9 Essential Hats for Summer

Sunblock is all fine and good, but the more gentlemanly alternative to smearing your face with an ounce of grease is some summery headgear.

The right hat can make you look even more dapper in the heat, and while your fellow men sweat it out unattractively you can look like a British secret agent in the Bahamas.

Here's nine of the best:

1.) Lock & Co. Rollable Panama

One of London's most revered hatters crafts the ultimate travel hat, which rolls into a tube during transit.

2.) Brooks Brothers Patchwork Seersucker Bucket Hat

The bucket may be the most casual lid on the list but this patchwork seersucker version from Brooks has plenty of sprezzatura.

3.) Goorin Bros. Big John Straw Fedora

Natural straw hats give you a bit more diversity than blinding white panamas, but all of the panache.

4.) Belfry Jeno Linen/Cotton Ivy Cap

The classic ivy cap rendered in a cool linen and cotton blend is simply a style necessity.

5.) Belfry Venice Panama Boater

This hybrid between a panama and a boater made in the U.S.A. definitely has a dandified edge but is more versatile than a classic boater (see below).

6.) Loro Piana Lawrence Panama

Loro Piana may be best known for cashmere but they have an eye for straw as well as this deep blue panama can attest.

7.) Lock & Co. Monaco Cotton-Calico Hat

This natty, South of France-worthy alternative to straw is made of a calico-cotton blend and packs a serious retro punch.

8.) Tesi Lucca Panama

As you can tell we're on a blue straw kick this season, and this classic Panama shape's striped band really sets it off.

9.) Classic Straw Boater

So dandified and old-timey at this point, the boater can really only be worn with seersucker or white linen suits, but that's hardly a bad thing.