Wife hates my Tilley Hat... Are there any full brimmed hats that actually look good?

Macchina

Macchina

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Apr 7, 2006
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I own a Tilely T3 and love the thing. It's my go to hat for fishing, hiking, and other outdoor activities. Problem is my wife hates the thing. She says it's ugly and worse things I shouldn't write down
I'm a 27 year old guy and maybe my generation wasn't destined to wear fine full-brimmed hats...
I'm looking for any recommendations. I really like the Filson Tin Cloth Packer Hat and Tilley TWC5, but both of these repulsed her as well. The idea of a waxed-cotton hat is appealing to me.
She likes my Stormy Kromers in the winter (and so do I) and I'm thinking about giving the waxed cotton version a try for the summer but I don't need earflaps in the summer and I like full brimmed hats darn-it!
 
I have one of these in khaki that Ive been wearing... It has a wire brim so it can be sharped to your wifes liking
http://www.tgw.com/customer/category/product.jsp?SUBCATEGORY_ID=13183
here's a recent family camping trip
campbear111.jpg
 
I got rid of my wife and got this:

35dcknp.jpg


A 1950's Norm Thompson Shakari Safari by Resistol. But then I am an old Codger. :p

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I think John Wayne wore one. :)
 
I've got three Tilley hats, of the three the Tilley Hemp Hat is the classiest
looking. The other two (including an air flow) are relegated to hiking trips,
but I can wear the white hemp hat around town, it has a more crisp form,
and is pretty styling, if I say so myself.
 
tell her its that, or a real deal hat! (my wife hates my wide brims too, but doesn't care as long I only wear it at work) you could also say that its that or skin cancer, but that might not be terribly tasteful.....
 
I also have a Tilley . I wear it at work, at home or in the woods. If the sun is shinning the hat is on my head. You could find a real ugly hat and wear that one until she realizes the Tilley wasn't so bad after all.
 
I think they all look goofy but they do a job. It could be much worse, it could be a pair of Crocs.
GWEEEENEWIE.jpg
 
I can't wear a Tilley and still look relatively "normal".
 
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I go SUPER goofy and wear a French pattern genuine cork pith helmet. Took the dopy chin strap off it and it doesn't look too bad. Soak that puppy in water and it absorbs it like a sponge and the evaporative effect combined with the ventilation and helmet suspension makes it like an AC for your head. Or if you just want to keep the sun off but it's not too hot out just wear it dry. It's something that has to be experienced to believe. I'll never go back to a standard sun hat in warm weather.
 
I've got 3 Tilleys; one natural, one black, one blue. I find that the black and blue ones tend to be more acceptable in non-outdoorsy settings and yes, the brim needs to be stiff and presentable.
 
I'll throw in on this one. I have a Tilley that doesn't
Get much use because the brim is both narrow and floppy.
I use the OSFA open weave straw hats in
Summer because the band is flexible and absorbent. At $15 or so I can
Throw them away as the wear out without worry.
Winters I have an old beaver felt with a decent brim I wear some.
Cold weather outdoors I revert to a ball cap with ear
Flap.
820167bbfdaffc4f919435e5c1f767ba.jpg
 
Tilley T3 for me. I didn't quite like the way it looked on me until I started abusing it and letting it look well worn, now I love it. It's the best hat there is as far as I'm concerned.
 
I'll second the Real Deal Hat. The fit is great it's just a little rough around the edges.
 
Also 27, also wear a Tilley, girlfriend also hates it.

Tilley has lots of styles (many more than they did back when I bought my first hat) and some of them are less ugly than others. As others have mentioned, there are lots of other hats out there as well. Here's the thing though: As you mentioned, we just live in a time where full brimmed hats are not the norm. Nowadays, we can't wear a good hat without being seen as a nerd, or a fedora style hat without being termed a "hipster". But you just have to ignore all that. For the better part of the last century, men wore hats and for a good reason. And just like everything else that has come back around, hats will have their turn. Instead of waiting for them to become acceptable again, just BE THE CATALYST of that change. I'm right there with you.
 
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