One problem with baseball caps: they don't cover your ears and neck, areas quite susceptible to skin cancer.

I just bought my husband a foldable Panama hat, and he looks quite dashing in it. The hat is around $45 in the TravelSmith (or Magellan?) catalogue.

Another vote for the Panama hat. I'm not a hat fan either, but they look pretty good. Re sunscreen and heads, I use the Vichy 30 SPF sunscreen spray on my partline. My aim is getting better, although it still makes me look like I have white roots. But better white roots than sunburn or skin cancer.
By the way, in the rural Austria (Steiermark) and Germany (esp. Franconia), I saw plenty of guys over 30 wearing ordinary jeans, well worn sneakers and baseball caps while driving farm equipment, raking grass, washing the car, having a beer at the local stub, etc. You'd have to look pretty hard to distinguish them from any average Joe in middle America.

I personally think that a Panama (particularly a travel version) is the ideal solution.

However, as I think mkingdom was trying to say (albeit in characteristically rude fashion), if you prefer a baseball cap then (in London at least) feel free. No-one will notice or care.

Baseball caps don't keep the sun off your neck, ears, etc., so they aren't the best for screening the sun. But if you are only concerned about the thin areas on your scalp, then wear what you want. London is a cosmopolitan city with people from all over the world wearing just about any type of headgear that you can imagine.

Anyone in London who would be in the least fazed at the sight of a baseball cap would have to be a naive country yokel visiting the big city for the first time.

Baseball caps are worn all over the world...I was watching a Premiereship telecast of an English soccer match and saw lots of fans wearing baseball caps; especially NY Yankee ones (does it have anything to do with a marketing deal between Manchester United and the Yankees?)

Then I was watching an Aussie Rules football programme and the dapper goal umpires are now wearing baseball caps instead of their traditional hats whatever they were called.

But I do guarantee that if you wear your baseball cap backwards, you will stick out as an American.

Hey Patrick, I think that much of this has to do with age. Not many younger people people want to wear a panama hat with their Gap clothes for some reason. Oh...remember the good old days when all gentlemen wore Fedoras? Hey, that would look good with some khakis!

here in the US where I live, I've noticed linen(ish) looking "driving caps"... round, short bill...

Really...sort of snazzy!

Who knows where Panama hats are made?

Rich

Taiwan, I think

Great commentary! For what it's worth, I always wear one of my Motsch et Fils berets, 42 ave George V, when in Paris and London. The shop is now owned by Hermes so you can buy your wife a scarf there as well. JP

Oakglen, thanks for the tip. SOunds like a fun shopping trip. My wife and daughters wants to do some serious shopping-- so I won't get any complaints about finding the shop.

Hi smiro,

If you haven't decided yet, how about a greek fisherman's hat?

I still advocate the use of a large brown paper bag!

The title the first time had me confused, thinking I should tell you, in Paris, Philipe Model(sp?)

Dear mkingdom,

I'm curious to know if you could help choose which paper bag to eploy for this purpose. I would not want to offend someone of your high sensibility by wearing the wrong kind of paper bag. I'm sure you battle the same sensibilities when you are choosing which muzzle to wear.

Good one Smiroglotta!

Hey xyz123! I promise I won't wear the baseball cap backwards. I think that looks kind of silly, unless you're about 14, which I'm not.

When we were in London last summer, we had more of a problem with keeping the rain off our heads than with too much sun, (I hope you'll be luckier)

But anyway, while we were riding on the hop-on/ hop-off bus, the guide mentioned the hat store where they made the Indiana Jones hat that Harrison Ford wore in the movies, and my DH decided he had to have one. (partly because we're from Indiana)

The store is Herbert Johnson (Hatters) Ltd.
54 St James's St., and the hat is a ruggedly handsome fedora that works well for rain or sun. Not cheap, but it looks great on my husband!

Marcy, thanks for the tip. I might just treat myself to a new hat there. If I may ask, how do you define "not cheap?" Just trying to budget!

I think it was about $200. ( I don't remember how many pounds, exactly)