Warm temps and straw sun hats for women may be the quintessential, sartorial summer duo. But I’m here to tell you this hat style has true staying power all year.
When I say “straw hat” one might call to mind white sand beaches and a fashionable A-lister lounging on a chaise. Or the large undulating curves of an oversized straw sun hat perched on the head of an Old Hollywood celeb, à la Mitzi Gaynor.
We love to see it. We really do.
Now a four-season staple: straw sun hats for women
Have you considered a narrower brim and a stiffer crown in all its refined glory for a weekend outing? Or a women’s cowboy hat oozing with American pride that adds just a touch of laid-back charm to an otherwise buttoned-up evening look?
How about an extra wide brim bold straw boater hat paired with an all-silk dress? It could easily go from brunch tapas to CEO suite – just add a cream blazer and closed-toe heels.
There are two main things that make this last example a real hat trick.
First, though the silk dress serves up plenty of draping, it’s done so in a very tailored, detail-oriented way. The hem along the neckline even mimics silk lapels of a high-end menswear tux. Second, using a rust-colored skirt as the secondary focal point of the outfit mutes the whole look. With that color, it’s more suited to a boardroom or evening event than a relaxed daytime outing.
These are just a few starting examples of women’s straw hats that work well beyond your annual two-week PTO getaway.
If you’re still not sure just how this summer staple can earn a permanent place in your four-season outfit rotation, don’t worry. All that’s needed is a little bit of hat-spiration to stir up a few new style ideas. And today’s A-listers and runway shows are the perfect guide. It’s time to think outside of the (hat) box. These style tips and examples that show us straw hats for women are truly for any temp and any time.
1. Feel Refined in a Straw Sun Hat and Tailored Culottes
Cropped mom jeans and flared culotte trousers are having a moment that’s going to last for more than a few seasons. And as someone who loves any excuse to show off my shoe collection, I’m here for it.
But let’s not overlook the fact that it’s also the perfect excuse to show off how well you can mix and match other bold looks and interesting proportions. Like an oversized linen tee or, say, one of the wide brimmed straw sun hats for women that are currently trending.
See how this model’s circular straw sun hat beautifully offsets her wide-legged bottoms? These two pieces balance each other in both proportion and personality. On top, you have casual cool in the form of a horizontally swooping straw brim. On bottom, tailored and trendy with vertical lines and a slight A-line silhouette.
A closer look will reveal that the textured nature of her woven sun hat also complements the texture of her linen shirt. Texture that is mirrored in the printed pattern of her bottoms.
Style Tips for Wearing a Straw Sun Hat, Come Rain or Shine
Tangerine orange hues, yellow lipstick, and yellow lace up espadrilles make this a straw hat ensemble a late spring to mid-summer’s dream as-is. You can experiment with different color schemes, prints, and textures to personalize the look even more.
Culottes with a bold modern print worn with a natural straw sun hat for women can also be your go-anywear fall/winter outfit.
Mimic the oversized silhouette of this linen top by swapping it out with a large, cord-knit sweater in an equally bright hue. Create more structure by updating the outfit with a fitted turtleneck or a long-sleeve bodysuit in a darker color scheme. Finish with slides that match the undyed color of your straw hat to bookend the look. Or add drama with high-heeled mid-thigh boots and a matching coat.
2. Make A Straw Hat Winter-Perfect with Dark Leather
Seeking a statement-making way to mix up an outfit? One need not look any further than the tantalizing mix of textures that might already be hanging in the closet.
If you organize your wardrobe by season, lace dresses, leather gloves and boots, and woven straw hats for women might be sitting on opposite sides of the closet. But that doesn’t mean they don’t play well together.
Suzette’s leather and lace look couldn’t be more complete than with her black-trimmed straw boater hat with a matching black hat band. It’s a joyful juxtaposition that comes out as fun – not undone. This is due to the color schemes in both her hat and lace mesh dress. You see matching black details and a cohesive beige hue with olive undertones.
Dark leather calls for dark straw hats
It’s a great idea to stick with darker colors like dark natural, brown, and black. This is just one great way to effortlessly transition your women’s straw sun hat from warm to cold-weather accessory.
Instead of using artful accents to bring the look together like Suzette did, you can also dress in head-to-toe black with contrasting pops of color.
The fact that Befort’s black boater hat is constructed of woven straw might even escape you at first glance, due to her dramatic all-black evening wear. But after your eye stops at the wide maroon silk hat band and maroon red brim trim, you have time to explore the full depth of her outfit.
A long, sleeveless leather blazer seems to add weight to her ensemble, while wide leg trousers inject a bit of flowy lightness. A wide brim hat balances the bottoms (as my previous example above) in somber, yet classic, black. But the straw construction elevates it and adds a bit of lightness to her look.
Again, we see a delightful mix of textures. This time, in one dark, monochromatic color story.
Style Tips for Wearing a Straw Boater Hat in Winter and Beyond
This is absolutely your sign to embrace all-black straw sun hats for women.
And, if you want a versatile straw hat that you can wear year-round, a boater silhouette is a great choice. With its classic wide brim, medium circular crown, and no crown pinch, it’s structured, with just enough panache.
Fall and winter are the perfect times to bring out a brown or black hat and lots of texture. Pick a color scheme and then mix and match to your heart’s delight. A straw hat could look great with Corduroy, chunky knits, suede, faux snakeskin, silk crêpe, and smooth leather.
Just make sure the colors of your hat are echoed in other parts of your outfit – like a belt or your shoes.
