A summer hat with neck protection is requested

Hello, dear all,

my daughter-in-law would like spring or summer hats with neck protection for her son. They should definitely have a cuff so they don’t slip, and a brim against the sun. And, of course, neck protection. And they shouldn’t be too warm either.

I’ve already picked out a model here on CP. This one: Soleno model.

I’d like to reinforce the hat’s brim so it doesn’t hang down so limply. On the sample models, I don’t really like the look of that part. What should I use to “stiffen” it? Fusible interfacing? Does the fusible interfacing need to have a certain weight?

And what material would you choose? Since it’s for spring and summer, a cotton fabric would probably make sense, right? It doesn’t need to be stretchy, just protect against the sun.

My daughter-in-law’s only condition for the fabric was that she wants it to be neon-colored so she can spot her little guy from a distance on the playground among the 50 other children. That’s why I’ve already ordered neon yellow ribbing fabric.

I still have the jersey fabric with the dinosaurs. But it is a bit thicker. But I don’t want to buy anything new especially for this either. Maybe I’ll find something somewhere; it probably doesn’t take that much for a hat. Oh yes, if only I could browse through Inge’s stash shelves right now ... :-) I’ll never throw things away again! You can still make something out of everything!

Thank you very much for your tips and support.

Best wishes, and have a lovely Easter Sunday. Enjoy whatever you can!

Ina, for a summer hat like that, I’d use thin, regular cotton. I don’t really have any ideas for reinforcement right now. I’m sure the sewing experts here will be able to give you some tips.

I’d already thought about making a summer hat like that, but both of my granddaughters already have one.

Hi, last year I sewed a sun hat for my grandson. For the brim, I used regular Vlieseline iron-on interfacing, the kind you also use for collars and cuffs. It sits well but wasn’t too stiff. I sewed the hat for him from one of my husband’s dress shirts that he no longer wears and one of his mom’s blouses. So just regular cotton fabric. The hat was lined, so that also provided enough sun protection. I would definitely pay attention to that, otherwise all the work would have been for nothing.
I hope this helps you a little.
 Good luck. 

Thank you for your tips. I especially like that you can also use fabric for shirts or cotton blouses for this. And thanks also for the important tip about lining the hat. Yes, if the fabric is too thin, it won’t do any good. I’ll keep looking for the right fabric.

Best regards, Ina