How to Style a Beach Hat by Sena Nelson

Written by Sena Nelson featuring theFaye beach hat by Gigi Pip

I live on Oahu with my two daughters and husband. Eliana, my oldest, is two and a half, and Evelise is nine months. I am very passionate about cultivating adventurous spirits in my children, so we spend our days in a range of spots between the mountains and the beach discovering new places and creating a love for our island home. We are very fortunate to raise our children in Hawaii surrounded with such beauty. I have made it my motherly mission to create an appreciation for the nature and opportunities for discovery that we are surrounded with on Oahu. I would describe my style as 1970s with a love for African tribal prints and Spanish textiles and a touch of Southwest.

I pick my outfits according to what we will be doing each day and where we will be going. If our day involves the beach, I typically reach for a light straw beach hat like the Faye Natural Straw Boater for its classic summer appeal. The flat boater crown creates clean and modern lines with any outfit while still reaching into a timeless style that has carried for centuries. The brim size creates the dream-face-framing-halo and completes any outfit. The ribbon around the crown on this hat is solid black which makes it easy to style with just about anything. I love this beach hat for its versatility and its ability to maintain its shape against the beach breezes. It pairs perfectly with a long summer dress for a sunset walk along the water and works just as well with a suit and tunic cover-up for a casual day of laying in the sun. One of the struggles with living on the island is the heat, so I find myself seeking hats that are light enough to keep me cool. The straw weave is light and creates the perfect trendy vision without the heat that can come with a felt or wool hat.

We love spending time on the beaches here, but we also spend quite a bit of time in the mountains exploring the greenery and chasing the wild chickens (yes, that’s an actual pastime for my children!). A day in the mountains calls for the Lydia Brown Classic Pin Stripe. It's a felt and wool hat with a fedora crown and a ribbon trim that will take you right back to 1970. I love to wear this hat with dramatic bell bottoms and tops that include embroidery or colors such as burnt orange, brown, or ivory that radiate the style of the 70s. The summers on the island can be a bit warm, so when the heat comes, I style my Lydia with one of the short retro dresses that have been flooding department stores. This hat can work for casual adventuring as well as the day-to-day errands of shopping and market runs. The Lydia Classic Pin Stripe is the perfect hat for adding a touch of character and completing an outfit that pinpoints today's flashback fashion trends.

FIND YOUR PERFECT BEACH HAT