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Elle
15 hours ago
- Lifestyle
- Elle
8 Of The Best Summer Beach Hats That Will Help You Stay Cool and Covered
If you're anything like me—a.k.a. someone who burns as soon as they look at the midday sun—beach hats are a saving grace. Thankfully, there's no shortage of options that are both stylish and easy to pack. Whether you're a bucket hat lover or someone fond of a Western-inspired moment à la Hailey Bieber, the best beach hats will not only turn your swimwear and cover-ups into a full look, but they'll also save your nose and forehead from turning lobster red quicker than you can even check the UV index. Regardless of your skin tone and tolerance for the sun, dermatologists are united in their belief that covering up during the hottest hours of the day is crucial. In its official sun safety guidelines, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control recommends wearing a hat that shades your face, ears, and the back of your neck—particularly one made of canvas or in a darker color for added protection—between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Whether you're heading out of the city for a sandy getaway or have a tropical vacation in mind, I pulled together the best (and chicest) sun hats to wear all season. Keep the sun out of your eyes—and off your face—in style, with these. Los Angeles-based label Janessa Leone is a firm favorite of editors, including ELLE US's senior fashion commerce editor, Dale Arden Chong. Think minimalist-leaning, made-to-last headwear in sustainable materials. I've personally taken my Greta straw hat everywhere—from Spain and Italy to Mexico—over the years, and it's never let me down when it comes to sightseeing or sunbathing on the beach. Sizes: S-L Colors: Black, Dark Earth, Tan Materials: 100% straw There's something undeniably cool about wearing a straw cowboy hat to the beach. This delicious chocolate brown option from Australian label Lack of Color is made to be styled with a turquoise bikini, gold body chain, vintage sunglasses, and a carefree attitude. Sizes: S-XL Colors: Carob Materials: 100% paper Customer review: 'I couldn't love this hat any more! The perfect shape and shade for summer (and beyond). Love how lightweight it is —consider it my new favorite hat!' The bestselling Lantern style from Madewell is an under £100 fan favorite for a reason. The flippable brim on this roomy bucket hat lets you wear it slightly off your face while still offering enough coverage to shield you from the sun on a hot day at the beach or park. Sizes: S/M-M/L Colors: 6 optionsMaterials: 100% raffia Customer review: 'I've never really been a hat wearer, but just as I was about to wrap up my shopping, this one caught my eye. I tried it on and instantly fell in love. It's the perfect size and shape and the perfect little accessory to complete a look!' Whether you have an adventure on the agenda or just want to kick back in the sun, this easy-to-pack wide-brim hat is a reliable companion for destination beach trips. It folds like a dream while keeping its shape. The adjustable leather tie is a chic addition—and comes in handy when the wind hits the shore. Sizes: One size Colors: White, Mixed Coffee, Toast, Mixed Green Materials: 100% paper straw Customer review: 'I'm taking a road trip to the southwest and really needed a hat that was good quality, would cover my face and neck, and that I could tighten in case it gets windy! This hat is all of those things and super cute.' With light distressing at the edges, this bucket hat is both casual and cool. Hide underneath it for a day of reading and watching the waves. Then, style it with a colorful sarong and beaded accessories when you hit the beach bar come sundown. Colors: Navy, Black, White Materials: 100% cotton With 40 years of experience, Hat Attack consistently delivers trusty accessories. Its sustainably minded, made-in-the-USA hats hold their shape for years, and there's no shortage of classic colorways and styles to elevate your vacation 'fits. Take this fully lined, frayed-edge number, for example—it will enhance even the simplest of swimsuits. Colors: Solid Natural, Solid White Materials: 55% linen, 45% cotton With plenty of colorways available, there's sure to be a Bondi Bucket Hat for you. Rendered in Solbari's signature UPF 50+ Technical Performance fabric, this comfortable, breathable hat also comes dermatologist recommended. Colors: 10 options Materials: 100% nylon Customer review: 'Perfect lightweight hat and coverage for Florida sun. The cinch allows a tight fit for windy days and stays in place. Quality and style are best I've found for price. Highly recommend.' This wide-brimmed straw hat from Nikki Beach aces it in the boho beach glamour category—it also boasts UPF 50+ protection. I love the conversation-starting shell detailing, which turns any seaside look into a moment. Sizes: S/M-M/L Colors: White Every product featured on is independently researched, tested, or editor-approved. We only recommend products that we stand behind, and the merchandise featured on our site is always driven by editorial and product testing standards, not by affiliate deals or advertising relationships. Any content created in partnership with advertisers is marked as such. Freya Drohan is a fashion editor, writer, stylist, and brand consultant with over 15 years of experience. She began her career in the newsroom in her native of Dublin, Ireland. Previsouly, she was the the editor in chief of the NYFW content app, HEED and the executive fashion director at The Daily Front Row. Her writing has been published by Harper's Bazaar, Vogue, the Wall Street Journal, Elle, Cosmopolitan, InStyle, Maxim, and more. As a copywriter and strategist, she has worked alongside fashion, beauty, tech, and hospitality brands helping them hone their editorial identity and define their voice and point of view. Freya has appeared on Fox5, New York1, Katie Couric Media, and podcasts as a fashion expert. To date, she has interviewed hundreds of celebrities, designers, and models for print, video, and online features. Freya is currently a judge for the SUPIMA Design Competition and a member of the CFDA Fashion Awards Guild where she is passionate about nurturing new talent in the industry and creating compelling fashion content across platforms. Follow her on Instagram @freyadro, where she documents her collection of 300+ dresses and the adventures of her dachshund, Gorgeous George.
