"I would love your help with an accessory. My boyfriend and I are going to Hilton Head with his family in the middle of June. We will be spending a lot of time both on the beach and on boats on the ocean (we are scuba divers and will be on a boat for approximately six hours at a time), so proper sun protection is crucial. I've taken great care to plan my bathing suits and cover-ups, but I have yet to find a hat I really like. I have many different colored suits, from black to navy to turquoise, and therefore would prefer something versatile and easy to pack and carry. I also desire it comfortably fit on my relatively small head with thick curly hair. If possible, I'd like to hold my budget somewhere around the $100 mark. Thanks!"
Considering that I still grieve every day between the months of April and October over the fact I'm no longer able to spend peak Summer sun-time (i.e. 11am-3pm) with nothing between my face and UVA/UVB rays but a coy, I-wish-I-didn't-have-to-wear-this-bikini-either smirk and a micro-thin layer of SPF 15, I am not your ideal wide-brimmed, keep the tan-(and-cancer)-off-your-face hat picker-outer.
But as I learned through my last relationship, even though taking on an outside-the-box challenge can end in fiery failure, it can also build character and more important, indirectly lead to great vintage minidress and handbag finds. Thus, I'm taking a chance and writing this post and amassing this small collection without the crutch of input from my seasoned hat expert, Ms. C.
It seems obvious to me that because you have several different colored suits, your most reliable bet is to choose a neutral white/ivory/beige topper. The last option, an adorable cherry-printed bucket hat, wouldn't look awful with a turquoise suit, but it wouldn't look as stylish in my opinion as, let's say, the Juicy Couture eyelet hat. But as you might have noticed, I'm a devoted cherry-print girl. If I see anything - a hat, a bikini, a camp shirt, even a harness (for the puppy, you naughty boys) - I have to get it. Or at least recommend it to you all.
All seven of these hats are well under your $100 price-point (a first for me!), so feel free to pick up more than just one.
And jealous as I am of your vacation, J, I still expect pictures...
Your hats:
Melody wide-brim hat by Helen Kaminski ($75 at nordstrom.com)
Braid cowboy hat with ribbon by Hat Attack ($60 at lisakline.com)
Crochet hat by Hat Attack ($55 at scoopnyc.com)
Eyelet sunhat by Juicy Couture ($85 at shopdollyrocker.com)
Floppy raffia hat ($65 at shopintuition.com)
Wide-brim hat by San Diego Hat Co. ($40 at ronherman.com)*
Lush life sun-hat ($68 at anthropologie.com) 
*your editrix's top pick (it comes in two other colors!)
3 comments:
Thanks so much! I saw a couple of them that I really like. My favorite is also your "top pick," and at that price, I could get two different colors and still not blow my budget.
PS - Of course there will be plenty of pictures! Not to worry.
Monte doesn't need another girly harness. Let the boy be a boy, woman!
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