Summer 2021 : If only one is needed, it will be this one

On the beaches as well as on the terraces, the scent of summer is back and with it, the essential piece of any summer wardrobe: the straw hat. In the aftermath of repeated lockdowns, there is only one watchword to guide your summer: FREEDOM.

A glamorous accessory by excellence, endlessly declined for centuries, it is the headgear to be favoured at a time when our thermometers are climbing. Simple and authentic style, it can be worn casually (if you recognize yourself in the codes of Italian sprezzatura). Whether you're a smart or a smart-aleck, more elegant than a cap and more practical than an umbrella, the straw hat protects as much as it guarantees a summery look. The ancients already praised its soft, malleable and with a smooth texture; but it was in 16th century Tuscany that it acquired its first letters of nobility, leaving the Florence of the Medicis to spread to all the royal courts, and being exported all over the world from Livorno.

Change the shape, colour, style? Trilby, boater, visor, fedora... vary the pleasures! The straw hat has a considerable aura, and a wide range of colours is available to the initiated. Make yourself a movie star for a summer by opting for a capeline, a hat with a wide brim. Combine it with a pair of sunglasses and become an eternal Audrey Hepburn icon.  

Long live straw hat! A few good reflexes are enough to guarantee it looks good and lasts long. Even though it is solid and practical, your new ally requires a minimum of care; appropriate storage will make it your best friend.

Once adopted, the straw hat is an accessory that is both chic and casual. It is and will remain, the irreplaceable headgear of the summer.  Be hot, or better yet, be hat! Long live summer!