Hat of Cain

Headgear seems perennially popular elsewhere around the world, but hats have never seemed to be much of a trend in Singapore. Enter Hat of Cain, a label that hopes to change that. Seeing a niche in the market when he couldn’t find a decent sun hat in the Lion City, founder Bill Cain took action – now he’s opening up a whole new world of Panama hats to Singaporeans.

Cain founded his exclusive Hat Salon out of his Geylang shophouse-home in January 2013, offering the simple yet stylish Panama (which actually hails from Ecuador, but got its moniker after being spotted in Panama) in different styles and weaves to suit just about any face.

With twelve looks (and growing) to pick from – styles include wide- or snap-brimmed, city or beach – and the highly personalised fitting sessions happening every Saturday, even the most hesitant wearer is likely to fall for one of the uniquely hand-crafted, woven Toquilla straw hats. With our perpetual 30-degree heat and ever sunny climes, we’re definitely giving this the thumbs up. Alexie Frize-Williams