A stylish hat is the ultimate essential for summer holidays! No matter whether you are on a beach, a road trip or discovering an exciting city they do not only complete your look but also protect your head from getting a sunstroke! Here are my 3 top brands to get the perfect straw hat!

1. Borsalino

The Italian heritage brand Borsalino has great basic hats on offer. While the woman’s selection tend to be very conservative and elegant the mens selection simply has the right styles. Borsalino hats are also a fixture during fashion week street style – so its not just a holiday purchase!

Borsalino panama hats are the ultimate wardrobe basic, (photos: Diane Krueger at Coachella – http://1.bp.blogspot.com & streetstyle photo – style.com)

2. Montecristi & Homero Ortega 

The panama hat has its origins in Ecuador rather than Panama. So if you are lucky enough and have the chance to visit the country one day the ultimate must bring home item is an original toquilla-straw hat. Among the many hat weavers in Ecquador the best known companies are Montecristi and Homero Ortega.

The Montecristi panama hat is the true original, photo@montecristi.com

3. Maison Michel

If you are neither into the original panama hat nor the basic Borsalino hats Maison Michel, the milliner of Chanel, has a fabulous selection of very trendy straw hats in fedora and trilby shape.

Maison Michel Henrietta straw hat with painterly effects, photo@montaignemarket.com

Do you consider a classic straw hat as the ultimate summer essential? Which brand do you prefer?