Do you ever wake up and find that your hair has suddenly decided to have a mind of its own? And no matter how hard you fight with it, there’s no taming the beast that has decided to sprout out of your head. If you have long, thick hair like me, you know this struggle all too well. Luckily, one of my favorite new trends has the answer to our prayers: Panama hats.
The Panama hat is a close cousin to the more commonly known fedora. The only real difference between the two is that the fedora is more structured and always has an indented crown whereas the Panama hat only sometimes does. Traditionally, the Panama hat was made of straw from a particular palm tree and worn predominantly by men.
More recently, the Panama hat has become much more gender neutral and is worn to add grunge to a flowy outfit like this Fashionista is rocking. Style hats have been exploding in popularity since their heavy predominance in the 2015 New York Fashion Week shows from designers like Rebecca Minkoff, Zimmermann and Josie Natori.
Dark colored hats have recently been my go-to for adding instant flare to an otherwise less than fabulous ensemble. Not only do hats add an edge to your look, but they radiate confidence out of the Fashionista who wears them. Whenever I put on my black suede Panama hat, I feel as though I am taking a fashion risk. There’s an extra spunky jolt added to my step as I strut the New York University campus. It doesn’t matter whether or not I actually look stellar because I feel like stellar.
What is your STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK? “I typically go for my Panama hat when I’m feeling daring. I like to pair it with my Ray-Bans or one of my other sunglasses because I think it makes me look mysterious.”
