Brent Black, renowned authority and preeminent purveyor of handwoven straw hats, is now offering the world's finest Montecristi Panama for $100,000. Known simply as "The Hat", Black calls the exquisite creation the most finely woven Montecristi Panama the world has ever known. Authentic Montecristi Panamas, the world's greatest, are made from extremely fine toquilla straw and woven only in Ecuador; a handful of master weavers produce the best of the best, which sell for tens of thousands of dollars apiece. The Hat was commissioned by Black from the king of the master weavers - Black calls him the best weaver in history - Simón Espinal, who lives in the village of Píle in Montecristi Canton. It took him five full months to complete.

After Espinal completed the weaving, five other artisans spent several more weeks preparing and finishing The Hat. An incredible amount of handwork goes into Montecristis; hence the price. You can see some of it in the gallery and a more detailed exposition here. The Hat has not been blocked into a style or sized yet, and is awaiting the purchaser's final instructions. Black offers dozens of different styles and bespoke finishes, some based on vintage patterns such as the dashing Optimo design, above. The Hat is so incredibly fine it weighs less than one ounce. "It is as thin as my stationery," Black tells The Classicist. "When I handle The Hat, I do not worry that it might fall to the floor if I drop it; I worry that it might float away."

While Espinal could theoretically create another one equal to The Hat's fineness, it's not a given that he could replicate the feat. "I have been obsessed with the very finest hats for more than 20 years," Black notes. "I have researched the finest hats woven during the 20th century. There is simply no hat that is comparable to this one." At first Black says he did not want to part with The Hat. However, "if someone were serious enough to pay $100,000 I think I'd have to give it up," he concedes. "I represent the interests of the artist as a gallery does. Simón would be pleased for me to sell it." If that's out of your range, don't worry - Black's best hats, other than this unique work of art, sell for $5,000 to $30,000. You can work your way up.

Welcome to the first in a new series of exclusive photo features showcasing seasonal style essentials inspired by classic icons of elegance, sport and design, photographed with the most beautiful and coveted cars on the road. The emphasis is on luxury of course, but of the timeless variety as opposed to mere extravagance.

In our recent Classicist column on the 2010 Jaguar XK convertible coming out this August, we remarked on the sleek new cat's stylistic heritage dating back to 1948's XK120, as driven by the likes of Gary Cooper, Humphrey Bogart and Clark Gable, as well as later models like the D-Type (or XK-SS) made famous by the great Steve McQueen. The first in our new series of exclusive shoots is inspired by them and stars the XK in homage to these stylish icons, both man and automotive (read all about the new XK here).

In particular, the influence of Gable (with his XK120 in 1954, top right) and McQueen (with his XK-SS, center right) can be seen in the summery style essentials we've assembled for this shoot. For the pastoral setting we drew on another classic Jaguar reference, an image of writer Truman Capote in a Jaguar XK-E, the model most closely aligned with the new XK, in the Hamptons in 1965 (bottom right).

In the spirit of summer we've chosen a classic combination of navy and white, popular as fashionable resort wear for a nearly a century and still going strong in the right circles. While navy blazers of the type shown here originated as part of English cricket club scenery and other elegant sporting occasions such as the Henley Royal Regatta, without gold buttons it needn't be unnecessarily nautical or costume-y.

The jacket shown here, in tropical weight wool with soft shoulders by the dashing Italian house of Etro, references its sporting antecedents with grosgrain tipping on the lapels, pockets and cuffs; however, since it is finished in the same color as the jacket the effect is a subtle one, while the slim cut updates the look with Italian flair. A cream linen camp shirt by Paul Stuart and white linen pants by Polo Ralph Lauren round out the rest of the ensemble.

As an alternative on cooler days or evenings - which we've certainly had plenty of this summer - we've also included a variation of the navy blazer by Brooks Brothers made of butter-soft goat suede with spiffy sporting details including a throat latch, stand-up collar, action back and pure Irish linen lining, which calls to mind the jacket worn by Gable above.

While a polka dot foulard silk scarf by the venerable British clothier Turnbull & Asser (shirtmaker to the Prince of Wales) provides not only another classic touch and added dose of sprezzatura, it also protects against the elements while piloting the XK with the top down at serious speeds. A hefty dose of McQueen meanwhile can be seen in the rakish cap, sunglasses and watch. For the feet and the road, a pair of pebble-sold leather driving moccasins by Tod's keep the haute Italian vibe going.

