I have been wearing a Panama for almost 20 years!

A great video and intro. I went from no hat to a baseball cap to eventually about 5 years ago a Panama hat in the summer (it gets hot here in Shanghai in the summer). I think it was either a trilby or short brimmed Fedora. I’m not sure where one ends and the other begins. But at first I was nervous wearing it. It seems quite silly now. It only takes a few wears to start to feel comfortable with a good hat, and it eventually becomes part of you and you don’t even think about not wearing it. I bought my first felt fedora last winter, my first non Panama fedora and I just got a brand new super lightweight Panama from Locke & Co. Both times I still felt a bit uncomfortable at first putting on a new style of hat that I hadn’t worn before but are now no more strange than me wearing a pair of shoes. My wife really didn’t like the felt fedora at first but now she loves it. In fact she ‘borrowed’ it a few times - and complained I bought it a size too big!. So if you are thinking about trying one of the hats Sonya mentioned then go for it but don’t reject it just because you are a little uneasy with it at first. give it at least 3 or 4 wears. You will get comfortable with it and soon regret that you waited so long.

Why do I have the feeling I'm going to be watching, and watching, and watching, and watching this episode until I'm on my 90's?

I like flat caps. To me they're like a stylish baseball cap; versatile, practical, convenient, flattering and don't look particularly affected (which is an easy thing to get with more formal hats, I think)

I like wearing fedora and panama hats, and for some reason people say hello to me when I’m wearing a hat!

Thank you, Sonya Glyn, as always for communicating/sharing passion ...

Fedora all the way. Panama (Cuenca) for hot summer. Planning to graduate into Borsalino someday, when I get old.

I’m 21 years old here in the American South, and I wear many different styles of hats ranging in formality from newsboy caps all the way to top hats. I mainly wear fedoras (or pajamas in the summer) and homburgs while occasionally switching to a bowler or newsboy cap. I find that they just complete my outfits in a very elegant and sophisticated way. My favorite hat if I just had to choose one would be my top hat from Christy’s of London. I am a musician, and during performances I’ve actually worn white tie with the top hat. It is very distinguished and makes me feel ten feet tall. I truly enjoy wearing it when I can and enjoy wearing all of my hats. Not many men these days, especially young men in my age group, wear them, but that is also what I love so much about it. Hats will forever be a timeless wardrobe essential in my wardrobe.

Don't forget sun-safety. I've had to start wearing brimmed hats (have always worn a ball-cap) and have two Aussie Akubras I like, the felt Cattlemen and straw Balmoral.

Wonderful and educative as always. Cheers Sonya!

I began wearing hats about two years ago, starting with a Panama hat. Since then I’ve purchased several fedoras. It took a little while to begin wearing them regularly and getting used to it but today I think nothing of it and I’ve never had any negative reactions from anybody. I will start wearing it with a bit of a tilt from here on. Thanks for your video.

A hat can be very helpful with rain, specially if you wear glasses. It's much more practical than a big umbrella. Also it adds a stylish layer to the outfit!

Thank you for addressing this topic... hats are a major "coup de coeur" of mine. I only own one but I've wanted to add more to my wardrobe and find it so difficult to have adequate information or even find retailers that carry a variety of quality head wear these days.... it feels like another sector of clothing that has lost it's cache in recent decades for different reasons... at least in north america.

Good video. I started wearing Panama hats 35 years ago for sun protection. (Melanoma) I then began acquiring fedoras and other styles and today have a collection of 25-30 good quality hats that includes Stetson, Dobbs, Goorin Bros., Lock & Co., Akubra, Biltmore, Beaver Brand, Christy’s, Mayser, Resistol, and Borsalino.

I love wearing my Stetson. And it is the hat I feel the most comfortable with.

Stetson also makes some beautiful dress hats in addition to their “cowboy” hats.

Stetson Open Road for me. I really enjoyed this episode on hats, very informative...plus Mrs Jacomet is the host...enough said. :-)

Can you discuss different toe shapes/lasts and their effects on fine shoes? Round, square, chisel, and the like? I know it's rather specific, but I believe there is plenty to discuss on the matter! Love the content 🙏🏻

I always wear a hat when I leave the house. I feel naked without one. 🤠

I recently started wearing Stetson Fedoras. I get tons of compliments. I was honestly very self conscience at first wearing one. Now I have 4 different colors and variations. Have been hoping to one day see a video here on hats. Great video keep them coming!

