It is the fit that makes or breaks a hat. Hat brands cut inch-based sizes to include as many people as possible. The one size fits all reality. So we obsessively shop for the elusive perfect fit, which we will never find in ready -to-wear – whether we pay 50euro or 500euro- “Mass production and synthetic fabrics are so pervasive, it’s increaseingly difficult to buy well-made hats no matter how much you are willing to spend.
For most of history, clothes were made to measure of course. Wealthy individuals had hatmakers, while the working class made their own, as a result, each hat was designed according to the shape of an individuals own head. In the second half of the 20th century, improved industrial techniques coupled with a rise in advertising led to a consumer revolution and the instant gratification of off-the -rack. The notion of having a hatmaker/milliner/hatter became somewhat antiquated and exclusive to the rich and famous; a vagary or indulgence that only celebrities or the kind of men and women who wore heirloom jewellery and collected art indulged in.
Like most celebrity trends , hatmaking is moving mainstream, with people getting wise to the difference a precise fit can make to how they present themselves.
Check out our latest collection of felt hats on our website here.