Not Your Dad's Tilley Hat

     I admit it, the first thing I think of when someone utters the phrase "Tilley Hat" is the above snap.  My handsome dad, sporting his well-loved Tilley, which has travelled with him on various adventures close to home here in Canada, on journeys to Texas, Florida, the Napa Valley, until it met what might have been the beginning of its end: a trek to the Costa Rican rainforest to find a wandering primatologist (my sister), where it acted as valued headgear, shade-provider and even saw use as an emergency water bucket.    
Beautiful it is not, but beloved it is.        That said, when I opened a release about a collaboration between Tilley and Canadian fashion illustrator Jocelyn Teng, I was intrigued.  Her work is gorgeous and super-stylish, and I was interested to see what aesthetic she would bring to such a traditional brand.  When I took a look at the various styles in the range, I very much liked what I saw.  My particular favourites were the floppy brimmed fedora and the vintage style cloche.

Sweater: Joe Fresh Hatt: c/o Tilley    I decided upon the cloche in the end, because I thought it offered a few more options for dressing up (although my eye is on that fedora, which I might have to snatch up in burgundy before this winter is through), and I loved the brown version with the burnt orange ribbon. It arrived beautifully boxed, and it is precisely the high quality my dad has known from Tilley for as long as he's worn his, but with the style that suits my taste.  It's pretty, but functional.  It was a mild 3 degrees when I snapped these photos, but I know that on chillier days, this woolen topper will keep me warm, especially when pulling down the headband that hides just inside the brim.  On my windy corner of this island, I know that that will definitely come in handy.     Our choice of chapeaux may look quite different, but I think that after my reluctant start, I'll definitely be joining in the tradition started by my dear father - the love of the Tilley. Follow