【Staff Review】Easy sun protection with the Hat beats.  

It's not quite full summer yet, but these days the sunlight already carries a hint of early summer.

Walking outside, the light on a sunny day gradually reaches your skin. You can really feel the season shifting steadily toward summer.

This time, I'll be trying on and reviewing the "【Special Order】Hat beats," a casual way to shield yourself from the sun.

This hat comes in a special color made as a special order for pcnq. In the second half of this article, I'll also share the behind-the-scenes story of how our planning staff created this special color, along with a review from someone who wears it regularly.

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Table of Contents

・Getting to know the Hat beats

・Things you only notice once you actually wear it

　ー How's the visibility?

　ー Does it get stuffy on a hot day?

・Behind the scenes of its creation, and Q&A

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The 【Special Order】Hat beats is a lightweight, foldable, casual hat.

When it comes to sun protection, the first thing that comes to mind is usually a "hat with a wide brim."

That said, wide-brimmed hats often have an actress-hat style, and for someone like me who prefers casual looks and doesn't normally wear that kind of hat, they can feel a bit too elegant, so I tend to avoid them. Even at the cost of a little extra sun exposure, I often end up choosing a bucket hat or a cap instead.

The reason I picked up the 【Special Order】Hat beats this time is that its shape looked like a bucket hat with an extended brim, and I thought, "Isn't this perfect for casual, grown-up sun protection?" It's not as sporty as a cap, it goes well with everyday casual outfits, and it has an elegant silhouette that seems like it would suit you well even as you get older.

By the way, before actually trying the hat on, there were two things that had me a little curious.

・Judging from the photos, the brim might sit quite low over the eyes. How's the visibility?
・Does it get stuffy on a hot day?

These were things that would be hard to know without actually wearing it, so I decided to take it along on a walk and check for myself.

◆Taking the hat along on a walk

I set out with it tucked into a small KONBU tote bag. The brim is made of a firm yet soft material, and it looked like it could be rolled up small no matter how you folded it. Since it's made of cotton, it's easier to fold up casually and take with you than a raffia hat would be, making it very easy to handle.

Since it's so compact, it fits into any bag. This time I just took it on a walk around the neighborhood, but it would be especially handy for travel, where you're constantly putting it on and taking it off. Thanks to its casual design, you don't have to worry too much about it losing its shape, and you can just pull it out of your bag and put it on right away.

Q: Judging from the photos, the brim might sit quite low over the eyes. How's the visibility?

The pcnq hat beats is characterized by a bit of personality hidden within its simplicity. This time, I asked the pcnq designer about the low-set brim.

"Although beats looks simple at first glance, the brim angle is actually made to be quite a bold down brim (a brim that slopes downward). A down-brim hat blocks more light, which makes it very good for shielding you from the summer sun.

Finding the right balance between ease of wear and the look we wanted to achieve was difficult—we redrew the pattern for the slope angle many times over, and this is the shape we finally arrived at."

When I actually wore it on a day with strong sunlight, I could tell that this low-set brim was doing a solid job of blocking the sun.

Without anything on my head, my face still felt flushed and hot, but once I put the hat on, it cast a shadow all the way down to my neck, which made the breeze feel noticeably cooler.

　pcnq designer
"What makes this hat great is the length of the brim and the interesting shape it takes when you fold the brim upward. Being able to firmly lift the brim without using any wire is only possible because of how extremely downward the brim slopes.

It's simple and natural, easy to wear, but with a touch of mode style too. I'd recommend this hat to anyone who wants to add a bit of personality to their hat."

So the fact that the brim has no wire and folds up easily is a strength unique to this beats hat. As for what the visibility actually looks like when the brim is folded up, let me show you with some images that give an idea of the actual view.

First, here's what it looks like when worn normally.

▲When worn normally (※image is for illustration purposes)

Next, here's what it looks like when the back part of the brim is folded up to change the angle. The view opens up considerably.

▲View when the back part of the brim is folded to change the angle

Finally, here's what it looks like when the front part of the brim is folded up. Depending on how you fold it, the hat almost disappears from view entirely.