I am ancient of days and started wearing a hat, full time, when I was 5. I was my grandfather's two legged dog and followed her everywhere. He said that a man without a hat was not yet dressed. Bought me my first straw hat at five.

I have a new Panama hat. I am a little nervous about wearing it, but you have given me more courage. I like the idea to wear the hat slanted.

I started wearing hats while growing my hair out, now I’ll never go back , an outfit is truly elevated to new heights with the addition of a hat

My sartorial journey actually started with hats. Since then I'm still very interested in hats and am currently starting a small collection of styles

Hats! Such a wonderful subject. I have always loved hats. Thank You.

Love the look of that Cordobes! Like what Jonny Ringo wore in theTombstone movie

Thank you for the video. I have my first hat and it's a Panama, love it and looking forward to my next hat. Cheers David

You really do rock the Spanish hat looks great

Yes hat person now....started with summer trilby about 4 years ago and then started wearing a winter Trilby and now have Borsalino panama hat and a Fernández y Roche panama hat and a felt fedora for this coming winter from the Spanish brand too.....in my 50s so that helps and people just KNOW you have to do what you have to do to keep stylin......and yes people like it and comment positively and say hi as it's been said.....I hope I encourage others as we live in a hot climate down here in Gibraltar and across the border in Andalucía so panama hats are perfect and people wear them of course but mainly older people.....older then me

I love wearing hats. The first one I picked up was my late grandpa's flat cap. I loved wearing it, and noticed it's much better at its job than say an umbrella or sunglasses (both of which I've often misplaced or lost). So usually now when people ask me why I wear a hat, I say "Hats are awesome. When it's raining a hat makes your head dry and when it's sunny it gives you shade." I now own two fedoras (one dark brown, one melange anthtracite gray) of different weights; I own several flat caps, a few I made by myself; two Russian ushankas for winter time; a straw hat and a stetson (the latter I find very useful when it's wet and I have stuff around the property to do as it's quite heavy duty and it has a big brim); I also just recently ordered a bowler hat and this summer I intend to buy a good quality panama hat so as to use it when the straw hat I have is too informal. As mentioned I love hats because when it's rain they keep my head dry and when it's sunny they give shade superior to that of sunglasses. But since I'm shorter than average, a hat also gives me a confidence boost since it draws the eye up and makes me seem taller than I am. Especially the fedoras and my dark brown ushanka. And yes, it's interesting that you should point out that wearing a can make you stand out or hide away. Sometimes at the same time. I've noticed that. But it's so fun when people notice and ask about it. An amazing conversation starter. :)

Good evening Sonya..yes I am a hat wearer....all of my winter hats are awa y in the attic...Will be wearing my panamas during the month of May when it starts to warm up..... I have been wearing hats since THE early 70s..how did I get started?...I saw a picture of the great Walt Clyde Frazier at a airport and it stayed with me....he had on a wide brimmed panama..it looked fabulous....you wear hats and I must say..you look awesome..cheers to you and Hugo........

brilliant insight.I inherited my grandfather's boater and homburg,as well as his 4 inch brim Fedora made in Vienna sometime in the 30's.I expanded the collection with a Biltmore trilby and Ecuadoran panama

Flat caps + straw fedoras for me. It was born out of necessity since I started to shave my hair. Baseball caps felt increasingly more juvenile. Initially, wearing any type of hat was a step outside of my comfort zone but I can actually pull off the Peaky Blinder type look. It was just a matter of finding the right shape. I love Panama hats too but in most everyday situations it feels a bit "too much" partly because the rest of the outfit must match. It works best when there's an air of nonchalance like on a summer holiday.

LOVE hats!!! You made me want to try so many of the mentioned types! And thank you for the feature of me and my fav trilby hat😍

I am 53 and have weared hats in 15 years now. And I love it.

Great teaching video, Sonya! You are an excellent educator, fun, light but sufficiently in-depth. And, you really look great with the hats! Thank you, Bart

Great video Sonya! Being sensitive to sun I always wore a cap. A few years ago I hesitantly tried a panama hat. I never looked back! I always wear a hat going out. They're fedora's, some vintage and one, my favorite, bespoke. Fits like a glove! I am now considering my next purchase.

