Are visors a no-no?

Wear what makes you comfortable. Do you really care about what people you'll never see again in your life say or think about you?

If you prefer visors they should be adequate for sun protection as long as your hair is thick enough that your scalp doesn't burn. Otherwise I would say just wear a hat because sunburned scalp is just as bad as a sunburned face.

What is a visor for?? Why not just wear sunglasses? Or is it so your head doesn't get hot? Well, can't be that since visors only cover your forehead right? I am confused, I think of visors for playing tennis, but I have seen them on cruises.

Anyways, you shouldn't wear a visor inside a church as it would be considered rude( just like wearing a hat in that respect), but outside it is up to you what you feel comfortable wearing.

I live in the south where the sun is a lot stronger than where you live in Canada. It is very common here for people who are going to be outside all day to wear some sort or hat or visor along with sunglasses to keep the glare off your face as well as out of your eyes. As I said earlier, I can easily take a visor off and my hair still looks decent vs how it looks when I take a hat off.

I understand I will need to take it off for churches just as if it were a full hat.

I visit Fort Worth from time to time and understand about strong sunlight, however in most of Europe for most of the year you're not going to experience that sort of situation.

By all means pack a visor and if you feel that circumstances dictate, wear it. Depending on where you are visiting and at what time of year you may need to consider that a good rain hat may be more of an advantage :-)

P.S. so long as you enjoy your visit, we don't really care what you look like.

I wore visors in Europe for several trips, along with sunglasses. However, I kept losing them; so I switched to a baseball-type cap. The only downside I've heard is of the possibility of developing melanoma (skin cancer) on skin where the hair is parted. Golfers wear visors, so they must not be too concerned about melanoma. There are some packable paper hats that look like straw. They are attractive and probably wouldn't smush your hair a lot. If you want to keep the sun off your skin, there is sense in wearing a hat with an all-around brim.

We'll be in Italy in mid to late June. I kept reading how hot it is so I felt like the sun would be pretty strong too.

Thanks everyone. I just didn't want to be making the fanny pack/ white shoes type of error.

Connie,

I take my visor all the time to Europe to wear. I bought a Nike visor that is quick dry so I can wash it on the road too. It is comfortable because it is adjustable for the size of your head. I also have a black womans Nike hat that is made of the same material so it is light and washes easily. I undo the adjustable strap in the back and hook it around my purse so I always have it when I walk around town or hiking.

Thanks Darla. I like the idea of a visor that can be washed and dries quickly.

Fashion/culture wise, there's nothing wrong with a visor. However, healthwise it's not the best choice because it doesn't provide sun protection to your ears or the back of your neck.

Being one with long hair who gets bad 'hat head', I understand about the reticence for hats. But, you might really do better with a floppy straw hat - they can be light enough not to flatten your hair, but provide much better sun protection and keep you cooler.

If you do wear a visor, remember to be careful about putting strong sun block on your ears and neck. Skin cancers on the head can be a big issue...

Kate

Hi Connie:

Don't know how you feel about crownless hats, but those are options too. Here's a link for examples:

http://www.shushans.com/scalaspring2.html

"fannypack white shoes type of error"

Well, if you consider wearing a fanny pack or white shoes to be an "error"( your word) then a visor would fall in same catergory.
The only other people wearing them in the big cities( London , Rome , Paris etc, as opposed to beach destinations like NIce) will be other American tourists. Since I assume you consider "fanny packs and white shoes" to be an "error" for same reasons, then I see no difference.

I think YOU need to decide to do what is comfortable for YOU and not really make that call on what will make you look like a tourist. You ARE a tourist so if you want to wear your visor then just do it!

If you are asking " will I blend with the locals" the answer is no.

I've read on just about every board and every book not to wear fanny packs or white shoes. I asked the opinion on this board because I've never been to Europe and didn't know if a visor fell into the same category. I thought that was what this was for---asking opinions.
Thanks to all of you who were kind.

Here's the bottom line. Plusses on visors: They don't give you bad hair days and (it sounds like) you already have them and like wearing them. Minuses on visors: They provide less sun protection than full hats and are typically not worn by Europeans. Some folks don't mind looking non-European (after all, you are what you are); others prefer blending in so as not to draw attention to themselves to scam artists and pickpockets who prey on travelers who won't be around to press charges if they get caught.

Make the best choice for you, knowing now what the pros and cons are. And enjoy your trip, visored or visorless!

I hate visors. They look very cheesy to me. I always wear sunglasses or a stylish hat, but not in summer. I have a lot hair and my head gets too warm.

Wear what you feel comfortable wearing. You are who you are. You'll never see any of those people again. Don't worry about what other people think!