Straw and canvas are the most popular base materials for this spring's hats. While there were many traditional straw hats, a fresh direction is at San Francisco Hat with bright straw fedoras with faux-ostrich bands and a travel friendly cowboy hat with a side-curled shape. — fashionFACTSfolio
One perennially popular straw hat, the Panama, is a product of the Andean highlands, where equatorial sun makes protection no laughing matter. Made of handwoven straw, Panamas are both breatheable and portable, according to Stefan Schinzinger and Sally Kellman of the San Francisco Hat Company. "The thing that makes Panama straw so special is that it's so soft and comfortable — you can roll it and put it in a beach bag," says Schinzinger. "When you put it on, it springs back into shape."
"They wear very much like a pair of jeans — they take on your character the longer you own them," adds Kellman. "If you wear them occasionaly, they'll last forever. If you wear them every day and mash them up, they'll last a season."— Elle
The straw hat is resurfacing as a natural topper to this spring's beige and white relaxed suits, boxy vests, band-collar shirts, and even Huck Finn overalls. San Francisco Hat Company boasts a collection that not only looks good but is architecturally designed and sits well with the environmentally and politcally correct. Woven by Indian farmers in the Andes and pioneering the use of nonchemical bleaches, these hats ... are so durable and flexible we're told some can even be packed. — Details
