Most men leave sun protection entirely to chance and then spend the hottest part of the year squinting into the middle distance looking uncomfortable. A good straw hat solves that problem without making you look like you raided a tourist shop. The difference is in the weave. A tightly woven natural straw holds its shape, blocks the light properly, and gets better looking with a season or two of use. A loose one goes floppy by August and does neither job well. We’ve been looking specifically at panama and toyo styles, at brims that work with the proportions of a modern wardrobe rather than overwhelming them, and at hatbands that don’t cheapen the whole thing. These are hats that earn their place whether you’re at a summer wedding, on a terrace somewhere warm, or just walking the city on a day that demands one. Natural straw done right is one of the most effortless things a man can wear.