▲View when the front part of the brim is folded

In terms of how open the view is, I felt that folding the brim up is the safer choice while walking.

I'd also recommend folding both the front and back slightly. By the way, when I folded up the front part of the brim, I could barely sense the hat's presence in my field of view at all.

▲Even with the front folded up, it still provides sun protection.

When you're watching children play in the park or sitting on a bench, I'd recommend wearing it with the brim down so that it properly shields your neck and the area around it from the sun as well.

Q: Doesn't it get humid on hot days?

It's not a fabric that's especially known for breathability, but perhaps because the cotton fabric seems to absorb sweat as you perspire, I don't find myself bothered by humidity. The top part is about as thick as a heavy shirt, so while it gives you the reassurance of blocking sunlight, it also properly keeps you cool. That said, in my case the fabric hasn't changed color from sweat soaking in, which made it easy to wear with peace of mind.

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◆Behind the Scenes and Q&A

We asked Staff M, who was in charge of planning the special-order color for the Hat beats and is also a devoted user, about the wearing experience of the [Special Order] Hat beats.

Staff M
"I thought it would be nice to have an in-between color that wasn't among the maker's standard lineup of 'white, light beige, and black.' Since a sun hat is something you're constantly putting on and taking off, and touching the brim outdoors, I placed particular importance on choosing a color that wouldn't show dirt easily.

That said, black tends to attract bees, which makes it somewhat unsuitable for the outdoors. That's another reason I chose this darker gray. It turned out to be a wonderful color—not only does it hide dirt well, but it also gives off a mature, composed feeling."

　pcnq Designer

"The fabric is 100% cotton. Since the special-order color is gray, we paid careful attention to achieving a subdued tone—after dyeing, we washed the fabric several more times and dried it in the sun.

We've left the washer (wrinkle) finish on the fabric in its natural state, so from the moment you start wearing it, the fabric already has movement and a worn-in feel, making it easy to wear casually.

The brim edge is left raw-cut, but we've added stitching to prevent fraying. As the brim edge frays a little over time, it takes on an atmosphere different from when it was new, which is part of the pleasure of using it over the years."

　Staff M
"I always keep mine somewhere within easy reach by the front door, and use it for quick errands like taking out the trash. It's a lifesaver for those times when I need to step outside before I've had a chance to put on sunscreen.

And of course, it's indispensable for outdoor events like camping and hiking."

　Staff M
"I wore it even while camping at the beach, and it didn't blow off.

With hats in general, I'd gotten used to there always being a bit of extra room when you put them on, and I just assumed that was normal. But once I adjusted the inner cord, I was able to wear it without it blowing off even on windy days. I never realized wearing a hat that fits just right could be this stress-free! It really made me appreciate what an ideal sun hat should be."

　Staff M
"There is! Let me narrow it down to two points and share them.

　①The brim stays firmly in place
With cotton hats that have a foldable brim, I'd assumed that even if you fold the brim back, it would gradually droop down again over time. But that never happens at all—it holds its shape properly even in strong wind. The back can also be folded and is soft, so there's no stress from the hat falling off or the brim catching on your neck when you tilt your head back, which is really wonderful.

　②It doesn't come across as too elegant
Hats with a large brim tend to give an elegant impression, which I thought would be hard to match with my usual casual outfits. That said, with a cap, I worry especially about sunburn on the sides of my face and back of my neck. Since the Hat beats is made of cotton with a wrinkled texture, it doesn't look out of place even when paired with outdoor gear or other casual items.

Then there's the raw-cut edge around the brim. This too gives it a nice touch that goes well with casual outfits. It's cute, and I love it."

　pcnq Designer

"For care, we recommend hand-washing just the areas that are dirty, or gently pressing it in a basin of water.

Since the brim edge is left raw-cut, it's best to avoid touching it too much while washing. There is anti-fray stitching in place, but handling it too much may still cause fraying."

▼[Special Order] Hat beats