Hats are back. From Duchess Kate to Pharrell Williams, the younger generation is starting to rediscover the distinction of a well-chosen headpiece. You can’t move for trilbies in Shoreditch, and high fashion mags are full of love for the winter fedora.
One couple leading the revival is Zophia and Alex Torun-Shaw, founders of classic but hip hatters Laird London, who this year expanded their business into Cambridge, opening Laird Hatters in Green Street – an area that’s fast becoming a hub of excellent independent stores.
“Hats were once the domain of the older gentleman, the country set and the upper classes – but they have become fashionable once more thanks to actors like Brad Pitt and Johnny Depp,” says Alex.
“A hat really finishes off an outfit and adds character,” says Zophia, who is herself a fan of their City Trilby – especially in beautiful, rich plum. “It’s probably the most stand-out accessory you can have,” adds Alex. “You can have a nice coat, nice shoes… but a great hat really distinguishes you. As my dad always says, ‘Get ahead, get a hat’.”
The pair set up in Soho six years ago, in the midst of recession, but with an inkling that hats and the economy were on the up.
“I felt that the recession was bottoming out and that it would be a good time to get into retail,” says Alex. “I’d studied at the London College of Fashion, then found that most millinary courses were geared toward ladies’ hats. I didn’t want to make fascinators and felt there was a niche market in men’s hats, though we also do women’s hats and many are unisex.”
All Laird hats are handmade in England and characterised by their mix of tradition and an eye for what’s red hot in fashion. The Cambridge shop, with its air of country sophistication, displays caps in tweed, cord and wool, soft rabbit fur or suede fedoras, trilbies, panamas, and even top hats.
“They’re all very traditional in style but we give each one a modern twist, whether that’s through colour or the fabric used,” explains Alex. “The hat-making process hasn’t changed much in 100 years. The hat block I use to get the shaping dates from the Edwardian era.”
He continues: “Laird hats are for anyone and everyone. We sell hats for old men and ladies, as well as students and teenagers buying their first hat. The London shop is the same. We also do two or three press loans each week, for GQ, Esquire, Vogue or other glossy magazines.”
Yoko Ono, Keira Knightley and Stephen Fry are already big fans, and prominent designers are actively seeking Alex and Zophia out, including Joshua Kane – head designer at Paul Smith – who has created a new hat with a raised crown and stiffer, sloped rim, exclusively for Laird.
But what about people who don’t think they look good in hats?
“Most people are just not familiar with seeing themselves in a hat,” says Zophia. “But we’ve got all sorts of styles, colours, and brim-widths, so it’s just about playing around with different kinds and finding what you like. It depends on your hairstyle, your size, your colouring… and we can advise on all of that.”
Laird Hatters, 4 Green Street, Cambridge, 01223 356820
