Cool Summer Hats for Boys

I'm a sucker for a cute hat. When my boys were little, I always bought the matching hat, socks, romper...you get the idea. While we don't do as much matching now that they are older, I still buy hats for them. Hats add personality to an outfit. More importantly, they provide sun protection for the face.

This week, I'm sharing my favorite hats of the season for boys.

No roundup of boys' summer hats would be complete without my personal favorite, Hanna Andersson's floppy hats, available in a range of bright colors and prints, above. My boys lived in these as babies, and have now graduated to Hanna's reversible bucket hats. Hanna hats wash up beautifully and can be passed down to the next child. Right now they are on sale for $10-13 so stock up!

Looking for a trendier or dressier alternative? Baby Gap carries a stylish contrast woven fedora with brown trim and a plaid-trimmed straw hat, both for $16.50 (the woven fedora is going fast). For big boys, check out the Dapper Straw fedora from 77Kids by American Eagle ($16.50).

Cowboy hats are always cool, they go with anything, even swimsuits, and boys are crazy about them. Sand Cassels' ultra hip version is available at Little Dudes Only for 20 bucks.

Giveaway update! Congratulations to Lizzie in Fairfax, VA, who won the Little Ace necktie! Thanks to everyone who participated and to Little Ace for being a sponsor.

Tiny Revolutionary

Everyone I know these days is becoming more environmentally aware. We're using refillable water bottles and reusable shopping bags. These may seem like small things when we're bombarded daily with bad news about our planet. It's easy to feel helpless to do anything (there's even a term for it: eco-stress!).

How about some hopeful and positive messages for a change? Tiny Revolutionary carries a hip and progressive collection of tees & onesies for children with phrases like "I'll Change the World Someday" in baby, toddler and new youth sizes (above), and "Be the Change You Want to See in the World." Styles range from the environmentally-minded Save the Polar Bears to the more political War is Poop.

What could be better than shopping for cool tees for your unboring boy AND helping other children around the world? For every This Shirt Saved a Life tee sold, Tiny Revoluationary donates $20 to Africa Aid to help feed refugee children in Ghana.

All change begins small. That's Tiny Revolutionary's slogan and the perfect slogan for anyone trying to make positive changes to benefit the earth.

Tree Town Batiks Boy's Tees

At Unboring Boys we like to feature a diversity of boys' clothes and accessories for our readers, from big name companies to small emerging shops and designers.

Our latest indie discovery is Tree Town Batiks. We love their one-of-a-kind batik tees for boys. You'll find just about anything that boys would be into on them, from trains to robots to guitars, with some offbeat stuff thrown in like broccoli! Their youth shirts go all the way to 12, and they have a fun collection of bodysuits for babies, from 6 months up, plus some wonderful pieces for grown-ups, like our favorite peacock print. The process that designer Jerusha uses to make these shirts is fascinating; you can read more about it on her site. Right now she is offering 20 percent off long sleeve shirts when you buy 2 or more.

Readers, time is running out to participate in our giveaway for a free Little Ace necktie. Just leave a comment about the blog, what you like, what you want to see more of, or just tell us your favorite boys' clothing designers and shops, and on 5/31 we'll pick one name at random from all the comments we receive to win the tie. Thanks for your feedback! ~ Denice

Boys' Sandals from Vincent

It's sandal season and these closed-toe sandals for little boys by Vincent, a children's shoe brand out of Stockholm, Sweden, are the cutest and most unique style we've seen. The Bobby sandal comes in sizes infant 4 to toddler 10 ($47.95).

Looking for something in a larger size? Check out the sporty and quick-drying Rasmus sandal ($45.95, up to child 3.5, ).

Vincent's Flagga slip-on canvas shoes, below, aren't sandals, but aren't they nifty? We LOVE them for summer ($35.95, up to child size 3.5).

Vincent's designers, Patrick and Thomas, were inspired to start a children's shoe company after Thomas' nephew Vincent was born. Their fun and fashionable collection of soft pre-walkers, sneakers, rain boots and sandals for children are influenced by global trends and the fashion runways of Paris, Milan, London and New York. Right now Vincent is offering free shipping on orders over $75.

SUNboring Swimwear for boys

Our favorite swim suit for boys this summer is Mini Boden's Euro-style Swim Trunks, left ($20, 1-12 yrs). The company calls them a "sleek and aerodynamic alternative to longer bathers." We just call them adorable! Mini Boden's regular length bathers are cute too. We like the Ocean Funny Fish print.

You can't go wrong with Hanna Andersson's swimwear. What they lack in uniqueness as far as colors and prints, they make up for in sheer quality and durability. Plus you get the added peace of mind of sun protection with their UPF 30+ trunks and mix-and-match rash guards. For baby boys, check out the Sun Ready Rash Guard Babysuit.

Unique and truly offbeat prints are hard to find in boys' swimwear, which is weird because this is one area where we see a lot of florals and bright colors. Still, designers seem to stick to the same surfing, marine animal and Hawaiian themes year after year.

We found two companies that offer interesting alternatives. First is Munster Kids out of Australia, which offers a cool comic book print. The second, Vilebrequin has the most interesting and unboring prints for boys we've seen. Vilebrequin was founded in 1971 in Saint Tropez on the French Riviera and even if you can't afford the designer price tag ($115 and up) take a look at their collection anyway. Our favorite is the Red Visas, but we also really dig the frogs wearing scuba gear.

Know of a hip and unique swimwear designer/retailer we missed? Share it here!

Also, don't forget to leave us feedback about the blog to win a free necktie from Little Ace (see our previous post for details). Next up on the blog: boys' sandals.