The checked linen driving cap - this model is made by Brooks Brothers - of the type favored by McQueen has no brim to collide with a car's headrest, and is infinitely more elegant than a baseball cap. Also on view: iconic Italian Persol sunglasses, in particular the model made famous by McQueen in The Thomas Crown Affair. Starring in this feature are a foldable version of McQueen's faves, as well as a couple of other killer Persol models; all are available at Ilori. Also included is a pair of shades by Paul Smith. The watch is a classic and vintage stainless steel Rolex GMT-Master II, available at Tourneau, of a similar design to the Rolex Submariner model favored by McQueen (and which recently fetched a record price at auction). Read on for details of the rest of the accessories after the jump.

Okay, not sure where to start on this one... I know designers make a living by pushing the limits of fashion and being the first to find and recognize new trends, but handbags on our heads? Isaac Mizrahi seems to really like the idea, as he has chosen to put more than a few of them on his models and in his fall/winter 2009 collection. The hats/bags themselves are pretty simple in basic leather, featuring nothing much more than rich fall colors and two stiff, skyreaching handles plus, of course, the large hole in the bottom where your head goes.

Add some interior zip pockets, though, and you could make for a super-convenient way to carry essentials like lip gloss and some spare cash around at a party.

Via Book of Joe

Philip Treacy's latest creation -- a bright pink abstraction of the breast cancer ribbon -- will be sold exclusively at Selfridges with all proceeds going to Breast Cancer Care. Of course Treacy is the milliner behind the boldest fashion statements from the likes of Sarah Jessica Parker and Kate Moss. He was also the genius who designed Camilla Parker Bowles's matrimonial millinery. Each one of the special "Pink Knot Hats" will be made to order. Contact Selfridges for more information and see philiptreacy.co.uk for his latest ready-to-wear collection.

[via Vogue.com UK]

There probably aren't too many people out there still fascinated with John Wayne (except perhaps for a brief wonder about why he has an airport named after him) but if you are among them you can order a Western hat inspired by the Duke. Hat company, Limpia Creek Hats of Fort Davis, Texas has created two styles of John Wayne Limited Edition Centennial hats to celebrate the 100th birthday of the actor. The Calvary hat and the Cowboy hat are both made of beaver fur felt and custom-made to the purchaser's specific measurements. There will be 1907 hats of each style made and each will be numbered and comes with a certificate of authenticity. They sell for $750 each.

There are a scary number of enormous fur hats - many with ear flaps - on sale this year for men. Unless you live somewhere where the temperatures stay consistently in the negative numbers all winter long, such a hat is excessive and prone to reminding people of the "rat hat" that was featured in a Seinfeld episode a couple of years ago. A better choice for a cold-weather hat would be a more streamlined ski cap, like the brightly colored Striped Cashmere Ski Cap from J Crew ($48) or the more conservatively colored Cashmere Watch Cap from Ralph Lauren ($125).

There is something about a fedora that conveys a message that few other things can. An appreciation for the rat pack? Confidence or class? It's hard to pinpoint, but since fedoras can be part of an acceptably stylish look for fall, there is no time like the present to try and add a little of that flair to your wardrobe. This dark brown fedora is from Banana Republic and is a wool blend that will probably help keep you warm in addition to looking good. Price: $58.

Some ski resorts that offer night skiing also play music over the slopes, giving the whole activity a completely different feel than daytime skiing. If you want to listen to music as you cruise down the mountain during the day, you'll have to wire your iPod up through your jacket or try to fit headphones under or around your hat and goggles. The Audex Ordinance Hat, from Motorola, is a padded hat with built-in Bluetooth headphones that can be set up to work with any wireless music device, allowing you to listen to music while participating in your favorite winter activities. Because they are wireless, there is no risk of getting anything caught up in a cord while you ski (or snowboard). They can be configured to answer calls and have a wind-resistant microphone built-in, too, so you won't have to take your gloves off on the slopes to search for your mobile phone in a pocket. It is available in black and white. Price: $180.

[via SciFi Tech]