A Cute Winter Hat… Just In Time For Spring

I’ve lived in cold weather climates my entire life. In all those almost 33 years, I’ve owned exactly zero cute winter hats.

Call me boring, but the truth’s the truth.

Applaud me though, because that all changed last week when Instagram led me down a social media rabbit hole and I found Love Your Melon.

Keeping Heads and Hearts Warm

Love Your Melon, started by college sophomores and employing an army of college students as Ambassadors to grow and represent their brand, sells winter hats (and other accessories?) to support the community of children and families fighting childhood cancers.

Originally, the company began with a one-for-one mission so that each hat purchased ensured that a child battling cancer got a free hat to keep their head and their spirit warm and cozy. As the company grew, they reserved enough hats for nearly all children battling cancer in the United States.

To further their mission, they now donate 50% of net proceeds to select non-profit organizations promoting childhood cancer-fighting initiatives.

The Stellar Brands Skyrockets

Through a combination of great Made in the USA products, phenomenal  marketing, and brilliant limited product releases, Love Your Melon hats have been incredibly tough to get your hands on. They release new products periodically. They notify loyal brand followers via channels like email and Instagram of upcoming product releases (set for specific dates and times) and products sell out in minutes. Literally. These things fly off their website like Miley Cyrus concert tickets before she got… weird.

I happened to snag a hat after a couple failed attempts. My victory required setting up a calendar reminder and heading to their site the second that reminder popped up while I was sitting at my computer. In less than three minutes (I’m not exaggerating), the products were nearly gone. In fact, I had two hats in my cart to include one as a gift and the second was gone by the time I entered my payment and shipping information.

Since buying mine, it looks like they’ve implemented a pre-order process, which I’m sure will make many of their potential customers happy.

Are they worth it?

I have only owned mine for about a hot second (or really a couple of weeks). I’ve worn it a couple times and it seems really great. But I haven’t washed it nor put it through the Chicago tundra ringer.

The company hails from my great home state of Minnesota, just down the street from my high school coincidentally. If you’re not familiar with the weather there, it’s cold. Very cold. And Minnesotans spend a lot of time outside despite the weather. They know how to dress for the cold.

In other words, I’m convinced I made a good investment.

But Spring is Almost Here

Lucky for me, I got my new hat just in time for a warmer turn in the weather (at least we hope). Last week, I even walked to work one day in a half sleeve dress without a coat, which is seriously amazing for March.

But I also know it’s Chicago, so we’re bound to see some up and down swings in temperatures for another couple of months. I’ll surely need this on a few cold days before summer arrives.

In light of the warmer weather approaching for most of us, I styled this hat with a couple iterations of an outfit that’s suitable for spring. Pastel pink (which we’re currently calling Rose Quartz courtesy of Pantone) got an expected partner in gray and a less expected compadre in bold orange and burgundy. It’s a color combination that might not seem so obvious but it definitely works (a bit of an advanced play on a monochromatic look).

If you’re in the market for a fun and stylish new beanie, add Love Your Melon to your list of options. It’s definitely worth a look.

And if you’re up for checking out some more socially responsible brands, I’ve got a whole list of options for different styles and tastes.

Until next time…

Shirt – Grand & Greene | Jeans – CAbi | Jacket – Express | Hat – Love Your Melon | Boots – Cole Haan | Shoes – Bucketfeet