I live in Tucson, AZ. A good straw hat is your friend. Central and Southern Arizona tends to be hot, dry and bright; a hat is protection from the sun. My suggestion is when wearing a hat back off on other accessories. This means don't over accessorize!

When I was a kid all my pals would come by and grab a hat. We'd go run amok. Cowboys, engineers, fishermen, and baseball players. Now it's a newsboy or tam. A homburg or fedora for dignified overcoat weather. A derby for pub days and cigars. How a about the humble beret? Shake off the snow and put it in your pocket. Be the poet, the painter, or perhaps a freedom fighter. Viva la mercenaire! Mad as a hatter for some time, love hats. Great show, thanks.

I’ve always loved hats. One struggle I have with hats are the etiquettes of wearing a hat and wether or not I should keep it on in doors. I am new to your channel, if you have addressed these topics in previous videos, please point me in their direction. Thank you!

For me panama hat is necessary in the summer. My point of view is purely utilitarian: it protects my head from the sun and heat.

i love people talking about hats. i have a homburg, pork pie, fedora, trilby and a rollable panama. they are such lovely additions. and you're right, play with it when you put it on. take a selfie. i didn't like it when they became fashionable. you could see people with hats on their heads, not wearing them.

Great video, hats are one of my passions. A few years back I started a new tradition of looking up quality hat makers whenever I'm visiting a new city. It has made my collection to explode, in a positive way and also led to many great talks. Thanks for your fine work.

Thanks for all this info. I never used to wear a hat but now I am middle-aged and the hair is thinning a bit on the top. I finally have the confidence to wear more gentlemanly hats. Lots of good comments when wearing the right hat. Many can be worn very casually to stave off sun & weather elements. I find these very versatile and so I do not bother adding extra accessories (hat are enough statement on their own). Best to visit a specialized hat shop to get proper quality. A a super cheap hat makes a guy look cheap so stick to Quality. Take some risks to try various styles in store which will look the best according to your personal looks (for there are way too many variables to learn this via KZfaq). Note, you can actually use a hat style to help balance out overall personal features and look best to empathize with your face. Important Note, people who look good in hats have simply tried on enough shapes & styles to figure out what really works for them.

Very informative video. I started using hats just this last year., I wish I had done it earlier. I like to wear them straight and tilted, I feel very comfortable both ways. Thank you for the video!

Very good, very informative.

Thank you. It's been very informative. And yeah I think that hats are really cool, and tilting takes them to another level.

Excellent as usual, always happy to watch you and Hugo, totally elegant ,Love to you from Cairo.

Have several EPSOM FUR FELT RACING TRILBY HAT Christy's in various shades and a hard brim Homburg. All good usually match overcoat that is being worn.

Amazing how a hat can make one look staid, dashing, comical, respectable, etc. Wonderful show, but then my wife Linda and I would expect nothing less from the charming Sonya. Thanks from Dublin ( Dublin, Ohio ).

"I'm wearing a hat," too funny!! Awesome video. Inspirational. I feel as I can't wear a hat, but thanks to this video (Sonya), I may venture out and give it a shot!!

Hats are a gift to people with bald heads like me. And you can change them everyday with the mood you are into. Maybe you can cover flat caps too? Thanks for sharing

Sally Kellerman wore a fedora hat in the movie Back to School and it was a great look IMO. She seemed to wear it effortlessly, at the same time exuded fun and class. Wearing a hat can at first be uncomfortable as they are quite rare these days they are not for everyone. Sonya you happen to look great in a hat and thanks for making this video.

Fascinating video, thanks 👍🏻

Love it!

I like to cant my hat to the side, as opposed to turning it (like a dial) on my head. I prefer a straight on fit, but the slight cant to the right feels super comfortable on my head and doesn't give me a "I'm wearing a hat!" look. Thank you for this video. I want a brown derby hat really badly! lol

The fellow who invented the bowler for his grounds keepers, because the top hats they wore always got knocked off by branches. It was very much a working man's hat in its beginning but it became popular with everyone for quite a while.

Thanks, amazing information! I love seeing in old movie how in the past everyone wore hats, so much style! Unfortunately wearing a hat nowadays draws too much attention...

Sonya, hats off for this video.

