My Tilley Safari Hat, pictured below, is covered in stains from sweat, dirt, fingerprints and various debris. It’s my oldest hat and one of my favorites.
I bought my first Tilley in 2006 after relocating back to Florida from Pittsburgh for the 2nd time. I was looking for a beach hat when I stumbled across a stylish safari hat with a wide brim. I loved it from the moment I put it on. It looked cool. It fit my huge head perfectly. It felt great. It even came with a captivating backstory about the company.
When I saw the price tag of $100, I looked at my wife and said, “There’s no way I’m spending $100 on a hat”.
My wife replied, “Don’t be a cheapskate. You’ll wear it every day. Spend the $100 and treat yourself to something nice for once.“
And thus, with a few choice words, she shamed me into buying it.
It was the best purchase of my life.
I wore that hat everyday for 12 years. It protected me from the scorching Florida sun on the beach. It was my dog walking hat for all but the coldest of winter days in Raleigh. It was my driving hat, shielding my eyes from the sun’s glare through the windshield. It was my travel hat, covering my face when I napped in hospital waiting rooms and airports. It kept my long hair under control when it was windy. It was my construction hat, my painting hat and my “when I want to look cool” hat.
Eventually, after more than a decade of daily wear, the brim started to shred. I continued to wear it for 2 more years until finally the wire that shaped the brim fell out and the brim drooped down blocking my vision.
At that point, I decided to take Tilley up on its “free lifetime replacement guarantee” and sent my hat back to them for a replacement. A few weeks later, a brand new Tilley arrived. Instead of paying $100 for a new hat, my only cost was shipping.
Since then, I’ve added a few other Tilley’s to my collection. I like all of them but this version is still is my favorite. Unfortunately, they retired the model a few years ago and no longer make it.
It turns out that I’m not the only Tilley fan. There’s an entire subreddit dedicated to them. I posted there for advice on cleaning the stains from my Tilley and received a handful of responses.
Several offered detailed instructions with recommended products and techniques to clean the hat.
My favorite response was this…
“Wear those stains as a badge of honor. They represent a life well lived with a Tilley on your head. Mine has scuffs and stains and a beautiful patina on my grommets… I love every bit of it.“
Which had this follow up comment from a different person…
“wabi sabi”
And so, I have decided to keep wearing my Tilley as is. It fits in, perfectly imperfect with me and my life.
Wabi sabi.
