Julie and I got our “boots on the ground,” as editor-in-chief Juli likes to say, when we ventured out to the Rocky Mountain Reining Horse Association’s Summer Slide last week. On top of catching up with top trainers and watching the non-pro class work its way through spins, slides, and circles, we met up with Kelly Kayne from Greeley Hat Works.

Even if you’re not from Colorado, there’s a good chance you’ve heard of the hat-making, hat-shaping, and general hat mastery of the folks from Greeley. We couldn’t resist taking the opportunity to pick Kelly’s brain about summer straw-hat styles and share with you just how a straw hat should be shaped.

As you’ll see below, this summer’s trend is small amounts of color woven in with the traditional natural straw–usually black, brown, or tan. The color gives your hat just a touch of style while maintaining a traditional look, and the neutral colors go with any shirt/chap combination. Julie picked a hat with black; it looks great with her skin tone and dark, curly hair.