I have a long and complicated relationship with the sun.
I'm habitually cold, so I'm naturally drawn to its warmth. But my pale skin must hide from it, otherwise I'm in for another painful sunburn.
Hats have become a necessary travel accessory, but my head causes one teensy little problem -- it's about the size of a grape. Hats typically don't fit me.
When I shop for them, I head straight to the children's section and hope that the selection won't be too glittery or cheap. Because, yes, the hat must be functional and fashionable!
So, when Tenth Street Hats offered me a chance to find my dream hat in exchange for an honest review, I was excited to check out the company's lineup of fashionable styles and colors.
I started browsing the expansive website and immediately found several that looked great. But needing a hat that could travel well, I decided to choose a hat from their "Crushable" category, knowing that would be the most practical.
Even after narrowing my choices to only the crushable hats from the hundreds they sell, I still had numerous material options to choose from -- felt, wool, polyester, raffia -- and in multiple styles including beret, rain hats, fedora, safari and more. I chose the hand-crafted "one size fits all" straw Levanzo hat by Scala. It has an adventurous look with its leather chin cord, but it is also feminine with a wide brim.
However, with every order, Tenth Street Hats includes a two-pack of sizing tape to fix this very situation. I used both pieces and the hat finally was snug enough to stay put. Next, I wanted to test the crushability factor, something I wasn't sure would work.
I've had straw hats before, and they did not bounce back when folded. Actually, they were ruined the moment they were tugged the wrong way. So, when I carefully folded the hat down, I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was about the size of a shirt in my suitcase. Letting it go, it instantly went back to its original size and looked as good as new.
I loved that it would be pretty darn cute, too.
In preparation for my trip, I read the Tenth Street Hats FAQ page to know how to care for my hat. I found the "How To Wear Your Hat" section extremely helpful as I had never worn a large brim hat before (shoutout to the Halo Style!). The website also gives tips on how to measure your head, what size to choose and fitting tips.
When I needed both hands to take pictures at the windy beachfront, I simply tightened the leather cord to my chin and the hat stay put even in strong wind gusts. And if you don't want the cord to hang down at all, just tuck it up inside the hat.

The company also offers a 30-day, hassle-free return or exchange policy as well as a one-year, craftsmanship guarantee on all hats. Which means they'll replace your damaged hat for free within the first 12 months.
Now if that's not hat happiness security, I don't know what is.
Thanks for reading and remember to always travel happy!
Kelly