Here are our product
lists.
Items are in alphabetical order, starting with symbols and numbers:
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Hat Terms:
AGAL (ah gaul) The thick cords of wool which hold the KAFFIYEH, the clothe headdress
of the desert people, in place.
ALPINE - Sport hat of soft felt or tweed. The crown slants upward to
a lengthwise crease. The narrow brim is rolled up at the back and turned
down in front . Brush or feather trim in the headband. Adapted from hats
worn by people in the Swiss Alps. Also TYROLEAN HAT.
ANNIE HALL ( Late
1970's ) In the movie "Annie
Hall," the actress Diane Keaton popularized a fashion consisting of a drooping hat,
long vest, wide tie, baggy pants and a man's shirt.
ARCTIC CAP - Fabric
crown insulated with goose down. Mouton lamb storm flaps turn down
to protect neck, ears and forehead.
ATEF See EGYPTIAN CROWN ATTIFET (
Mid
16c. ) French headdress consisting of hair rolled over pads. Worn
with heart-shaped cap. Also ARCELET, MARY STUART COIF AND CAP.
AUTOMOBILE
BONNET ( Early 20c. ) Large brimmed hat worn with a long chiffon,
net
or tulle scarf that enveloped the face and hat and tied under the
chin. Worn to protect the wearer while riding in the new open automobiles
over dusty roads.
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Caring for Hats
When dealing with vintage hats, purists never wear them, less strict collectors
wear them when their hair is very clean, and nobody takes the aging hat
out in a downpour. Stiff hats will collapse. Keep a close eye on the
weather when wearing vintage hats. If you are caught in the rain with
your felt hat, turn out the sweatband to dry it and to provide a platform
for the hat to slowly dry on. Gently push out the creases and dents to
make the crown as rounded as possible. Never use a hair dryer as this
will wrinkle and damage the hat. Once the hat is dry, gently reform the
crease.
Whether vintage or modern, dust your hat daily with a soft-bristled brush. Stiff
bristled brushes will tear the felt. Western stores frequently sell hatter's
brushes for this dusting job. Use a dark-colored brush for dark hats
and a light colored brush for light hats.
A damp towel with a slight nap can also be used to remove
dust. Gently rub the dampened towel in a circular counterclockwise motion
over the surface to quickly remove dust. A soft towel used to dry off
with after a shower will work. Remember, do not try this with a stiff
hat, moist shellac is a terrible thing.
For stubborn stains the brush will not reach, try using a
soft, small-pored sponge such as a makeup sponge or a bit of foam rubber.
Rubber sponges are slightly sticky and will coax surface soiling away
from the felt. An art-gum eraser will work as well, as long as your remember
to rub with a counterclockwise motion to the grain.
For deeper stains, sanding is required. Using the finest sandpaper
on the market, move the sandpaper counterclockwise very gently and gently
touch the dirty spot. Be careful not to dig in or use your finger to
push up against the spot from underneath as either of these will cause
the sandpaper to dig in and create a weak spot. When sanding is required,
make sure to remove only the tiniest layer of felt.
Oily stains are a different matter. For these you need to
head to the paint or drug store and fine Fuller's Earth. It has the consistency
of baking powder, will not stain hats, and will draw the oily residue
out of the hat fibers Brush the stained spot off first. Apply roughly
one-eight inch worth of Fuller's Earth, and let is sit for two or three
hours. Brush the power off afterwards with a soft brush or towel. Repeat
this process if necessary. When finished, use a plastic or rubber sponge
to clean away power that has penetrated into the felt.
If stains remain after all of this, find a professional renovator
for your hat. Heavy sweat stains, for example, need professional attention
as they penetrate deep into the body of the felt.
Books about Hats you may find interesting or informative:
Hatless Jack: The President, the Fedora, and the History of an American Style ::
by Neil Steinberg, PLUME (Penquin Group), 2004.
