Buying a couture hat from the United States: shipping, duties, returns and US dollar prices
American clients order from Maria Monica London every season. Prices show in US dollars at checkout, delivery to the United States is fully insured and arrives within 10 working days of despatch, and bespoke commissions are made with you by video from anywhere in the country. Here is exactly how ordering from London works.
Prices in US dollars
You do not need to convert anything in your head. The store shows prices in US dollars for visitors in the United States, and you pay in dollars at checkout through a secure payment page. Use the currency selector in the header if you would like to switch it yourself.
Delivery to the United States
Every piece travels insured, cushioned in the Maria Monica London hatbox. Delivery to the United States is a flat £85.00, within 10 working days of despatch. everywhere else starts at £45.00 and takes 5 to 10 working days. Within the United Kingdom delivery is £20.00 and arrives within 48 hours of despatch. Ready to wear pieces are dispatched within two business days. Made to order and bespoke pieces are dispatched on the date agreed with you when the commission is confirmed, always in good time for your occasion.
Duties and taxes
Import duties and any taxes on orders into the United States are set by US customs and are separate from the shipping price. They are calculated on the value of the piece when it enters the country, and the carrier collects anything due on delivery. We keep our paperwork clear and correct so your parcel moves through customs without delay. If your timing is tight, write to us and we will help you plan around it.
Returns
Bespoke and commissioned pieces are drawn, blocked and finished to your own head measurement, in a colour matched by hand against your fabric. A commission is made because you asked for it and it fits nobody else the same way, so it cannot be returned or exchanged.
A ready to wear piece ordered online may be returned within fourteen days of delivery, unworn and exactly as it left us, in its own hatbox with the tissue and tags intact. Return postage from the United States is arranged and paid by you, and we ask for an insured tracked service. Full detail is in our returns and exchanges policy.
Commissioning bespoke from the United States
Many of the women Monika dresses she has never met in person. A commission from the United States runs entirely by video.
- We begin with a video call, in your own time zone, to talk through the occasion, your outfit and the feeling you want.
- Your head is measured at home with a tape we post to you, so the fit is exact.
- The colour is matched from a photograph or a fabric swatch, so the hat meets your dress precisely.
- Monika sketches the piece, agrees a fixed price in writing, then makes it by hand in London as a one of one.
Allow one to four weeks for a bespoke piece, and begin early before the spring and summer occasions. You can start a commission here or read how a piece is made by hand.
Why order from London
Every piece is hand-blocked in a London atelier by a milliner with thirty-five years at the bench, and no piece is made twice. For the Kentucky Derby, a wedding or a day at the races, a hat matched to your outfit and made for your head sits and photographs in a way an off-the-shelf piece cannot. Our Kentucky Derby guide is a good place to start.
Questions people ask
Can I buy from Maria Monica London if I live in the United States?
Yes. We ship to the United States every season, price in US dollars and commission bespoke pieces by video.
How much is shipping to the US?
Delivery to the United States is a flat £85.00, whatever the size of the piece, and arrives within 10 working days of despatch. Every parcel is tracked, fully insured and signed for.
Will I pay import duties?
Import duties are set by US customs and are separate from the shipping price. The carrier collects anything due on delivery.
Can I return a hat to the UK?
A ready to wear piece ordered online may be returned within fourteen days of delivery, unworn and in its own hatbox with the tissue and tags intact, with return postage paid by you. Bespoke and commissioned pieces are made to your own measurement and cannot be returned or exchanged. We do not offer exchanges on anything.
How do I get the right size from the US?
We post you a tape to measure your head at home, and we build the base to that measurement so the fit is exact.
Shop the pieces
Every piece is designed and made by hand in the London atelier.
