Summer Hats
Straw earns its place from June onwards. It is light on the head through a long afternoon, it holds a brim in the heat, and it photographs cleanly in strong sun where felt reads heavy.
Panama, parasisal and sisal each behave differently and each is hand blocked in the London atelier to hold its line all season. Every piece is made to your own head measurement.
Choosing yours
Three things that decide a summer hat
Straw is not one material
Panama straw is soft and light on the head. Parasisal is finer and holds a sharper, more sculpted brim. The straw decides what shape the hat can hold.
Brim size is sun protection
A wide brim shades the face and the shoulders through a long afternoon outdoors. A trilby or a boater is easier in a crowd, in a car and on a train.
Keeping its shape
Rest it crown down or on a stand, never on the brim, and keep it out of a hot car. Out of season it belongs in the box it arrived in.
Care guideMade for you
Monika will design a summer piece around your outfit, match the colour by hand to your fabric and block it to your measurement. One to four weeks from the first conversation.
Straw, sinamay and light felt for the summer season. Wide brims for the garden party and the races, boaters for something sharper, all hand-blocked in the London atelier to hold their line in the heat. Made to travel and to photograph.
Questions
What is the difference between panama and parasisal straw?
Panama straw is soft and light on the head and sits comfortably through a long day outdoors. Parasisal is a finer woven straw that holds a sharper, more sculpted brim. Both are hand blocked in the London atelier, and the straw decides what shape the hat can hold.
How do I keep a straw hat in shape?
Rest it crown down or on a stand rather than on the brim, and keep it out of a hot car. If it is caught in rain, let it dry naturally away from a radiator. Out of season it belongs in the box it arrived in.
Can a summer hat be made to my own measurement?
Yes. Every piece is blocked to your own head measurement and made by hand in the London atelier by master milliner Monika Perlińska. A commission takes one to four weeks and colour is matched by hand to a swatch or a photograph.