Thanks Sonya, so informative - I like hats a lot but never knew about this different names besides Bowler and Stetson - in Germany we call the Top Hat Cylinder (Zylinder). I had one from my grand-grandfather which had internal mechanics to make it flat like a plate. To enlarge it again you had to move it in a special way and beat against one side of the brim - this thing is called chapeau claque. Unfortunately I played too much with it as a kid and it broke ....

Informative, thanks

I loved your tutorial on hats, Sonya! Aside from baseball hats, I am a novice - so this really helped. I'd love to hear more about what hats work best with various face shapes and sizes. I have tried on a few panama hats and have yet to be 100% excited by what I see in the mirror. Either it's the fact that a big part of my identity is my hair so I am not used to it or what I really think it is - is not choosing the perfect hat for my face. And perhaps the feeling would completely change if I were to try some hats on while wearing my favorite suit? Anyway - food for thought. I will kep exploring because I LOVE the look. Thanks!

I would like to address the concept of fedoras and trilbies being different types of hat. Avoiding some much older historical complications (e.g. if you go really far back, the term fedora used much more broadly for any soft, felt hat - including homburgs), the term fedora (for most of its historical use) has applied to anything that people would recognise as a fedora or trilby (i.e. any soft hat with a snap brim) in American English. Conversely, the term trilby was used in British English for the same. The term trilby travelled to the US with British made hats that had relatively narrow brims (marketed as hats to wear to the races). The term fedora wasn't really heard in the UK until it was popularised by phenomena like Indiana Jones. It is from this history that we get the modern perception that fedoras and trilbies are different types of hat, when truly they are the same, with some people being more likely to apply one term or another based on brim width. Does the distinction or lack of distinction really matter? Perhaps not, but people will find that they are suited to hats with different proportions, and arbitrarily dividing soft, snap brim hats into two categories helps to limit that, as "fedoras" tend to be produced with not only wider brims, but also straighter crowns, whilst "trilbies" tend to be produced with narrower brims and more tapered crowns. But people really need more variety than that to find hats that suit their face and body - I, for example, favour wider, flatter brims (at least 7cm), but also more tapered crowns (as an enthusiast of open-crown hats and doing my own bashing, I can deal with the tapering issue myself). I would also argue that the pork pie hat is really just another variety of fedora/trilby, in that it is another soft hat with a snap brim, just specifically with a pork pie crown (which other hats can also have - e.g. a Homburg could have a pork pie crown).

Thank you for the wonderful video. My collection includes flat/newsboy caps (wool-winter, linen summer) and Panama hats. ~ Cheers!

I love all my hats. I have all sorts of hats, at the moment I wear a Boston Pork Pie for the day and when we go casual at evening I wear a dark blue felt Pork Pie with collor fitting cloth. How I wrote, that's my favorite at the moment. When I go formal I wear a traditonal german felt hat with tratinoal german cloth. For a Fedora my head is to small and it looks not good on me. One thing is chisseled in stone: I'll never leave the house without a hat.

A big problem that hinders people from wearing hats is the fact that the proportions of commonly available hats often do not suit the features of the wearer's face. A lot of people try on a hat that doesn't suit then, look in the mirror, and the never try wearing a hat again. For example, a taller crown suits a taller person, and shorter crown a shorter person, a wider brin suits a broader person, and narrower brin a narrower person. That is simple stuff. More subtely, a hat with a crown that is very straight sided will suit a squarer face, a hat that tapers from the base of the crown to the top suits a face that tapers towards the bottom and so on. A nuance topic that could be discussed indefinitely but could be summed up as: look in a mirror.

I'm wanting to see if I can ease myself, and then maybe my partner, into hat wearing. The harsh Australian sun makes it a good idea. My partner always wears a cap when he goes out but it's very casual and I'd like to see if I can get him into something a bit fancier for when he's suited up. He's also in the army and seeing him in his slouch hat always does things to me ;) Not for with a suit of course, but you can't go past a good Akubra for a truly comfortable casual hat that'll take anything you throw at it.

Just purchased my first hat, a navy blue fedora. Purchased on line and the fit was just a touch large. My next will be a Panama hat.

