Hat review. Grudgingly admitting the hat has some value.

Tilley Hat.

I took the Tilley Hat out for a spin this morning. Today and tomorrow will be days with very, very strong sunlight. I thought today would be a good test for how the hat actually works; not just its fashion appeal. 

Even though I ordered my usual size (7-5/8ths) the hat was, at first, a bit tight. But being made of cotton material it has since relaxed and now feels comfortable. Someone asked about the straps. I would be more caustic and call them the "damn" straps. I understand that they exist in order to lash your head to the hat in high winds but when not in use the consensus is to shove them up into the interior ceiling of the hat and ignore them. But you can feel the straps across your head so the straps are soon to be removed and carefully disposed of. If it's windy one day I'll take my hat off and hold it in my hand until the wind abates or until a nice coffee shop presents itself.

Being white the hat stands out more than an olive drab or dull dark blue would. But here's the deal. I wear the hat for protection from the direct rays of the sun and as may be evident to even the slowest minds, white reflects more infra-red energy while the darker colors absorb the energy and continually warm the hat. You may worship the darker colors if you live on the snowy plains outside of Reykjavik and need every calorie of warmth you can gather. We have an opposite need during "hat season" in Austin. We are trying to move heat away from our bodies and, by extension, our heads. 

Part of the lack of charm of this particular hat is the white color. Would you have me be a fashion influencer or a realist about the use and nature of even the butt ugliest hat if it serves its actual purpose well?  But let's move past the color...

The wide brim does a good job blocking sun from my face and my ears. I'll give it a good score there. I wish the brim would hold a set form. It's....flaccid. It droops. And sometimes the droopy brim occludes my peripheral vision to the top and sides. I can live with that; for the most part. 

Another plus of the hat is the material it's made from. Cotton. As such it absorbs moisture well. In fact, today my hands were perspiring and my camera was getting drops of sweat on it. I pulled off my hat and used its absorbency to my advantage, swabbing off both my hands and the camera. The hat handles sweat much better than hats made from artificial materials. Nice. Good job. The hat works as a hand towel. 

I've read that the hat floats. It's even mentioned on the label in the hat. I have not tried that feature just yet. I'll wait for inadvertency to rear its head. 

My one non-aesthetic beef with the chapeaux has to do with its construction as it relates to keeping the top of one's head cool. Yes. It's white cotton canvas material. It reflects most heat. But your head itself also radiates heat. The hat is constructed with thick layers on the top panel and no real way to vent the build up of heat from one's own head. There are holes on both sides but they are not well positioned to allow air flow through the hat. It's closed compartment. 

One inelegant solution is to thoroughly soak the entire hat in ice cold water and then depending on an overall cooling through evaporation until the hat is eventually made dry. I have to say I have a number of hats the materials of which are much, much better at transferring heat from the top of my head. I did try the evaporative cooling method by soaking just the top panel in the cool water of a water fountain and it was nicely cool for the best part of an hour ---- before it dried out and began to heat up again. 

Someone yesterday mentioned that I should try a Pith Helmet and I actually think that's a great idea since those hats sit above your head, suspended by a head strap and a system of suspension straps that mostly ensure the circulation of air through the sides and top of the helmet. Sadly, this is not a feature of the Tittey Hat. At least not the original model. The famous model. 

Yes, I have seen the ones with mesh around the tops. A design stolen from a number of different makers who brought those top mesh designs to market at least a decade before the Canadians. But why buy a copy if you can just go to the source of one of those? 

The hat (now that I've removed the onerous straps/strings) is very comfortable and does a very good job of keeping UV off my epidermis. The stratified squamous epithelial tissues from my neck up are thankful. And yes, the material is great for wiping off cameras, hands and faces. The material is also good at soaking up cool water and then slowly benefitting me with its evaporative cooling effect. 

I'm sure the hat will become more and more comfortable as it "wears in" and I am habituated enough to ignore it completely while wearing it. Having looked in the mirror a couple of times while wearing it I had the sinking feeling that I should stop being very active and submit to a routine of golf, bitching about what things cost, doing my own repair work, and perhaps taking up bridge. Horrors.

The hat will stick around for use on ultra-bright days. Sunglasses are mandatory so that, at a glance, I can remain somewhat anonymous while so festooned. 

And there you have the final review of the Tilley "Traditional" hat. Glad it was on sale...

The Texas Tradition of suntanning the grass. Hot by 10 a.m. Soaring to 105°+ today. Saying a prayer for Austin's trees.