In this business there is an awful lot of hand-wringing about the good old days
when all well-dressed men wore hats. Hatters opine and whine about President
Kennedy’s refusal to wear hats resulting in a devastating effect on the industry.
Neil Steinberg in Hatless JACK sets the record straight and debunks the assumption
that JFK ruined the hat business. Instead, Steinberg places Kennedy’s aversion
to hats in the context of a trend in hatlessness that had been gaining momentum
since the turn of the previous century. This is a well-researched and entertaining
book, full of information and anecdotes pertaining to the historical importance
of hats in American culture. Hatless JACK: The President, the Fedora, and the
History of an American Style gives ever-more credence to what hat people understand
– a hat is not just another article of apparel.
Cat In The Hat ::
by Dr. Seuss, Random House, 1957.
A children's book classic. Most likely you don't need me to give our two-cents
worth regarding this best seller save for the fact that we sell the official,
licensed hat worn by the main character. Click here to go to the novelty section
of this web site for viewing as well as ordering.
The Mode In Hats And Headdress ::
by R. Turner Wilcox. Charles Scribner's Sons, 1945
Out of print since 1945, this book is the prize of our collection. Not easy
to find, this "classic
hat book" traces the history of hats and headdress in the Western world starting with "Ancient Egypt" and ending with "United States, 1940-1944." Between are 330 pages, 193 of which are full page illustrations of hats worn
by men and women throughout history. A great resource for theater people, names
and descriptions are included with the hats pictured on heads.
The
Man In The Bowler Hat: His History and Iconography ::
by Fred Miller Robinson. The University of North Carolina Press, 1993.
Professor Robinson uses the bowler hat (or Derby) as the medium in understanding
modernism and the modern world. Introduced in 1950 (see MR LOCK OF ST. JAMES
STREET below) the hat had rather significant meaning to the emerging middle
class. If Wilcox (THE MODE IN HATS AND HEADDRESS) had it right when he wrote "head
attire in both sexes have from prehistoric times served to establish the individual's
rank or position in society, to impress the lowly and to challenge the enemy" then Robinson's thesis of the bowler hat's profound meanings may have validity
in understanding modern Western man. He furthermore explores the hat's resonance
in art and literature. Browse our Bowler Hats.
HATS:
A History Of Fashion In Headwear ::
by Hilda Amphlett. Richard Sadler, Publisher, 1974.
Buy this Book This is a rather scholarly work on the history of hats covering
the past two thousand years. The arrangement is chronological, by century.
If one's interest is identifying or organizing headdress by country of origin,
this book is particularly useful as the illustrations include the country where
the hat was worn along with the drawing. We are always impressed when the same
author does a book's text and illustrations, as is the case with this work
(see Sibley's bird book if you really want to be blown away).
THE
CENTURY OF HATS: Headturning Style of the Twentieth Century ::
by Susie Hopkins. Chartwell Books, Inc., 1999.
This coffee table style book is organized by decade and full of illustrations
and photographs. Because of similar books already in our collection (e.g. HATS
by Colin McDowell or HATS IN VOGUE) that were published earlier, this 1999
contribution didn't add much to the genre for us, but if you don't have one
of the similar books, this is a good one to collect. I've seen it around very
inexpensively too.
Hats:
Status, Style And Glamour ::
by Colin McDowell. Rizzoli, 1992
This coffee table size and style book reviews its subject by hat style. Big
photographs and good illustrations take the reader through a brief history
of tophats, boaters, bowlers, ballcaps (the only style that America can lay
claim to creating), fezzes, etc.
