Sun Hat

Why Wear a Sun Hat?

A fabulous sun hat can be the perfect finishing piece to your swimwear ensemble, but that sassy little accessory perched on top of your head can do more than just make you look fashionable.

During the summer season, temperatures in many regions can be downright dangerous, so you have to be smart about protecting yourself whenever you plan to be outdoors. By now, the benefits of sunscreen are well known and you should use it liberally whenever you plan to be in the sun. Even short exposures can carry consequences. However, general sunscreen lotion isn't meant to be rubbed in your hair, and does nothing to abate those hot rays of sunshine quietly baking your head.

A well designed hat will:

Protect your head from direct rays of the sun, lessening the chance of heat stroke.
Keep your hair safe from sun damage, which causes brittleness and bleaching.
Provide some sun shield for your face and the back of your neck as well.

Function Meets Fashion

The good news is that you can protect yourself and your loved ones from over-heating, and sun-blocking head gear can be an extremely simple tool to help you do just that.

With that in mind, take a look at what features make a serviceable hat, and see what the fashion gurus have to offer this year.

Features to Look For

First and foremost, an effective sun hat needs to cover the top of your skull for best protection from direct sunshine.

Second, it should have some brim around it to provide extra shade to keep the sun off your face, eyes, and the back of your neck. Brims of about three to four inches should be sufficient for the task.

Third, if at all possible, your hat should provide some ventilation. Some hats have built-in mesh openings to let the breeze pass through. Other styles are a bit more open weave in construction, and allow a decent amount of air flow.

Quick, and easy head coverings include:

Ball caps
Fishing hats
Straw hats

Less suitable choices include:

Sun visors- No protection for top of head.
Knit caps- Popular year round now, but trap in too much heat for summer.

Hot Styles

The return of the 1980's continues. One of the hottest head coverings you'll find at retail and online shopping venues is the Legionnaire style sun hat. If you came of age during the 80's, you'll recognize this hat. Based on the uniform cap of the French Foreign Legion, and popularized by a band named The Clash in their music video Rock the Casbah, this is a distinctive look.

The chief component of the Legionnaire is the curtain that drapes from the back of the hat to keep the sun off the back of your neck. Today, this handy little drape has been transferred to a number of other hat styles, including baseball caps, the Australian Outback hat (another 80's flashback with a pinned up side brim), and the ever popular safari hat. Even the humble cowboy hat has been curtained.

This hat design is available for men, women and even children as young as six months old, perfect for the entire family.

Already have a favorite hat? You can convert it to the Legionnaire style with The Chic Sheik II offered at Sun Grubbies. Manufactured from a nylon Solarweave fabric, the Sheik is open at the top for ventilation, wraps around the top of your forehead, complete with cotton sweat band, and drapes around the sides and back of your head. The front edges may be joined under your chin with a velcro closure, if you desire.

This unit is easily worn under any hat, and has a sun protection factor of 50+ to block about 98 percent of ultraviolet rays.

SunGrubbies also offers a bug repellant version of the Legionaire, the Buzz Off, which is also available in adult and children's sizes.

Double Duty Performance

To be sure, sun hats are important as part of your overall sun protection plan, as well as the fact that you can look terrific wearing them too. So what are you waiting for? Start looking for sunwear for the family before this season's goodies are all picked over.