As the heat starts rolling in with the April breeze, it’s about time to put the fabric caps and wool beanies back in the closet and bring out the fashionable and breezy straw hats with National Straw Hat Month.

The entirety of April is dedicated to celebrating this interwoven headwear, made of either synthetic or natural straws that provide to us both practicality and style. Straw hats have a long history and can be seen throughout many cultures. Most often, we see them worn out in the fields by people working in agriculture, or at the beach fashioned along with swimwear or light summer attires.

Straw hats are unanimously famous in regions around the world because of their sun-protecting prowess, the traditional applications of the hats themselves, and their practical materials. They are also incredibly versatile, with styles varying from the classy Panama straw hat, to the formal boater, to the famous floppy straw beach hat. It’s no wonder that their use and wearability still manage to be relevant in modern times, despite having been first woven around the Middle Ages.

What makes straw hats so awesome is that they combine fashion with function. Straw hats are perfect for the high, midday sun where its woven brims can provide us ample cover from the heat. And even though the shade they offer feels more suitable for the summer months, straw hats can also protect us from the occasional April showers. A tightly-made weave can minimize the holes found in looser weaves, better preventing the rays of the sun from penetrating and even allowing rain to roll right off the material. Loosely-woven straw hats also serve their purposes, with wider holes that give great ventilation for whenever the heat is high.

Straw hats may not shield our heads from the more drastic weathers that come with the seasons, but donning these durable and lightweight head coverings could at least provide some coolness in both style and temperature, protecting us from the spring heat. From its many variations, celebrate National Straw Hat Month by finding a suitable style that would go well with your attire this April.