Summer/Straw

Summer style hats are designed to keep you cool in summer with lightweight breathable materials, including straw. With a variety of shapes and styles, these summer hats are both practical and stylish. 

Hats are an essential part of life in Australia. Not only are they great for keeping that intense Australian sun at bay, but they also are symbols of our history. Just as the classic Akubra felt hat has been an icon of Australian millinery for more than 100 years, so has the straw hat. In fact, the very first modern hat made in Australia was a round crown straw number known as the Cabbage Tree hat.

The finely woven, straw-coloured headpiece is made from the leaves of the Cabbage Palm, which was used by early Aboriginal communities to build shelters. Their fibre is boiled, dyed and bleached to create a durable, high-tapering, domed crown, with a wide flat brim and a hatband of coarser plaiting with a zigzag border.

We stock a wide range of Akubra straw hats, and although the materials have modernised since the early colonial days, some styles such as the Planter and the Byron still echo the historic shape of the Cabbage Tree hat.

Akubra have broadened their look over the years to include many attractive straw hats. From classic Fedora styles like the Balmoral and Zephyr, to smart city style Trilby’s such as the Casablanca and Long Island hats. Made from new materials like Hemp, Straw and Polypropylene, and with a wide range of hat bands and ribbons there’s a style to suit everyone.

On the subject of modern materials, one such material has revolutionised summer hats in Australia, and that is mesh. Many brands, have embraced mesh and incorporated it into their classic designs. Many hats now feature mesh around the sides of the crown, allowing air to circulate while still maintaining optimal sun protection from the brim and top of the crown.

We invite you to explore our full range of summer hats.