Hats built for a Tuesday. Straw shapes for summer, velvet and wool for the colder months, plus the headbands that carry over from an occasion into ordinary use.
Nothing on this page needs a dress code to justify it.
Choosing yours
Three things that decide an everyday hat
Straw in summer, velvet and wool in winter
Panama and parasisal straw are light and breathable and belong to the warm months. Velvet, satin and wool crepe hold their shape in cold damp air. Buying against the season is the usual mistake.
The shape decides how often you reach for it
A fedora or a trilby has a brim you can angle, so it carries a plain coat. A beret or a boater sits close to the head and suits a crowded train. A headband asks nothing of your outfit at all.
Everyday pieces get the couture fit
These are blocked by hand in the same atelier as the occasion hats. Take your measurement over the hair you wear day to day rather than the way you would style it for an event.
How to measureHats for the days between the occasions. Fedoras, trilbies and berets in felt, hand-blocked in the London atelier for everyday wear. Worn with a coat, with denim or with tailoring.
Questions
Which hats work in which season?
Panama and parasisal are straw, so they suit warm dry weather and travel well. Velvet, satin and wool crepe suit autumn and winter and cope better with cold damp air. Straw dislikes rain and will crack if the brim is bent against its blocked shape, so keep a straw hat for dry days.
How do I look after a hat I wear every day?
Hold it by the brim or the base and never by the crown, because a felt crown keeps the mark of a repeated grip and a straw one cracks along the fold. Store it in its hatbox with tissue in the crown, away from sunlight and damp. If the brim curves, store it upside down on the crown.
What happens if it gets rained on?
Shake it gently, reshape it with your hands while it is still damp and let it dry at room temperature away from any heat. Never use a radiator or a hairdryer. Direct heat shrinks felt, makes straw brittle and will set a distortion permanently. Once it is fully dry, brush felt lightly in one direction.
Can I have an everyday hat made in a colour to match my coat?
Yes. Any shape here can be commissioned in another colour. Monika matches it by hand to a swatch, a photograph or a piece of your own fabric, then blocks the hat to your head measurement. A commission takes one to four weeks from the first conversation. Bring the coat itself if you can, since a photograph rarely carries the exact shade.