I did a post about Nobis hats back in June when I reviewed the Oliver Closeoff cap I still wear around at least a couple times a month.
Alas, Nobis is getting all serious on us and has dropped the puns from their names. Now it’s just Cassie instead of Cassie Roll, or just Colette instead of Colette Iday. Maybe Nordstrom didn’t like people pulling out each tag and snickering while their posh shoppers were trying to decide which $200 pair of sunglasses to buy.
Or perhaps they just wanted everyone to focus more on the product instead of the name, since these are some very cool hats. A Nobis representative was nice enough to send me two samples to try out from the fall line and since I haven’t suddenly become a woman, the prettier member of my household has been wearing them around for weeks. I’ve witnessed lots of compliments from friends and strangers, so it’s safe to say these hats will definitely get you noticed.
The first one pictured above is the Cassie, which is woven wool at the top, felt wool on the rim and brim, and with an acrylic liner inside. There’s a bit of elastic on the back. Cassie comes in two colors, chocolate and gunmetal.
This second photo is the Waverly hat (on the head of a model). This one is hip enough to wear with almost anything, but is again lined wool to keep your head nice and warm, but comfy. This one even traveled with us to Ecuador and back last month and was great for cool nights in Quito or on a boat out at sea. The elastic kept it snug in the wind. This one comes in black, gray, or olive.
It’s got a pretty applique on the side, but next to it you’ll notice my wife’s main gripe with these hats that she otherwise loved: that annoying yellow Nobis logo stuck on with a rivet. On a black or gray hat it sticks out like a cheap track suit at the Vogue offices and is impossible to remove without risking a big hole in your hat. So my wife did the next best thing and colored it over with a Sharpie. Now you can barely tell it’s there, but unfortunately it still is.
Otherwise, though I miss the silly names like Dee Tox, these are great hats (for both men and women) that boldly go beyond the norm. You can see the whole line of hats and outerwear at this Nobis Fall 09 link.
Most models retail between $30 and $70. Check the Nobis dealer locater page to find where to pick up one near you.
Related posts:
Odd Job hat from Outdoor Research
Cool Hats Great Names from Nobis
