Kentucky Derby Hats
The first Saturday in May is the one day in the American calendar when the hat is the point. Churchill Downs sets no measurement rule, so the Derby allows a scale and a colour that Royal Ascot would turn away at the gate.
Every piece is blocked to your head measurement and made by hand in the London atelier, then shipped to the United States tracked and insured. A commission takes one to four weeks, so start the conversation about a month before Derby day.
Choosing yours
Three things that decide a Derby hat
No measurement rule at the Derby
Churchill Downs sets a dress code for its premium areas rather than a rule about hats. Millionaires Row and the clubhouse ask for business or dressy attire. Scale is yours to choose.
Read the Derby hat guideColour for Louisville light
May at Churchill Downs is bright and open. Clean strong colour photographs better under that sun than a pastel, and it holds its own against a printed dress.
Ship it in good time
A commission takes one to four weeks. Order about a month before the first Saturday in May. Delivery to the United States is tracked, insured and signed for.
Delivery and returnsMade for you
Monika will design a piece around your Derby outfit, match the colour by hand to your fabric and block it to your measurement. One to four weeks from the first conversation.
Hats for the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs, hand blocked in the London atelier and shipped to the United States tracked and insured. Every shape can be made to order in your colour. There is no measurement rule at the Derby, so the scale is yours to choose.
Kentucky Derby hats made to order
Derby dressing rewards a committed brim. Where Royal Ascot writes its rules down, the Derby is led by scale and colour, so a sweeping brim and a saturated tone carry further here than anywhere in the British calendar.
Send your race date, your outfit direction and a swatch of the fabric. Monika Perlińska matches the straw and trim against the cloth in daylight, sets the brim scale and crown height to you and blocks the hat to your head measurement. Nothing is made twice, so your colourway stays yours.
Lead time is one to four weeks from the first conversation to the finished hat, and the shipping time sits on top of that. Spring is the fullest season in the atelier, so start early for a May race date. Begin a commission or read the Kentucky Derby hat guide.
Colour for a May racetrack
Derby light is strong and the photographs are taken at distance, so saturated colour earns its place. Deep red, emerald, violet and true blue carry across a lawn where a soft pastel washes out. More on colour that photographs well.
Questions
Is there a dress code for Kentucky Derby hats?
Churchill Downs sets a dress code for its premium areas rather than a rule about hats. Millionaires Row and the clubhouse ask for business or dressy attire. There is no measurement rule of the kind Royal Ascot applies, so the Derby allows far more freedom in shape and scale.
How long does a Kentucky Derby hat take to make?
One to four weeks from the first conversation to the finished hat, with the shipping time on top. Start the conversation about a month ahead of the first Saturday in May. If your date is close, send the date first and Monika will say honestly what is possible.
Do you ship Derby hats to the United States?
Yes. Delivery to the United States is a flat £70.00, tracked, insured and signed for, and there is no express option. Any import duty or tax is set by your own state and is collected by the courier on arrival. Full delivery and returns terms.
Can you make a hat for the Kentucky Oaks?
Yes. Pink is the tradition of the Friday, honouring the stargazer lily that is the official flower of the Oaks, and any shape here can be commissioned in the pink your outfit needs. Everything from pale blush to deep fuchsia is worn. Send a swatch and the match is made against the cloth.
Can you match a hat to my Derby outfit colour?
Yes, from a physical swatch. Send a cutting from a hem or a seam allowance and the straw, ribbon and thread are chosen against it in daylight. A colour name or a phone photograph will not carry the colour, so the cloth itself is what the match is made against.
How do you size a hat if I am in the United States?
Fittings happen by video call and your head measurement is checked before the block is chosen. Measure with a soft tape about one centimetre above the ears and across the middle of the forehead, level and snug. The full method is in the size and fit guide.
Racing all year: shop every race day hat or Royal Ascot hats.
Hats for Kentucky Oaks, the day before the Derby.