Short Hats Long on Style

I love hats with ear flaps for boys--they are so outdoorsy and sweet--and my favorite for fall/winter is the wool Issac ($30, 12 months - 6 years) from Short Hats. Based in Colorado, Short Hats designs some of the cutest headwear for children, including heirloom-quality hand-knit beanies , the trendy Riley cap, and classic hats that will never go out of style like the Gatsbyesque Buster. I also love that Short Hats uses recycled plastic visors in their brimmed hats, their knit hats are handmade in Argentina by companies that treat their workers fairly, and the rest of the hats in the collection are made in the U.S.

Just for Unboring Boys readers: Short Hats is offering a 10 percent discount on items in their online shop through 1/1/2010! Enter coupon code "Unboring" at checkout. Factor in free shipping (on all U.S. orders) and that's a sweet deal! Visit http:www.shorthats.com/kids-hats-summer-and-winter.php to check out all the fabulous styles.

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.

Not Your Common Toboggan: Hats from ThatFunkyBoutique

There's a lot about winter I don't like: icy roads, germs, being stuck inside. One thing I love: outerwear. Maybe it's from growing up in south Florida, where I owned maybe one sweater as a child, but I am obsessed with winterwear.

There's nothing cuter than my boys all bundled up in coats, mittens and scarves on a snowy day. I especially love hats, and ThatFunkyBoutique's hats for boys are the cutest I've seen this year.

Each is funky, unique, and hand made from recycled 100 percent wool sweaters lined with comfy fleece. Our favorite is the Black Deer hat (above) but there are other adorable hats to choose from in their collection. We dig the vintage look and fun details, like tassels and patchwork and quirky shapes, that make each piece special. If you haven't gotten your unboring boy a winter hat yet (hurry, it's getting cold!), or if you're looking for a boys' hat with more personality, check out ThatFunkyBoutique.

Giveaway update: Congratulations to Natalie from Maine who won the free Times Square t-shirt from TotStops (featured previously on the blog). Thanks to all our readers who participated and to TotStops for being a sponsor. Just a reminder that all readers who sign up for e-mail updates from us are automatically entered in our giveaways! So sign-up! We promise not to harass you with junk mail and it's a great way to stay up to date with what's happening on the blog.