Forbes
30-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
A Day In The Life Of Designer And CEO Janessa Leoné
Los Angeles–based designer Janessa Leoné didn't take the most traditional path to fashion success. She was on track to becoming a lawyer when a summer getaway inspired her to go in a completely different direction. 'I didn't set out to build a fashion brand in the traditional sense,' says Leoné, who launched her namesake accessory brand in 2013. 'My background isn't in design school or institutional fashion—my education was in English literature, and I was more interested in the philosophy behind design than the machinery of the industry. Designer and CEO Janessa Leoné created her namesake fashion brand after a summer trip to Paris. While traveling in Paris, Leoné stumbled upon a vintage men's hat that changed how she thought about accessory design—and inspired her now-eponymous hat line. 'It was timeless, worn-in and carried a narrative,' she says. 'That became the origin point. From there, I started experimenting, almost academically, with how a singular, well-made object could define a wardrobe—and eventually, a lifestyle.' Fast-forward 12 years, and Janessa Leoné hats, bags and accessories can be spotted gracing the heads of notable celebrities including Gwyneth Paltrow, Taylor Swift, Meghan Markle and Lupita Nyong'o. Leoné's line is sold at retailers worldwide, and her regenerative mission remains at the forefront of everything she does. 'The brand was built on the ethos of intentionality: thoughtful materials, purposeful design and a slower, more deliberate pace of creation,' says Leoné, who made Forbes' 30 Under 30 list in 2015. 'I set out to build a business that not only honored craft and form but respected the entire ecosystem it touched, from the people shaping the product to the environments providing its raw materials. In a world of excess, I wanted to inspire people to expect more from the brands they choose to support: more substance, more accountability, more meaning.' Leoné is constantly inspired by her surroundings and nature when designing her products. In Leoné's ever-evolving entrepreneurial world, she wears many hats (pun intended), which keeps her constantly juggling to-dos to keep her eight-figure brand moving forward. 'In my career, no two days look exactly the same, but I've learned that I do my best work when there's some structure anchoring the day,' she says. 'I try to start the day slowly and protect my mornings—they tend to be the clearest part of my mind—so I usually hold off on meetings until late morning. That time is reserved for creative thinking: writing, sketching or shaping new product directions.' I wake up early and do my best not to dive straight into my phone or emails. Some mornings that's easier than others. I make coffee and either write, read or take a walk if the weather allows. When I hold that space for myself, it tends to ripple into the rest of the day. That quiet time isn't always perfect or uninterrupted, but I've come to realize how essential it is to my creativity and clarity. Having that quiet space as a foundation helps me stay connected to the creative part of the work. I gravitate toward timeless silhouettes that feel considered but never fussy—pieces that live in the space between masculine and feminine, soft and structured. Quality is non-negotiable [in terms of clothing]. I'd rather have five perfect things I wear on repeat than a closet full of distractions. My style is an extension of how I move through the world: intentional, expressive in subtle ways and always led by material and form. The rest of the day often moves quickly. I'm in product reviews, design sessions and conversations with our team and partners. I stay involved across every part of the process, from development to strategy. I travel a great deal and live a fairly international life, so my schedule is often in flux. It's all a balancing act—but I've learned that the more presence I bring to each part of the day, the better the work becomes. I always carry something tactile throughout my day—usually a notebook and pen. Ideas can arrive at any moment. Whether I'm mid-flight or in a meeting, I need a way to record what's coming through. It doesn't have to be polished; it just has to be captured. That process of quick translation is essential because once the idea exists on the page, I can begin refining it and communicating it clearly to my team and factory partners. That clarity—both of vision and of language—is something I rely on every day. Evenings are less introspective and more rooted in community. I often gather with close friends or family for dinner—sometimes something simple and spontaneous, other times a larger, more intentional meal. I love surrounding myself with people who bring different perspectives, and those conversations around the table have become a source of inspiration. We talk about ideas—my friend group has grown up all over the world and has so many different personal experiences and perspectives. That exchange of ideas fuels me in a different way than solitude ever could. There's something deeply grounding in sharing a meal and learning from the people you do life with. For me, unwinding at the end of the day or week is less about a single ritual and more about a mindset shift—making space to step away and reconnect. Nature helps, always. A walk through the neighborhood or just sitting outside for a few minutes. I also find calm in tactile, analog things: organizing something, reading a physical book or setting a beautiful table. I'm not always consistent, but I try to return to the things that quiet the noise and ground me in the present. It's not about perfection—it's about progress and protecting the energy I need to keep creating. Part of Leoné's day often involves styling her pieces for photo shoots. The goal has never been expansion for the sake of growth—it's always been about deepening the brand's world. I want to continue building out our ecosystem: refined, regenerative objects that support how our customer lives, not just how they dress. That means exploring categories that extend the ethos—home, travel, personal ritual—and continuing to collaborate with like-minded artisans and stewards of land. I see the brand evolving into a lifestyle rooted in integrity and permanence.
