The Hat "Patina"
Pork Pie Hatters East village customer Chris Wallace was recently featured in a street style shoot for Details Magazine. In the pictures he looks great! Firstly, I commend Chris on his overall look and his ability to pull off a Borsalino Classico with ease. What caught my attention was the perfectly worn-in condition of his fedora. It quickly sparked a debate in the shop about hat care and maintenance. The traditionalists argued quite convincingly that hat care was part of responsible hat ownership. That the hats we sell are made with such care and attention to detail that it is a shame to let them be worn to the edge of destruction. The guys spend their days reconditioning hats that have been worn for decades. They said that taking proper care of a hat is the right thing to do.
The less fussy salesmen argued that If you love your hat, it doesn't matter how you show your love. Some people express it by obsessively keeping it out of the rain, and bringing it in every few weeks for a free cleaning and a steam. Others, including Mr. Wallace, wear their hats in, get them just the way they like them, and use them as an umbrella. We have equal respect for both types of hat guys. However I must say that there is something about a properly broken-in hat. A hat that has seen things that you've seen and felt things that you've felt. It is irreplaceable. Luckily we're here to help you try! ; )
