Un Chapeau Pour Monsieur Blue

My friends Mr. Blue and Mr. Blond are going to Paris and London this September. I don't hate them for this (she said through gritted teeth) because they are two of my most beloved friends and of course it makes me happy when people I love go to my favorite places on Earth (even without me).

Recently, Mr. Blue sent me a note about the trip:

"I'm wondering if I'll need a hat, since we'll be walking around a great deal and, well, Mother Nature no longer covers up my scalp the way she used to. Will sunburn be a factor in September? And if so, can you recommend a certain style of hat for me?"

Well, good heavens, I told Mr. Blue, when don't I recommend a hat??

September in Paris could be summery and could be autumn-y, but I think they're more likely to have warmer weather. (Those with a better knowledge of Paris, please feel free to correct/amplify on this. I've been there in August, and I've been there in October, so I'm extrapolating.) Of course, they will be much further north than they are at home in Dallas, so the sunshine won't be anywhere like as intense, but it's never a bad idea to protect the scalp. I would suggest a trilby. A trilby is always sharp, covers the ol' headbone, is not as affected as a fedora. I think for these purposes something made of fabric -- it's really a little late in the year for straw (summery) and too early for felt. (And god forbid you should ever, EVER even contemplate a leather fedora. Just put a knife in my heart & be done with it.) Knowing Mr. Blue's wardrobe & coloring, I suggested blue or gray.

I love a trilby because it takes a guy's wardrobe up a teeny notch -- with a nice hat on your head, you feel a little less inclined to wear dirty sneakers and cargo shorts, but it's not so snazzy you can't wear a pair of jeans.

Hats are funny. People can be very resistant to them, but once they start wearing them, usually I find their response is, "Oh, of course, why haven't I always been doing this?" Many people think they will feel self-conscious wearing a hat, but I find that while I do sometimes get attention for wearing one, it is without fail positive attention. And in Paris or London? Pshaw. Seriously, you could die from how chic the Parisian men are. And Londoners? Nothing phases Londoners, fashion-wise.

So, yeah, absolutely. Hat it up, baby!! Here are some ideas:

Vintage Denim Jean Cotton Trilby

Houndstooth Tweed Trilby Crushable

Cotton Plaid Tweed Trilby Dark Brown

Classic Jacquard Plaid Trilby

Metallic Gold Mesh Trilby Crushable

(This isn't for Mr. Blue, of course, this is for ME! How fantastic is this?? I am SO buying this hat!)

Linen Cotton Ribbon Band Trilby

(This one is also a bit femme-y for a man, probably. But all of these hats would look great on a woman.)

Stingy Brim 3 Pleat Swirl Trilby

And how did all this hat talk turn out? Well, see for yourself.

M. Blue dans son nouveau chapeau.

This is deeply satisfying. Because the only thing Style Spy likes more than telling people what to wear is having them listen to her and actually wear it!

Fair Trade In the Shade

Oh, would you just look at this gorgeous woman!

Her name is Carry Sommers and the photo above is by the adorable Polka Dot (click on it to link to her wonderful blog). Carry is a friend of PD's and founded Pachacuti, which is a company that sponsors cooperatives of artists in South America and imports their goods into the UK. And they have some really fantastic stuff. There is some actually attractive knitwear and clothing. I have to be honest here -- usually when I hear "Fair Trade" and "sustainable" and words like that attached to fashion, my eyes glaze over a bit because I figure I'm going to be presented with a raft of those hooded, rainbow-striped pullovers that every hacky-sack-playing, dreadlocked, Teva'd slacker college student wears as part of his uniform. Which are all well & good, I suppose, but very much Not My Thing.

Anyhoo, the things at Pachcuti are shippable to the States, very reasonably priced, and will probably make you feel a wee bit better about your retail impulses because of its Fair Trade status. Everybody wins!

Their specialty seems to be hats, and Style Spy is all about a good hat. These are all handmade and the profits from them go directly to the people who make them. And? Gorgeous. Just gorgeous. (Click photos for links.)

This hat is rollable -- yes, rollable! You can toll it up and tuck it into your suitcase and not destroy it! Genius!!

This one's rollable, too!

I am NUTS for this. What a good-looking hat. Man, could I rock that hat...

Look at the brim! Too cool!!!


I don't know what it's like where you live, but where I live it's summer already. Hats are important for the utilitarian purpose of keeping your face & neck shaded, and if you can accomplish that and still look this stylish, you're golden. So order one of these beauties and relax.

Ooh, you know what really looks good with a hat like this? A gin & tonic...



Don't forget to help out with Style Spy's World Fashion Domination challenge! Click here to find out how you can become eligible for a gift certificate!

Wherein Style Spy Reveals the Full Extent of Her Knowledge of Sports

I don't know anything about football. Believe me, I am perfectly okay with that. There is a tiny bit of residual knowledge left over in my brain from when I was a child and my family actually did care about football and I watched it. Oh, and in high school I was on the drill team and so was required to attend football games and at least pay enough attention to know when to cheer and when to boo (although that really only requires paying attention to other people who pay attention). However, once I went away to college the sports-knowing part of my brain began to shrivel and by the time I was in my mid-twenties it was a full-on vestigial organ. Utterly useless. But. One of the few things I remember from childhood football-watching is that Tom Landry was a sharp-dressed guy. Famous for his hats.

Tom Landry

And so, for the first and probably last time in recorded history, I now compare myself to a legendary sports figure:

me, à la Tom

I think Tom would approve, don't you?

Look at this cutie-pie little houndstooth hat I found this weekend at... wait for it... Target! YES! Target! So the thing only set me back about 13 bucks, and it's absolutely adorable. I've been looking at hats -- I ongoingly look at hats -- because I want one or two others along the lines of my black felt fedora. I like this one because it's fabric so I can wear it in the winter, but it's not a heavy felt, so it will work for spring and fall as well.



Because of the shortness of the brim, I'd call this a trilby.

So cute!!

I can't find it on the Target website, but I did find this one on a great site called VillageHatShop.com. (Click for links.)




Very similar to mine -- actually probably higher quality, and under $20. Sweet.


I'm really in love with this -- it's going on The List.


Isn't that great? Here's another one made from a great fabric.



Love that.


This one I'm going to be keeping in mind for summer.

As well as this one.


Both of these are under $20, and I think that's a fantastic deal. I love hats -- they're such a great easy way to add a finishing touch to an outfit. Or solve a Bad Hair Day.


More fun:

Pace, Bob Dylan

This one's for Plumcake. It comes in several different colors, and at this price you can afford to buy 'em all! (Caftan not included.)

This site has a ton of great hats, including a lot of great women's hats -- some great cloches and berets. Check 'em out. And you, too, can look like Tom Landry!



Photos:HoustonChronicle.com, Style Spy