The first few weeks of August are typically reserved for les vacances in France— and sometimes even the entire month.
As the Parisians and city dwellers form a mass exodus from the bustle of urban living, fleeing to the countryside provinces for long, wine-soaked visits with family or to sun themselves along the Côte d’Azur, it’s not uncommon to walk around big cities and small towns alike, only to find shops and restaurants temporarily shuttered, with a mere hand-written note in the window announcing a reopening date. In fact, once while visiting my maman at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, we took the train to Lyon for a mid-August day trip, only to end up eating in the same American-themed burger place twice in the same day, because all of the culinary destinations on our list were sadly closed.
All that to say, when it comes to dressing for a vacation-less vacation—as is the case this year for most of us homebound Chic Americans—there’s nothing quite like lounging around in a Panama hat to make one feel like the most seasoned of vacationers abroad.
Sturdier than your typical floppy beach hat, but with a wider brim than its cousin the fedora—which was the headwear accessory of choice several years ago—it’s the perfect hybrid, pulling double duty as a sun protectant and summer outfit topper. Would you believe that I got this one from Amazon? (Of course you would, because what can’t you find on Amazon?)
Bonnes vacances—whether you’re jetting somewhere local this weekend, or just taking one of those mind travels we’ve all become accustomed to imagining since Covid arrived. I know I’m ready to hop on an international flight as soon as one will have me!
