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I’m sure many travellers can relate to that sinking feeling of having accidentally left your favourite hat in a taxi while struggling with the rest of your luggage. Or you might have left it in the overhead locker at the end of a flight. Yet the alternative – packing it in your suitcase – never appeals since it will almost certainly end up flattened like a pancake.
Nine times out of 10, I choose not to take any of my nice hats with me when I travel, as I don’t trust myself to bring them home. Fortuitously, a few weeks before we set off on our recent big trip I was asked if I would like to trial a crush-resistant hat from the Tina M Copenhagen collection. Yay! It was the perfect opportunity to put one to the test.
This gorgeous collection is the work of Danish-born Australian designer, Tina Madsen Walcott, who has taken inspiration from chic and minimalist Danish design and combined it with clever innovation to produce a range of hats that are both stylish and functional. That they are also surprisingly affordable is an added bonus.
After moving to Australia, Tina studied for a Biochemistry degree which made her acutely aware of the need for sun protection. Most of her hats provide UPF50+ sun protection and are said to be rain-resistant and fade-resistant. I haven’t had mine long enough to test its resistance to fading, but it has certainly seen plenty of sunlight over the past few months as we roamed around Malaysia, Dubai, Oman and India. It still looks as good as new.
The 2024/2025 Summer Collection comes in a range of traditional styles — from fedora to breton, cowboy to cloche – reinvented with a contemporary look. Some are bao straw, some are lightweight Madagascan raffia, others are crafted from a material called Flexibraid.
Invented in Australia by Rigon Headwear, Flexibraid surely is a game-changer. Not only is it lightweight and breathable, but you can fold down the crown and pack the hat in a suitcase without crushing it. My Bahama Fedora – in a gorgeous Latte colour – was squashed into my suitcase for a total of 11 flights over the past few months. When I got home it looked as good as if I had merely walked to the local shops. It really does pop back into shape so easily.
As someone who has a lot of trouble finding hats that fit nicely, I also like how the size can be adjusted so that it fits securely and won’t blow off in the slightest gust of wind. The Bahama Fedora has a ‘ComfyFit’ size adjuster; some other styles have drawstring adjusters.
The Bahama Fedora sells for $84. Like others in the Tina M Copenhagen collection, it is available online as well as in boutiques and department stores such as David Jones.
This is not a sponsored post but, as mentioned earlier, I was gifted a hat to try it out for myself and in all honesty, can highly recommend it if you are looking for a travel-friendly, crush-resistant hat.
