THE STRAW HATS

BY POP KAMPOL

SHOP IT: Contrasting stripe straw hat from MY BOB

Straw hats have been keeping the summer sun out of our eyes for over half of a millennium. One appeared on the head of Giovanni Arnolfini in Jan van Eyck’s famous portrait of 1434. Of course, the most famous straw hat is the traditional brimmed hat from Ecuador that’s made from the plaited leaves of the toquilla plant. The 'Panama' hat has been popular since the 19^th century, but popularity became a craze when President Theodore Roosevelt was photographed wearing one on his visit to view the construction of the Panama Canal.

 SHOP IT: Brown trilby straw hat with blue and white floral printed twisted band from PAUL SMITH

Panamas are best worn with light summer-weight suits, such as cotton, linen and silk. They are made specifically for the tropical sun, light-weight and breathable material. A key feature of the design is its ability to retain its original shape after being folded. The finest Panama hats still come from the city of Montecristi in Ecuador. The highest quality (Superfino) hats can take up to 4 months to weave. The weave can be so fine (1,600 – 2,500 per square inch) they can hold water, and when folded for storage can pass through a wedding ring.

SHOP IT: Natural coloured straw ‘Borsalino’ hat with greean and red stripe detail at the base from GUCCI

 

We’ve selected one of the most fashionable straw hats around, made with the finest Panama weave from Gucci, and two light-weight fashion hats from My Bob and Paul Smith for everyday protection from the sun

 

This week we collaborated with London-based illustrator Pomme Chan to draw some beautiful images. Her work has been featured in The Telegraph, IDN, Grafik, Curvy Book and FT magazine. She has also produced lots of beautiful illustrations for big campaign with Sony, MTV, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, Marc Jacobs, and Microsoft. She’s also made us a short video that looks into the process of making these amazing drawings exclusively for Out There magazine.

Artist: Pomme Chan