Good morning Sonya..yes a man can wear a cowboy hat with a suit...here is how i wore mine....during the winter...i would wear it with the entire brim turned down...i think gary cooper would approve..smile..enjoy your Wed ..peace

Been wearing wide brimmed hats (3.5" or more) with wide lapel suits, it goes perfectly

Thank you! I really enjoyed this! I recommend Akubra hats, especially the Fed IV and the Campdraft.

Can you wear a cowboy hat with a suit? I walked into an exclusive high rollers area of a stylish casino rockin a white 5x beaver Stetson hat, navy blue pinstripe suit, crisp white dress shirt, custom Lucchese cowboy boots. Heads turned 360 degrees as a strutted in. Was treated like a KING.

Wonderful! Hat-astic! I've been building up a collection of a few vintage fedoras (well, they are 2 inches on the brim so maybe trilbies?). I've become more confident wearing my hats over the past year or two. Thank you for this video. Tony

Good evening, Sonya! Lovely video, as always. Thank you! I love headwear. I think it's a way to take ownership of your style. I personally wear flat caps very often and in the summer the Panama. Also, women in hats are the most beautiful thing in the world. My mom and my sisters like to wear very wide brimed fedoras. Sometimes they punch out the crown to make it round and it makes the brim wavy and it just forms the lovelies frame for their head and hair.

always a pleasure... here in El Salvador, a hat [panamena] is perfect for those hot sunny days.

I appreciate the coverage of hats and hope it draws attention to a fact which we have strangely forgotten. HATS ARE IMMENSELY PRACTICAL. If you spend time outside in Summer and don't want to end up with skin cancer, WEAR A HAT. Straw hats should be an essential item in warm weather. If you go out in Winter or in the rain and feel cold or wet, WEAR A HAT. Wool or, better yet, leather hats retain body heat and repel moisture. Since I feel that practical considerations outweigh decorative ones, I recommend generally wearing your hat straight, not tilted.

Thank you, Sonya! This is a good intro to hats. I’ve worn western hats at different points in my life, but not with a suit. I’ve considered a fedora or trilby for winter, because hats help you stay warm. Right now, I’m in the market for a Panama hat, because my hair is getting thin on top. One hat that I thought you may address is a newsboy style hat, because it can be worn with suits. Thanks again!

Love fedoras, but I’ve been enthusiastically collecting newsboy caps in cotton and linen and they’ve been wonderful for here in Florida! Have a new Panama coming in though for the really hot days.

Ethan M. Wong has a great article "On the Subject of Fedoras". My favorite style of hat to wear is a style that is in-between a Fedora and a Western hat. They have a very thin ribbon and bound edge with a brim that can snap. Today I wore an Akubra "Crampdraft" in the Silverbelly color. They are based on the vintage Stetson "Open Road" proportions.

love the hat . living in florida . a good straw hat will help with the heat and Humidity. the trick of it i found is if u can see light though than its a good hat . lets the beach breeze in . cooling your head .now if u look at the hat from inside and no light then ur head will be hot. sweat and Uncomfortable. no good for tropics.

I have a grey Fedora and two Stetson Trilby hats. One is a grey herringbone tweed and the other is camelhair color. The Trilby is very common in the non-cowboy hats that Stetson made and still makes. However, Stetson calls them Fedoras. All three hats are vintage. I also have a straw Trilby for summer. I have so many because they are so practical and it looks good on me. Fedora's work on me too. I've alway wanted a bowler and a boater, but the stuff off the rack doesn't fit my head. I think I need bespoke. I like the Panama. Probably, there is one in my future. The one hat you left out is the flat cap. Maybe you consider it to proletariat? I have a few, and I think the are just the thing with a tweed suit or jacket and a Burberry trench coat. Lots of people across the channel from you agree!

I have never worn a hat for a sartorial purpose before, only for sun protection, but after watching this video, I think I’ll give it a try once the pandemic is over and I can travel again. I am especially interested in the Panama hat.

Thank you sonya for explaining it,i always wore a fedora and flat cap in cold weather or homburg/bowler in a formal office situation,while panama and boaters for warm/hot weather,i have an special top hat for the royal ascot,it was hardly worned by me,but i love by just looking at it

I think I just found out what gets Sonya excited the way shoes do for Hugo! Your red hat reminds me of the one Prince wore in one of his famous performances playing While My Guitar Gently Weeps.

