The Switchback Aussie by Bailey

I love hats. I've had a really nice Akubra hat ("The Boss") for a few years. It is excellent quality rabbit fur felt in very dark brown. I've never taken to wearing it all that often though, because the dark colour always seems rather formal.
Recently I've also been growing my hair long, so now unfortunately my Akubra binds really hard. So I decided it was time to buy a new hat!

I have a cheap wool felt fedora I got from Marks & Spencer ages ago, and I've mistreated it loads, but it still holds its shape remarkably well, so I decided I'd go for the cheaper crushable wool felt option this time (although not too cheap, no point buying rubbish!).
After a bit of searching I found the Switchback Aussie @ Village Hats. For my face shape (fairly long) I need a low crown and a mid to wide brim (at 3¼” this is quite wide), and this time I definitely wanted a lighter colour. This hat ticked all the boxes!
I ordered it Tuesday, and thanks to the fantastic service of the guys at Village Hats (and Royal Mail, it has to be said), it arrived yesterday morning, nicely protected in a big box.

The hat is a very nice hat for £34. The felt seems to be good quality, although time will tell. It is about the same thickness as my Akubra – perhaps ever so slightly thinner – although, as one would expect, not nearly as stiff.
The shape is good. It has the Aussie-style dipped front and back, with the US-style rolled up sides (a fairly gentle roll; not nearly as pronounced as my Akubra was before I reshaped it). Some people might not like the roll, as it gives it a bit of a cowboy feel, but on this hat, I quite like it.
The inside is unlined, with a "Dri-Lex" sweatband, which feels lovely, it has to be said.
The leather hatband is nice enough. It's attached with nylon thread, and not glue, so it can be replaced if so desired.

Now, let's talk colour – that which is so hard to judge over the internet.
The name of the colour is "Pecan", which tells you a sum total of nothing. Obviously, it is brown; a mid-shade, not overly dark, not overly light; it is fairly muted in colour.
I know it is an unpopular word these days, but if I were to choose a colour name, it'd have to be 'beige'. But it is a nice colour, I think.

Overall, on initial reaction, I'm very pleased with this hat. It seems to be a hat well worth even the £40 is was reduced from, and it certainly seems that it will take some abuse.
I wore it all day yesterday and most of today, and have been in perfect comfort.

Here are some photos of yours truly wearing the Switchback (sorry the picture quality is rubbish; I'm making do with an old mobile phone atm):

Not bad, don't you think?
(Oh, and if you noticed and were wondering, I'm wearing a Buff underneath it, covering my hair – I'm wearing it just as a tube there, with all my hair inside it, but bandanna-style works too . . .)