Just ordered a Balmoral

[Friday]

I have worn a Balmoral for over 30 years, many years before I got my first kilt. For most of those years it was my go to hat. I generally dislike ball caps. In September 2018 I moved to north east Florida, about an hour south of Jacksonville. Even in the Florida winter it has become clear that my hat choice may have to change. The heat and humidity make this Balmoral uncomfortable. I am considering purchasing a new Balmoral and removing the lining to make cooler. After 30+ years I can not do this to my old friend.

However, there is another issue to consider with hats in Florida, the strength of the sun. For those not overly familiar with the geography of the United States . When I first purchased the hat I lived in the Maryland/Pennsylvania area, this is about the same weather as southern France or northern Spain. Even if the height the temperature only reaches the upper 80, lower 90s (F) (27 to 32 c) for a few weeks.

Florida on the other hand is about equal to southern Morocco or central Algeria. Sunburn and skin cancer are a day to day concern. One of my first gifts to myself was a Panama straw hat. Not my first choice as a hat to wear with a kilt but I would rather not buy a dermatologist a new BMW.

Additional note: The Hummel Bonnet wasmentioned above this does not be hard to knit.

[kingandrew]

I am also a Florida boy (Orlando area). There are a few choices to consider for headgear in our climate.

Jock Scot has indicated that the Highland Scots themselves wear a Panama with the kilt when the weather calls for it (admittedly less often than in Florida).

Many members of the Rabble on this site have used Tilley hats in sunny weather. These are typically "boonie" style hats designed for travel in various shades of khaki. They work especially well with more casual outfits (which are likely more comfortable in subtropical conditions anyway). You can order them online or purchase one at Bass Pro Shop, as I did. They sometimes offer a model made of Harris Tweed, which would certainly look good with a kilt, although probably warm for summer wear in Florida. https://www.tilley.com

For those willing to be a little theatrical/eccentric (and let's face it, you're already in a kilt) the classic safari pith helmet is an option, especially worn with a tan pilot/safari shirt. This is a cool and practical look for Florida-type weather and reminiscent of the Highland regiments serving in tropical climates a century ago. One good source is Tag Safari gear, which sells items actually made in Africa: https://www.tagsafari.com/livingston...lmet-4948.html

When you are not worried about sun exposure, a Tam O'Shanter bonnet looks much like the Balmoral and often comes in lighter-weight fabrics. I have a tartan one from Scotweb that is quite breathable. I also made one of my own, using tartan-print cotton fabric I bought at Wal-Mart and a red terrycloth sweatband (like tennis players wear). I wear that version with my Sport Kilt when I run races. It does a good job of keeping the sun off my bald spot, while letting the air flow through and protecting my eyes from the sweat on my forehead.

So there's a few possibilities to consider. Good luck and happy hunting.

Andrew

[Friday]

I will have to check out the Tilley Hats at The Panama Hat Co. in St. Augustine. I like the straw hat but the amount of rain we have been having makes that impractical.

As an aside, I have heard that one advantage of the cork Pith helmet is the cork will absorb water. In the sun the water will evaporate and cool the wearer.

[Tobus]

Yes, that is the premise behind the pith helmet. The evaporation, coupled with air flow between the crown and your head, is supposed to cool your head. It works great in a desert environment, but not so much in tropical climes. High humidity inhibits evaporation, which is why the sweat just drips down your face instead of doing its job.

[Steve Ashton]

Yes, the pith absorbs water. You could dunk the entire helmet in a water trough and the evaporation kept the head cool.

[Father Bill]

A concise and pithy explanation indeed!

[Liam]

A concise and pithy explanation indeed!

And if you forgot to remove it when going indoors you would ‘pith’ people off!

[PatrickHughes123]

Well the hat finally arrived, it's nice and it fits great, but to me it doesn't look like what I ordered. I thought it was going to be a lighter color with more of a cream - yellowish tint. It has what I would call an orangish tint, somewhat like red clay mud. Did they send me the wrong hat, or is this what they are really supposed to look like?

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The pic below appears close to the advertised color but it's not the color of the hat ,the flash was on and the exposure is wrong,maybe that's what happened in the online pics also.
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Here is what I ordered.
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I wonder what the British khaki version looks like in real life.
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Yeah, this happened to me. I ordered a Stewart tartan Balmoral bonnet on Ebay but it looked different in real life. In the Ebay page, it showed an image of a Stewart balmoral with black ribbons, a black cockade and a black base line but it had none of those.

[HenryK]

What I find interesting is, Glengarries and Balmorals are for civilians and Feather Bonnets are for pipers. I wonder if a new kilt fashion will ever come about where civilians wear Feather Bonnets. I would love that to happen. I have thought about buying a Feather Bonnet and wearing it with my kilt but I think even other kilt wearers would give me funny looks, never mind people in plain clothing.

The Feathered Bonnet for full White Tail, Kilted formal wear , that would be something to see Aye Patrick