The
Panama Hat Trail: A Journey From South America ::
by Tom Miller. William Morrow & Co.,
1986
Our lifelong interest in travel literature began when, as a child, we read Supreme
Court Justice William O. Douglas's account of his travels among the Kurdish
People of the Middle East. Miller's book is a good read on traveling in Ecuador
(where the best panama hats are made), written by a professional writer in
this genre (ON THE BORDER, TRADING WITH THE ENEMY: TRAVELS THROUGH CASTRO'S
CUBA, (among others). This "hat
classic" (my opinion), is a first-hand account as Miller follows the making of these
hats from the growing and harvesting of the panama hat plant (cardoluvica palmata),
through the process of curing and preparation for weaving, the weaving itself,
the various markets along the way, the chain of distribution of the hat bodies,
their exportation around the world, the making of finished hats in a North
American hat factory, and finally the sale to a San Diego retail hat store.
The story ends when the final customer buys a panama hat in the retail store.
Reading this book cannot help but seal one's appreciation for this materiel
de resistance of the straw hat business.
A PAGEANT OF HATS: Ancient and Modern ::
by Ruth Edwards Kilgour. Robert M. McBride, Co, 1958.
Just when we thought that we knew all of the key books written about hats in
English in the 20th Century, along comes this great find. Before and after
WWII, Ruth Edwards Kilgour spent 22 years and traveled 160,000 miles at a cost
of $100,000 (in those days!) to collect what may very well be the greatest
collection of hats in the world. She writes well too. The book, organized by
continent, is a travelogue as well as an expression of her great appreciation
and fount of information about hats and headdress. More than 150 black and
white photographs illustrate every hat described. Our only criticism is the
quality of the photographs, which judged by today's standards, falls short.
The Top Hat ::
The Top Hat: An Illustrated History by Debbie Henderson.
A short and well written history covering one of the icons
of headwear. Chock full of good illustrations, Ms. Henderson devotes
one chapter to the history of the top hat and another to its manufacturing.
Appendiicies discuss how silk top hats and collapsible opera hats are
made. The book includes a good bibliography for those who want to pursue
this topic in greater depth.
Mr
Lock Of St. James Street ::
by Frank Whitbourn. William Heinemann Ltd, 1971.
It is hard to imagine that a single retail store that began in 1676 and moved
its location once, in 1764, could still be in business today. In fact, Lock & Co.
at #6 St. James Street in London is such a store. Whitbourn, a relative of
the proprietors, writes of the twists and turns of the shop's history. I found
most interesting the story of the advent of The Bowler Hat (a.k.a. The Derby
or The Coke): A game-keeper customer, William Coke, wanted a hard felt protective
riding hat for safety-sake while chasing poachers in his game preserve. Mr.
Lock accommodated his customer and a great hat was born (see THE MAN IN A BOWLER
HAT in this bibliography). We at The Village Hat Shop also have hats made in
response to customer's designs. Last year we introduced "The Rock," "The Reggie," and "The Trent" for three of our discerning clients.
The
500 Hats Of Bartholomew Cubbins ::
by Dr. Seuss. The Vanguard Press, 1938
Dr. Seuss's second book was a childhood staple of mine. If one believes in
the destiny of early influences then this book might just be responsible for our entry into the hat business. This great, lesser known Suess story, addresses
the fact that the hat has historically served to establish the individual's
rank in society and that relationship to the origins of hat etiquitte.
THE
CASE OF THE MISSING HAT STARRING JIM HENSON'S MUPPETS ::
by Gregory Williams and illustrated by Rosekrans Hoffman. Muppets Press/Random
House, 1982.
Fozzie Bear cannot go on stage and perform without his missing hat. Distraught,
he sniffs, "My
hat and I-we were a team." Not so far fetched a premise; can you imagine Charlie Chaplin without his Bowler?
When Everybody Wore a Hat ::
by William Steig, Joanna Cotler Books, 2003
This is a delightful children's book about the boyhood of its author, 95 year
old William Steig. The book is both personal and historical as Steig recounts
the time in America "when
everybody wore a hat." Steig, an artist whose drawings have appeared regularly in "The New Yorker" magazine since 1930, is both the books's illustrator and writer. Grandparents
looking for a book that they can read to their grandchildren that will inspire
good additional conversation should buy this book.
Source of some information on this page: Our vendor partner, The Village Hat
Shop.
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