I decided to put Dean the Butcher versus River Gray in the ring for a number of reasons. The first being that these two styles are our most frequently purchased styles almost 100% of the time! Another reason is because they both are the perfect introduction to hat-wearing: they both have medium-wide brim widths so its never too overwhelming for the first timers, but still command attention with their completely classic looks.
The main objective here is to demonstrate three different outfits and style both hats with each. One of the most often asked question in the shops is "but how will I wear this hat?" And we're here to show you a) just how versatile these hats can be and b) that the entire vibe of the outfit changes by swapping out the hat style.
For my first look I have a cream colored straight leg denim and a black graphic tee. I threw a patchwork blazer over my shoulders for layering. I tried Dean on first and I liked the array of neutral tones throughout the entire outfit. Dean's soft finish comes off more casual to me so I liked how it paired with a "tee and jeans" look. However, once I tried on River Gray, I loved the sightly more refined structure of the hat itself with the outfit. I also felt like the Dean's coloring, though in the same family, actually took away from the entire outfit whereas River Gray's stone color highlighted the color of the denim in a really clean way. I choose River Gray for this look!
For the second outfit I went with something a but more casual. A maxi dress layered with a cropped chunky sweater. Dean's texture and coffee coloring pairs effortlessly with the sweater. I felt like the overall tone of the entire outfit was comfortable yet put together. Once I put on River Gray, I was definitely attracted to the contrasting edge binding that mimicked the striping on the sweater, but didn't like the contrast of the brighter hat color with the more muted tan. Dean wins this one!
Finally, for my last look I paired olive green coveralls with a houndstooth cropped blazer. The coveralls scream casual, while the blazer has some elevated details in the pearl buttons and shoulder pads, so I knew it'd be a pretty good chance that I liked either one of these hats with this outfit. The Dean changes the entire feel of this outfit by bringing it down to casual. The blazer adds just enough oomf, while the Dean's malleable structure, and muted coloring, makes this outfit very "on-the-go." The River Gray version is instantly more elevated. I loved the ribbon-edge binding of the brim matched with the edge binding of the blazer; it totally steps it up a notch. I think that color-wise, both Dean or River Gray work for this outfit! It all depends on what vibe you're feelin. I choose River Gray, what about you?
