Alex Tilley wearing the T3

Here at WoWasis, we are famous for wrecking clothes that are deemed unwreckable. We’ve been traveling with Alex Tilley’s durable, fashionable, and versatile T3 Tilley Hat for years. At $80 USD, it’s expensive for a cotton duck hat, but amortized over the two decades we’ve worn it, packed it, scrunched and crunched it, the damn thing seems to never wear out, and it’s worth every penny. The label says it’s guaranteed for life against wearing out and theft. Our luggage was stolen with our Tilley hat in it, and sure enough, Tilley sent us another, free of charge.

We compress it flat when we pack it. In our hotel room, we soak it, dry it in shape, and it comes out looking new. It floats, has a waterproof secret pocket that we use to store a copy of our passport, ties neatly around our chin when it’s windy, and is smart enough that we can wear it anywhere in the tropics, from parties to jungles. It sheds water terrifically, so we use it as a rain hat as well.  It was designed by Alex Tilley. About him, the Tilley Endurables website says: “Alex was a self-employed art consultant and avid sailor. Tired of hats that blew off his head, sank when they fell into the water or shrunk when they got wet, he decided to oversee the creation of his own ideal sailing hat. After several months of research and the assistance of a sail maker, he designed and made a hat for himself. When sailors asked for one, he made and sold hats as a hobby. Still an avid traveller, Alex has been to over 1053 different cities and 53 different countries researching and wear testing potential hats and gear. The classic T3 Tilley Hat, designed with a medium brim that snaps up on both sides, belongs to the category of Tilley Hat fabrics that started it all – the cotton duck. The fabric is derived from an incredibly durable sailcloth that is still used in boating today.”

Tilley makes a bunch of hats, but we like the look of this one best. We never travel without it, and if it ever gets ripped to shreds by African bush thorns (better the hat than our head), we know Tilley will replace it, just like they always have.