Hat care guide

Keep the brim true

A felt hat can last thirty years and a straw one a dozen summers. Most die young from a hot dashboard or a wet hook.

Bring it to the hat bench
Hands holding a wide black felt hat against a dark background

Felt or straw

FeltStraw
SeasonOctober to AprilMay to September
RainShake it off, dry crown downKeep it dry; water warps the weave
CleaningSoft brush, counter-clockwiseDamp cloth, then air dry
ReshapingSteam, any timeLight steam, by us

Do

  • Pick it up by the brim front and back, not the pinch.
  • Store it upside down on the crown, or on a hat rack.
  • Turn the sweatband out to dry after a hot day.
  • Keep a hat box for the truck.

Don't

  • Leave it on the dashboard. Heat shrinks the sweatband a full size.
  • Hang it on a nail or hook; it dents the crown.
  • Use a hair dryer on wet felt.
  • Spray straw with water to reshape it.
Black and white photo of cowboy hats stacked brim on brim

The hat bench

Ines runs the steamer by the front window. Walk in with a tired hat and wait with a coffee.

  • Steam and reshape$15
  • New sweatband$35
  • Felt clean and brush-up$25
  • Hat band swapfrom $18
Ask about your hat

Hats worth looking after

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