffia or straw cannot.) Now it’s high summer there are plenty of hats on sale at department stores. Macy’s has a selection on sale.
http://www1.macys.com/shop/handbags-accessories/hats-scarves-wraps?id=31957
Adjustable strap
However smart or pretty your new hat, it’s not likely to rival the baseball cap in having a strap that adjusts to your head size. You may find a big brimmed sun hat with a ribbon tie, or a Stetson type with a chin strap. The wider the brim the more it may catch the breeze and sail off your head. You could attach some elastic discreetly inside the hat with safety pins. Or you can look for a hat with adjustable straps. You are more likely to find this kind in a specialized store or online. One brand is Tilley, made in Canada. Perhaps they started out as more for men but now there are plenty for both sexes. Many of them have a combined chin strap and neck strap called the wind cord which can be worn back or front or tucked away. They are built to last and cost around $80 but with reasonable care will look good for years.
http://www.tilley.com/LTM10-Back-Vent-Nylamtium-Hat.aspx?id=10NM12HTM108371
Amazon also sell one or two of the Tilley hats and a range of other hats with brims some of which have dark undersides. Luckily brims with dark undersides are fashionable just now.
What’s your tip for hats that are practical and look good? Please let the rest of us know what you’ve discovered…