The fedora appears to be this season's hat of choice for summer in the city for both men and women, and several Central West End shops stock great examples at very reasonable prices. Short-of-brim they don't give your face much protection from UV rays, but you can slather on sunscreen for that and look oh so hip as you dart here and there in this stifling heat.
At Bowood Farms there were only two remaining of these quite handsome silvery-grey paper-straw fedoras from the San Diego Hat Company, $60.
When I visited Bowood last week, Jesse, above, sported her own fedora as she packed up an order.
Hillary Dutcher, proprietor of Ivy Hill, 304 N. Euclid, carries straw fedoras by Peter Grimm Hats, above, that she said have been extremely popular, $28 to $34.
When I visited Mary Jane's, 387 N. Euclid, late yesterday I was told that hats were flying out the door on Sunday as customers looked for ways to keep cool. The beaded iridescent hat in shades of pink, above, is from Team Diva, $59, and
Mary Jane's also stocks a variety of charming fedoras from D & Y, above, $25 each.
Rose Sullivan, manager of Libby's, 4742 McPherson, said they've had a hard time keeping this style in stock. At week's end there were only two straw fedoras left, above, $20 each.
Dawna Sturdivant at Borough Vintage, 447 N. Euclid, also has several classic fedoras in her collection that range in price from $28 to $48.
And at Cassie's, 316 N. Euclid, men and women have been buying flower-print fabric hats, $17.50. Cassie said a group of friends bought the hats for their annual "hat party" last spring—sounds like a great idea, doesn't it?
Party or not, the variety and price of fedoras featured in this post are right for just about anyone for any occasion.
I’ve spent some time on the Borough Vintage website lately but haven’t yet gone in to browse in person. Seeing your feature on the Fedora has convinced me to visit the store. I love the plaid one on the left for fall and also the grayish-straw one from Mary Janes. Fun! Great feature!