According to milliner John Kasriel -

“It’s sun protection for some older guys too, but mostly it’s, ‘I want to attract the women. I want to look fantastic. I’ve got confidence. I want to wear a hat’.”

And buyer Craig Cochrane at 98-year-old Melbourne retail institution City Hatters -

Cochrane says the thrill for first-time buyers is in a hat’s instant, transformative power: “I love it – these young guys are coming in with a jacket they’ve bought and saying, ‘I need a hat to match this’, and they’re not just buying a $35 throwaway either; even $195 isn’t out of the question.”

So, are hats truly a look at me accessory?

Well, for me, I would have to admit, yes!  I wear them because they add that little bit extra to my outfit (and, as I have found, hats are one of the few accessories that men can wear and that will elicit comments from others).  Moving beyond my standard baseball cap, there is a whole range of hats that are appropriate for all types of outfits and situations.  Straw cowboys hats and trilbies for the summer.  Wool flat caps for the winter or a cloth flat cap for anytime to dress up jeans and a t-shirt.  Even, a black fedora to wear with a suit.

Then again, there are summer hats and Tilley hats (the Tilley owners manual/guarantee) that will protect you from wind, rain, and sun because wearing a hat is one of the easiest ways to protect yourself from the sun.

So, as I have said before, bring back the hat!