20 May 2017

Göran R Buckhorn writes:

After weeks with crummy weather, the last couple of days in my corner of New England have been marvellous, offering warm high summer-like days. As we now have passed 15 May, which in America is National Straw Hat Day, we are allowed to wear our straw hats for the season.

Once upon a time, the popular straw hat was a boater, which was particularly popular in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The boater-wearers lingered on for longer at political campaigns from the 1950s and on.

One rarely sees anyone wearing boaters in America these days, with the exception of members of a barbershop quartet, or as a head garment for old-fashioned school uniforms. Boaters are more common as a part of the school uniform in the rest of the English-speaking world.

Boater has always been ‘formal’ so it not strange to find men wearing these at Henley Royal Regatta. If you plan to go to Henley Royal this summer, you will for sure see plenty of boaters around. It is more daring to wear than an ‘ordinary’ straw hat – but c’mon, Sir, maybe it’s time for you to let go, be brave, sport yourself in a boater this summer.