Hat Shops in London?

[PHIL1959]

thanks manofkent.
its a nice hat. the brim is slightly narrower than I usually prefare, but wears well in spring/summer

 

[daizawaguy]

Ah, thats an older one, and indeed very nice indeed!

 

[guillaumeb]

Any good hat stores in London ?

Hello everyone,

I'll spend a week in London at the end of May. I plan to buy a spring hat, probably one made of linen
I'm not looking for something unique and expensive, I plan to spend around £50-60.


Can anyone recommend a good place for me ?

 

[GHT]

Read back through the thread if you want established shops. For vintage though, try The Hat Man at Spitalfields Market.
http://www.oldspitalfieldsmarket.com/the-market

 

[Tcampb3422]

Hello,
We are taking a trip to London for the Thanksgiving holiday. Any recommendations on decent hat shops to check out? We staying in the Bloomsbury area. Also thinking of taking the Stylemaster for journey. Looking to pickup up a feather accessory or a new hat
Tom

 

[Steve1857]

Hello,
We are taking a trip to London for the Thanksgiving holiday. Any recommendations on decent hat shops to check out? We staying in the Bloomsbury area. Also thinking of taking the Stylemaster for journey. Looking to pickup up a feather accessory or a new hat
Tom

Check this list out

https://m.yelp.com/search?find_desc=Hat+Shops&find_loc=London

I can recommend Lock & Co, if for nothing else, for the history of the place. Bates is also worth a visit. Anyway, check out the last and take your pick.

Have a good trip!

 

[GHT]

If you can find enough time, take a trip to the Victoria & Albert museum, to see their hat section, it will impress you. The V&A's significant hat collection is a revealing and exciting record of the changes in headgear over the past 17 centuries. From practical to fanciful and mass-produced to bespoke, the myriad of shapes, styles, materials and sizes highlight that there is a hat for every occasion.
The V&A Museum is in South Kensington on The Cromwell Road London SW7 2RL.

 

[Steve1857]

If you can find enough time, take a trip to the Victoria & Albert museum, to see their hat section, it will impress you. The V&A's significant hat collection is a revealing and exciting record of the changes in headgear over the past 17 centuries. From practical to fanciful and mass-produced to bespoke, the myriad of shapes, styles, materials and sizes highlight that there is a hat for every occasion.
The V&A Museum is in South Kensington on The Cromwell Road London SW7 2RL.

+ 1 on Roberts suggestion. The Victoria and Albert is worth a visit for many reasons, not least their hat section.

 

[Peacoat]

This was originally posted in the Guides Section? I moved it to Hats, where it belongs.

 

[johnnycanuck]

Feather accessory? If it’s a real bird feather ( do they make artificial ones?) check the laws before buying one or moving it across borders. In Canada it’s illegal to buy or sell non domestic bird feathers. It’s also illegal to posses domestic or migratory bird feathers….. So because I own parrots I can take their feathers they molt and put it in my hat band. But if I find a Canadian goose feather on the ground I can’t pick it up and put it on my hat. Weird but it’s the law. Just double check so you don’t get into trouble at customs.
Johnny

 

[Rmccamey]

Be prepared for your hat(s) to go through the xray machine at Heathrow!

 

[Tcampb3422]

Be prepared for your hat(s) to go through the xray machine at Heathrow!

Also the overhead bin on the flight!

 

[Tcampb3422]

Also the overhead bin on the flight!

Great trip. Made it to the top of St Paul’s.

 

[Gareth]

Whilst a lot of London Hatters have eye-popping prices, they mostly have sales. Bates Hat sales (they now sell via the HilditchandKey website https://www.hilditchandkey.co.uk/collections/bates?sort=price-descending&page=2 ) are often good value with hats at half price or less, just use the onsite search engine to search "sale". I also bring to your attention https://gambleandgunn.com/ they offer sensibly priced hats including the susquehana range. I bought the black homburg they offer onsite (£195) and its getting a lot of compliments. Less than half, indeed a lot less, the price of a Lock Hatters Homburg

 

[Gareth]

Here I am in a Stetson Royal Deluxe Brown Homburg St Regis. 7-7/8 (US) long oval. A little cork was all that was needed to get it to sit tighter, very pleased with the soft felt. Pleased as punch.

 

[hatsRme]

Here I am in a Stetson Royal Deluxe Brown Homburg St Regis. 7-7/8 (US) long oval. A little cork was all that was needed to get it to sit tighter, very pleased with the soft felt. Pleased as punch.



View attachment 689687

Good golly, Gareth! That’s the first brown one I’ve ever seen in our size, sir. You really should be pleased as punch!
Lucky, lucky, lucky!!
Congratulations!

 

[Edward]

Whilst a lot of London Hatters have eye-popping prices, they mostly have sales. Bates Hat sales (they now sell via the HilditchandKey website https://www.hilditchandkey.co.uk/collections/bates?sort=price-descending&page=2 ) are often good value with hats at half price or less, just use the onsite search engine to search "sale". I also bring to your attention https://gambleandgunn.com/ they offer sensibly priced hats including the susquehana range. I bought the black homburg they offer onsite (£195) and its getting a lot of compliments. Less than half, indeed a lot less, the price of a Lock Hatters Homburg

View attachment 687060

Yes indeed. I've handled hats from both Bates and Lock. Money no object, I'd love a few bits from Lock, but with them you really do pay a lot for the intangibles of heritage and such - and., I'm sure, their overheads on their physical store must be astronomical given location.

The Hat Centre in Stamford Hill https://www.hatcentre.co.uk remains a hidden treasure. Good as anything I've handled from many, much more expensive, brands. Essentially a one-man operation as best as I could make out when I visited in person. I hope there's someone in the family to inherit or who will otherwise see it keep gonig for many decades yet. A good, affordable, hatter is ever harder to find.

 

[Edward]

Thomas Farthing https://thomasfarthing.co.uk have a nice selection of hats - including this rather striking model with an unusually deep ribbon, as sported by none other than Mr David Vanian (you know it's good if Dave wears it):

Personally, I also lean to the to the view that Christys deserve more credit than they get. https://www.christys-hats.com A lot of what they put out is as good as direct equivalents I've handled from Bates, but significantly cheaper.

TBH, though, as with so many things, the best way to get an affordable hat in London is to buy online.

 

[Gareth]

Good golly, Gareth! That’s the first brown one I’ve ever seen in our size, sir. You really should be pleased as punch!
Lucky, lucky, lucky!!
Congratulations!

I do indeed feel very lucky!