The Last Hatmakers of the Western World

At Lock and Co. on St James's Street, the world's oldest hat shop has been fitting heads since 1676. Their conformateur, measuring the skull in three dimensions, has been in use since the nineteenth century. Measurements are filed indefinitely. Customers return decades later to find their head profile waiting.

The Western hat industry collapsed in the 1960s when Kennedy attended his inauguration hatless. Survivors including Lock, Borsalino in Italy, and Stetson in America persisted by serving customers who valued quality over fashion trends.

Felt hat construction begins with forming a cone from fur felt, typically rabbit or beaver. The cone is shrunk, shaped, and stiffened through wet processes, then blocked on a wooden form. Finishing involves trimming, binding, and fitting a leather sweatband.

Borsalino, founded in 1857, produces felt hats over seven weeks through over fifty steps. Their rabbit-felt fedora possesses suppleness distinguishing it from stiffer models. The company's survival through bankruptcy testifies to the hat's enduring appeal.

Straw hat production centres in Montecristi, Ecuador, for the misnamed Panama hat. A superfino Panama, woven from toquilla palm, may take four to six months and can be rolled without damage. These hats, properly cared for, last a lifetime.

The contemporary revival, driven by sun protection concerns and renewed interest in classic style, has created new demand. Small makers like Optimo Hats in Chicago produce hats honouring traditional methods while accommodating modern tastes.

Visit https://www.lockhatters.co.uk to explore the range. The last hatmakers persist because the hat itself persists, not as fashion statement but as a functional, flattering element of dress. A man in a well-fitted hat carries himself differently.