“Whilst there is no hard and fast rule on when to switch from wearing straw hats to wool felt ones, once the temperature drops below 20C, felt hats provide more warmth and are ideal as the weather becomes cooler and more unpredictable,” advises Alice Leet-Cook, co-founder of Hicks & Brown, maker of the Princess of Wales’s favourite casual hats.
“They offer better protection against light rain too. September is all about layers, felt hats pair wonderfully with a [cream] sweater, jeans, and loafers. The felt adds an autumnal touch that balances the remaining lightness of summer fabrics. If we are lucky to have some warm sunny days in the month, choosing a neutral shade of hat such as camel, olive or grey, will still provide protection from the sun without clashing with late summer wardrobes.”
Even if you are not a country dweller, and are just visiting say, the Cotswolds, for a weekend away, you should still make an effort to look the part, advises Alice Hare, stylist at Schöffel.
“Felt hats scare most people, making them worry they’ll look too try-hard or are at a Robin Hood cosplay convention,” she jokes. “But you don’t have to wear them with head-to-toe tweed and a shotgun slung over your shoulder.”
The thing about a felt hat, she says, is that “you’ll feel like an idiot the first time you wear one.” Especially after a summer spent on a beach in the Med. “But, trust me, get through that first outing and you won’t look back.”
