John Callanan Hats: What is rush straw hat?

Thursday, February 5, 2015

What is rush straw hat?

Rush straw is a thick, stiff straw, often used to manufacture inexpensive casual sun hats in bulk at the lower priced end of the market. Hats made from rush straw will be stiff with the crown and brim both pre-shaped. Due to the thickness of the straw, you will quite often see a section with a wide open weave (vented) to allow air circulation. The hats are usually left in its natural green/beige colour. A rush hat will often keep its natural scent of fresh grass.

Rush grass can be from the Genus as well as the Sedge grass varieties and is usually found in wet/moist areas. Historically it was often associated with pheasants house flooring, basket weaving or wall building material. In Ireland is was used for "thatched" roofs.

WOVEN RUSH STRAW

RUSH GROWING WILD

Rush is abundant and commonly found in swamps and moist areas of the Northern Hemisphere. Due to the fact that Rush Straw has hollow stems, it has to be handled with care, because it can break.

STYLE MS87OS. CLASSIC RUSH GAMBLER WITH VENTED CROWN

STYLE 390COS. RUSH OUTBACK WITH GREEN VISOR

This hat was originally designed for outdoor tree fruit pickers. The large brim offered sun protection while the built in green visor acted as sun glasses and allowed the pickers to see high-up fruit.

STYLE MS336OS-ASST WITH A TURTLE BRANDED TRIM.

STYLE MS302OS-NAT. CLASSIC 4 1/2" LIFEGUARD HAT

In fashion high can be low and visa versa. I was quite interested to see the uber designer duo VIKTOR & ROLF use rush straw on their spring 2015 Paris runway and it looked BRILLIANT!!