Headwear can really make an outfit, and you're right that you develop a relationship with the thing. I started by making the transition from a baseball cap to a flat cap years ago, and that sartorial step helped me get more comfortable being a "hat guy." Eventually I picked up a panama for summers, and just recently acquired a gorgeous chocolate beaver felt fedora from Agnoulita Hats. Having a hat is great, and I definitely recommend folks give them a go. If I had to give advice on getting used to hats, Is recommend folks either to start simple with a cap and work their way around, or to think functionally and get a hat for a specific purpose or season. Also helps if the rest of your outfit is nice too.

First I started wearing a newsboy cap (bought winter 2019), and since then, I've aquired a Panama hat and a Fedora in dark brown and they are lovely, and very practical too. If you're not sure about wearing them I suggest not spending too much on the first ones in case you don't feel confortable. For me, my next step is buiyng a good quality wool cap. The most important thing: try them on because not all hats/caps look the same on you, but once you get it right, it really elevates your outfit and you'll get lots of compliments :)

Lovely fun content ....always enjoy your videos 👍

Thanks for the informative video. A great hat maker in the US is Optimo Hats in Chicago. I own one of their fedoras and one of the Montecristi Panama hats. Got the Chicago seasons covered.

Just got a trilby for my nieces wedding this put a smile on my face thanks for tip re angling hat hat virgin hope it turns out good lol

Great video

I never thought I had a "hat head" until I tried on a trilby at a store and it actually fit, which is when I learned that hats had sizes too. Wore it for a while but it was very difficult to wear it around here without it feeling like a costume so I dropped it. But a couple years ago I tried on a flat cap, and it just felt so natural that I ended up with 4 and wear them most of the time and I even got one to wear at home when it's cold. If anyone thinks they can't wear a hat, they just haven't found the right one yet.

Hats are one of my all time favorite accessories, it really makes me feel that nonchalant/sprezzatura. The biggest advice I give to anyone who is wanting to wear hats, is... 1) figure out what feels comfortable when you wear it. You will only wear the hat if it’s something you’ll love. I have one particular light brown fedora I wear all the time in and out of suits. It always feels an easy choice to me to wear with not only my wardrobe but I definitely feeling it showing off my personality. 2) Don’t be afraid to buy different colored hats of the same style, especially if you found one you like. Sometimes you’ll find that one particular hat type works for you but you may want to switch out the color with something that compliments it a bit more. Like I have hats of the same type but in black, brown, and grey.

I have a few Austrian style homburg's and a beautiful black fedora with a somehwhat larger brim (3.5 inch) with a 3 inch pleated black silk band

I’ve been wanting to use Panama hats, especially given how hot the climate is wheee I live. Used to regularly use flat caps but it tore and I haven’t found a replacement I liked enough

You guys forgot to mention the Mexican-American community wears "tejanas" or cowboy hats to all formal occasions. Some of these hats run into the thousands of dollars.

Wow fantastic video. I have watched multiple hat videos as this balding man wants to explore new fun things with his head and presence, and yours is by far the most informative as well as inspirational! I love how you give permission around this otherwise awkward accessory exploration. You make it fun and I really appreciate that. Great history about these hats as well which I found fascinating. Do you offer a video about common hat styles for certain face shapes/body physiques (men in my case but females would interesting as well for my wife) ? We would love your take on that.

Classy presentation

I have been wearing a fedora from Stetson for a few years now, and I absolutely agree ! Do not simply put the hat on your head ! Bend it, play with its curves, wear it more on the front (just above the eyes) or on the back of your head, left or right side ? Each changes give a nex attitude to your silhouette !

i've always had something on my head i actually started with classic men style trough hats i really liked furfelt brimmed hats but just had trouble pairing it with the clothes i wore then it just looked off to me so i discovered the gentlemens gazette by watching their videos and reading their article about hats ever since then i changed everything i wear (high waisted/pleated trousers with button suspenders classic shoes like full brogues loafers desert boots dress shirts waistcoats fair isles cardigans ties also bought my first self tie bowtie but still havent figured out how to tie it lol yeah so i'm sure i will never return to casual and low quality clothes ever again!

I've recently been thinking of getting a nice tweed bonnet (as my grandpa would say). Basically a flat cap I guess.. but they just say bonnet in Scotland.