Race Day Hats

Every piece here is made and finished by hand in the London atelier, and any shape can be made to order in your colour. Colour is matched against a swatch of your own outfit fabric. Brim scale, crown height and trim are set to you, and each hat is blocked to your head measurement. One to four weeks from the first conversation.

Race day hats made to order

Every shape in this collection can be made to order. Tell us the meeting, the date and the colour you need, and Monika Perlińska makes the piece for you alone in the London atelier.

Colour is matched against the cloth itself. Post a swatch of your outfit fabric, a cutting from a hem or a seam allowance is enough, and felts, straws and silks are laid against it in daylight until one of them is right. A colour name or a phone photograph will not carry the colour.

Four things change on a made to order piece. Brim scale, so the width suits your height and the enclosure you are standing in. Crown height, which sets how the hat balances against your face. Trim, from a hand modelled silk flower to a wired crinoline bow. And colour, matched to your outfit rather than picked off a chart.

Sizing is yours. Your head is measured in the atelier, or at home with a tape we post to you, and the piece is blocked to that measurement. Read how to measure your head.

When you enquire there is a conversation first, in the atelier or by video call wherever you are. You approve the drawing, then the price and the completion date are agreed in writing before any money changes hands. You see a photograph of the finished piece and approve it before it leaves the atelier.

Lead time is one to four weeks from the first conversation to the finished hat. Begin earlier for Royal Ascot, when the atelier is at its busiest.

Begin a commission or read how a commission works.

Buying a race day hat online

Delivery within the United Kingdom is £20.00 and takes 3 to 5 business days. Europe is £45.00.00, the United States is £70.00.00 and the rest of the world is £70.00.00. Every parcel is tracked, insured and signed for. There is no express or next day service, so allow the shipping time on top of any making time. On orders outside the United Kingdom, import duty and tax are set by your own country and collected by the courier when the parcel arrives.

Ready to wear pieces can be returned within 14 days of delivery, unworn, in their original condition and in the original hatbox. The refund is made in full to your original payment method within 14 days of the return reaching us, and return postage is arranged and paid by you. Bespoke and made to order pieces are made for you alone and cannot be returned or exchanged unless faulty. This does not affect your statutory rights. Full delivery and returns terms.

Sizing works remotely. Measure with a soft tape about one centimetre above the ears and across the middle of the forehead, keeping it level and snug, then read it in centimetres. Measure over the hair you plan to wear on the day. If you fall between two sizes, take the larger one. On a commission we post you a tape, and fittings are held by video call if you are abroad.

What each meeting asks for

What hat is allowed in the Royal Enclosure at Royal Ascot?

A hat, or a headpiece with a solid base of at least 10 centimetres in diameter. Fascinators are not accepted in the Royal Enclosure. A pillbox or any shape with a proper crown answers the rule, while a slim band or a small bow does not. Ascot reviews the wording each season, so check the current published guidance.

Shop Royal Ascot hats, read the Royal Ascot hat guide or read the 2027 Royal Enclosure hat rules.

What hat should I wear to Cheltenham?

Felt, velvet or wool crepe. Cheltenham runs in March on cold open ground and frequently in rain, which is where straw and sinamay give up and a blocked felt holds its shape. A medium or upturned brim handles the wind better than a wide picture hat, and deeper tones sit well against a winter coat.

What hat should I wear to Goodwood?

Straw, and something that will stay on. Glorious Goodwood runs at the end of July on an exposed hilltop, so parasisal and sinamay suit the heat while the wind decides the shape. The Richmond Enclosure encourages a hat without insisting on one. A deeper crown and a fit blocked to your measurement keep a wide brim in place.

What hat should I wear to Aintree Ladies Day?

There is no official dress code at Aintree, so the choice is yours and headpieces and fascinators are both accepted. Ladies Day falls on the Friday of the Grand National Festival. April in Liverpool is unpredictable, so a secured headpiece or a felt with a medium brim outlasts a wide straw brim on a windy afternoon.

Questions

Can I have a race day hat made to order?

Yes. Every shape in this collection can be made to order in your colour and blocked to your own head measurement. Brim scale, crown height and trim are all set to you, and no piece is made twice. Tell us the meeting, the date and the outfit and Monika will take it from there.

How long does a made to order race day hat take?

One to four weeks from the first conversation to the finished hat. Begin earlier for Royal Ascot, when the atelier is at its busiest. If your date is close, send the date first and Monika will say honestly what is possible. Simpler shapes and headpieces are made faster than a hand blocked wide brim.

Can you match a hat to my outfit colour?

Yes, and the match is made against the cloth itself. Post a swatch of your outfit fabric, a cutting from a hem or a seam allowance is enough, and the straw, ribbon and thread are chosen against it in daylight. A colour name or a phone photograph will not carry the colour.

How to choose a hat colour that photographs well.

How do you size a hat if I cannot come to the atelier?

Measure with a soft tape about one centimetre above the ears and across the middle of the forehead, keeping it level and snug, then read it in centimetres. Measure over the hair you plan to wear on the day. On a commission we post you a tape, and fittings are held by video call.

Do you ever have race day hats on sale?

Prices hold all year. Every piece is designed and made individually by hand in the London atelier and no piece is made twice, so there is no seasonal clearance and no end of season markdown. What changes is availability. Once a one of a kind piece sells it is gone.

Do you ship race day hats outside the UK?

Yes. Europe is £45.00.00, the United States is £70.00.00 and the rest of the world is £70.00.00, each tracked, insured and signed for. There is no express service, so allow the shipping time on top of any making time. Import duty and tax are set by your own country and collected by the courier.

Racing beyond Britain: Kentucky Derby hats, shipped to the United States.