The Summer ‘Strawbie’ Is The Ultimate Hat To Wear During The Heatwave

How prepared are you for next week's heatwave on a scale of one to 10? One being your summer clothes are still in storage and your SPF has expired, 10 being toenails primed and swimsuit on its way (well, you never know when you might get to do some back-garden work calls). If you're hovering somewhere in the middle, there's one accessory that might tip the scales in your favour: a summer strawbie.

This is not a new-fangled variety of fruit but headwear that's a cross between a floppy straw hat and a trilby, hence the name. I know, I know, you've only just got your head around a baseball cap and now we're telling you to shade your eyes with an entirely different accessory. Impossible! But if the portmanteau doesn't convince you, perhaps the strawbie's celebrity following might.

The Grand Slams are usually fertile ground when it comes to hot-weather accessories. And Roland-Garros was no exception. For the men's finals, which lest you forget stretched to a whopping five hours (that's a lot of sun exposure), not one but two famous spectators opted for a strawbie of sorts: Lily Collins and Natalie Portman, whose Dior hat came with a branded grosgrain ribbon. With a wide but soft brim, and its ability to be dressed up for, say, a wedding but down for a beach trip, the strawbie is clearly trending for a reason.

Kendall Jenner has also entered the straw-hat chat with her slightly more structured version of the strawbie, which she wore with a classic triangle bikini for a recent post on Instagram. Providing more neck coverage than a baseball cap, as well as wholesome vibes that would pair well with linen or cheesecloth, it's all the evidence we need that a straw hat is now a summer essential.

There's a wealth of straw hats to choose from, from casual buckets that are perfect for sun-drenched weekend breaks to wide-brimmed styles that would make an elegant finishing touch to a race-day outfit. Hats are like sunglasses in that you never know what might work until you try them on so be prepared to do the leg work before you're welcomed into the heatwave-ready club.

Shop: The Best Straw Hats

Natalie Hammond is senior fashion news editor at Grazia. She loves winter, hates summer and can often be found writing about the weather (and what on earth to wear).