Hemp braids are both breathable and durable and frequently our top choice for everyday wear. Hemp fibers are woven into a thin braid, which is then sewn to form the hat. We seriously love hemp braids and take credit for convincing Stetson USA and Dobbs to add them to their offerings. ![]() Much of the equipment used today was retrofitted from steam power. In fact, little has changed in hat manufacturing since the 1800s, when steam power was introduced. Although this film is from 1955, little has changed. We found this delightful vintage video showing how braids are sewn. ![]() This construction makes them harder wearing than woven options, but not as hard wearing as felts. They are then blocked for a crisp finish and trimmed. Narrow strips of plaited fiber are sewn together from the top of the crown out to the edge of the brim. Braidsīraids are a broad category encompassing a wide variety of natural and synthetic materials. These hats do very poorly in weather and should be kept dry. Sinamay can be starched to be ridged for gravity defying fascinators and whirls of trim or kept soft to make big dramatic brims. They hold color well and come in all the shades of the rainbow. Think Kentucky Derby, outdoor wedding, and Sunday best. Sinamay is most commonly used for dressy feminine summer hats. If you don’t think you can stop yourself from grabbing your hat by the crown, we advise you to look at our collection of braids – they can take a lot of abuse. You should never pick up your hat by the crown – you’ll crack it open in no time and cry real tears over it. The single most important thing you can do to prolong the life of your hat is to handle it with two hands by the brim. These hats, like all woven straw hats, are delicate. Shantung is a thin natural straw made from finely woven rolled rice paper with a coating for strength and a bit of sheen. They breath reasonably well, especially twisted toyo. Sometimes called " Toyo" or " Twisted Toyo," paper straw is a less expensive alternative to panama. Panama hats are frequently crisp and dressy, and breathable but delicate. There are two easy ways to identify panama hats – 1) look for the “Hand woven in Ecuador” seal on the inside of the hat and 2) they’re woven from the center top out, resulting in a distinctive circular knot of fibers. The single most important thing you can do to prolong the life of your hat is to handle it with two hands, by the brim. In addition to the specific straws listed below, this category includes straws such as laichow, parisisol, raffia, seagrass, and sisal. Woven StrawsĪs a general rule, woven natural straws are breathable and delicate. Finishes can range from a soft matte to velour to a long hair shine or a tussled long hair. The material is dense and thin with a crisp finish and most of our hats have either a bound edge or a raw edge to better appreciate the crispness of the hat. This traditional felt is usually made with a blend of rabbit and wild hare from Eastern Europe, but other types of fur, including beaver, can be used. The hats your grandparents - and their grandparents - wore were made from fur felt. ![]() These hats make good everyday and fashion hats and take a fair amount of abuse. Our hats come in a wide range of colors and finishes – most of our wool felts have a matte finish but we have a few with a longer hair and a bit of shine. These hats are treated to make them water resistant but we don’t advise you to wear your hat in a heavy rain. We always have a few price point hats on hand, but most of our wool felt hats are made in the United States in heritage factories. There are dozens of steps in producing wool felt and some of these steps are unfortunately cut out to make less expensive hats.
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