I've worn Tula hats for years. And different models in addition to the Sierra. My understanding is that the Sierra is the design and favorite of one of the family/business patriarchs. The Sierra has some healthy fedora genes. I wear Tulas in the field. Mine are working tools. I do a lot of hiking and camping in the desert southwest. They're not straw, which usually offers little to no protection from the direct, radiated heat of the sun. Tulas are palm. As such, they are densely woven and opaque. They unfailingly protect me from the sun. They're durable, really good looking, and are sold at a decent price. I wear no other kind of hat for the purpose of wide-brimmed protection from the sun and other elements. In town, it's a Panama, of course.