It’s not just the sun that’s got its hat on.
It turns out that half of Instagram does too. At least, so a cursory glance at your social feed would suggest, as the big sun hat comparison league takes over from the Women’s World Cup as summer’s most hotly debated sport. The goal? Widest brim wins.
Jacquemus — fashion’s favourite French trendsetter, with a particular penchant for using size to make a statement (see the latest line of It-bags so weeny in proportion even Polly Pocket might struggle to fit all her things in) — holds the title of reigning champion. The brand’s Le Grand Chapeau Bomba, first unveiled at its last summer showcase and measuring in at nearly two feet wide, has proved to be summer’s standout accessory in more ways than one, selling out time and time again and popping up atop everyone from Anja Rubik to Rihanna.
Then, just a fortnight ago at its spring/summer 2020 catwalk show, held among the lavender fields of Provence, Jacquemus continued its quest to dish out Instagram gold, in the form of XXL straw hats in shades of tangerine, lime and fuchsia pink, some of which grazed the floor as they were carried by models, while others were worn with the brims swept back in spectacular fashion.
Certainly, gigantic straw hats appear to be the best thing to happen to holiday Insta-snaps since someone first held an Aperol Spritz against a sunset. Of course the very reason that it works so well in selfies — or better yet, with the help of a well-trained Insta-husband (even a selfie-stick doesn’t have enough reach for the biggest brims on the beach) — is precisely its downfall IRL. Try navigating the narrow cobbled streets at Lake Como or trawling the local Sunday market in Montpellier with a tremendous titfer in tow, and you’ll soon discover this is a trend with posing, not practicality, in mind. Light breezes and curious children are also foes of this bigger-is-better accessory, and you can forget any chances of cramming it into your carry-on suitcase.
Instead, your best bet is to find a secluded British beach — with the right filter, no one will even know you’re not in Tulum — or even head to your own back garden with the most colossal hat you can get your hands on. Bella Hadid is a fan of the exceptionally large Palapa hat by Mexico City-based design duo Olmos & Flores, which boasts a 22½-inch brim complete with a four-inch fringe, while the Giga Spinner oversized option from Lola Hats is so big that it comes with a large gold pin at the front so as not to impair your vision, and is crafted from flexible natural raffia so it can be rolled up and carried under the arm when not in use. Barcelona-based milliners Eliurpi, conceived by designer Elisabet Urpi and photographer Nacho Umpiérrez, also specialise in exaggerated sizes to get you noticed, with its Le Grand style measuring a metre wide.
Never one to miss a trick, huge hats are also big news on the high street this summer — though, granted, in slightly more user-friendly proportions. Mango’s navy-blue striped sun hat fits the oversized bill nicely without verging on the side of meme-worthy, while ASOS’s super-wide straw hat features an impressive, but not ridiculous, 12-inch brim which, at just £28, is a steal. Particularly when offset against your sun lotion saving.