To bring the same dark hat into the spring and summer sunshine, look for lighter fabrics, lighter hues, and lace or mesh details that create visual lightness. For example, a black straw hat with a white hat band would offset a white lace tea dress or white denim. And Suzette’s lace dress and straw boater hat would be warm-weather perfection with a white bag and strappy sandals.
3. Button Up a Woven Fedora with a Classic Trench Coat
Year after year, as the temps fall, we see new iterations of the timeless trench coat gracing runways and magazine spreads. Like the blazer, it’s a menswear piece that has earned its place in the closets of many. Men, women, and nonbinary people all around the world wear fedoras to instantly elevate any outfit.
So it only makes sense to match it with another piece borrowed from the guys: the fedora hat.
But with a palm twist.
A straw women’s fedora hat brings a bit of playfulness to a serious trench coat or a dark blazer. The silk hat band and dark gray jacket match – and they are both classic menswear staples. This ensures that these two pieces still look great together.
Style Tips for Wearing a Straw Fedora Hat Year-Round
This runway look is more “boss” than “beach-lounging.” Even better, a crisp white button up and gray midi skirt can truly be worn year-round. All you need to do is make some subtle shoe and accessory changes as the seasons shift.
A wide scarf will add winter coziness with knee-high boots.
A chunky statement necklace and slides will add a pop of spring color and summer cheer in warmer months.
But don’t stop there. A fedora and menswear jacket would look just as good with a jumpsuit, pantsuit, pencil dress, or parachute pants and fitted top. Choose one of many straw sun hats for women in neutral colors and you’ll have more pairing options than days in the year.
4. Spice Up a Floral Summer Dress with Pork Pie Stunner
No guide to wearing and styling straw hats would be complete without a nod to the go-to that got us here. That is the women’s straw sun hat and floral dress combo.
Many of us have reached for a wide-brimmed beauty to top off a floral maxi on our sun-soaked vacay. Or carefully selected the perfectly floppy travel hat to wear poolside with a kimono cover up.
Well, Turner-Smith combined both vibes in a yellow maxi dress with coral floral prints. She draped herself in a lovely matching coral kimono with white florals that matched…none other than her white straw sun hat for women.
Saturated hues. Flowy silk fabrics. Artfully color-coordinated mixed prints. White summer sun hat. Sassy shades.
Her soirée ensemble had all the ingredients of a smashing success.
What grabs your eye immediately, though, is the silhouette of her women’s straw sun hat. A floppy beach hat or wide-brimmed straw hat would have been totally acceptable options to top off her look.
But she wasn’t okay with merely acceptable. She rebelled against that status quo, and chose a bold pork pie style in all its glory.
Style Tips for Wearing a Straw Pork Pie Hat in Every Season
The low crown and jutting brim of a women’s pork pie hat give it dramatic proportions that are bound to turn heads. The hat itself is a bold statement. Doubly so when worn with pieces – and at times – that seem a bit out of the mold.
A straw pork pie hat looks great with a sundress, puff-sleeved blouse, or flowy jumpsuit in spring and summer. And it will pair equally well with a pantsuit or relaxed jeans in fall and winter.
To keep the focus on the clean lines of the hat, consider a slicked-back updo and little or no jewelry, regardless of the season. This is actually the perfect minimalist hat, bringing enough attitude to stand out all on its own.
5. Add Structure to a Floppy Sun Hat With Bold Stripes
A floppy beach hat instantly goes from sea-side to cityscape with a change in patterns, some smart tailoring, and a clean red lip.
The floral maxi dress and sun hat combo is a resortwear classic. So straw sun hats for women paired with bold stripes are much more unexpected.
And much more versatile.
The floppy brim of this straw hat and the raw edges are very relaxed, but the tall, round crown brings structure, balancing the whole act perfectly. This model wore it with a well-tailored dress and minimalistic jewelry. She effortlessly combined the relaxed, laissez-faire nature of a natural straw hat with the attention to detail and nipped-in composure we have during office hours. Red lipstick, and a clean updo add more refinement, solidly land this look in the streetwear category.
Style Tips for Flaunting a Floppy Straw Hat from Spring to Fall
Give some model-off-duty energy for brunch and sightseeing with a crossbody bag and white sneakers. Go for a spring shopping spree with a reusable tote and woven espadrilles. Or add drama of a different type to the bleachers during the next summer sporting event with statement sunglasses.
If you’re ready to bring some beach to the boardroom, but in a business casual way, try this fourth option. Dress up a similar look with a dark briefcase or satchel. Wear a navy oversized blazer for layering and some squared-off heels for a perfectly-appropriate late spring or early fall outfit.
Extra style points because your hair will be fashionably protected from those sudden spring showers underneath a floppy straw sun hat for women.
I just dare you to don one next time the forecast calls for rain.
The Hat Stops Here
Wearing a hat is always a great way to make a statement. But many people overlook the impact handwoven straw or palm can have when worn in early spring, late fall, or as a winter statement piece.
We simply don’t expect to see straw outside holiday photo dumps or summer boardwalk strolls. So when we wear a women’s straw sun hat with leather boots, office attire, utility fabrics, or dark colors, it captures attention.
And, when sourced from quality materials and crafted into a quality hat, straw is truly a material for the masses. From bold bottoms and classic trench coats to silk dresses and utility rompers, it plays well with every silhouette and every texture.
It’s time to invest in a well-fitting, quality made straw sun hat for women, because this is about to be your most-worn piece.