Tip your chapeau to three of the city's best hat makers—from the modern and mysterious to the San Francisco classics.
Hampui Medicine Hats
Hampui's hats are all custom-made so each is unique to its wearer, but this olive-green fedora would make a great canvas for your personal hat story. (Pre-fabricated hats run $140 to $250; bespoke hats start at $400.)
(Janie Cai)
Hiding in a secret alcove at the back of The Perish Trust, Willee Roberts' old hat shop made for serendipitous encounters. The milliner's cozy pop-up space felt then like an old apothecary, stuffed with a curious selection of embellishments and medicinal waters (used to cleanse hats of any negative energy). Multi-colored hat braids lined one wall and wooden drawers slid open under the counter to reveal tiny, decorative objects—metal buttons, beaded patches, and bird feathers that Roberts called "medicines." Soon, though, this sliver of a shop, called Hampui Medicine Hats, will move out of its temporary location on Divis, where it has held court for the past six months. Come August, Roberts will begin peddling his unique brand of style from a converted trailer in his hometown of Berkeley (its exact location is, as yet, a mystery).
For Roberts, each hat is truly a bespoke original, a personalized object that becomes a spiritual, transformational tool for the wearer. The name Hampui is a Quechua phrase that translates to "soul of mine, return to me"; every new hat's journey begins with a personal prayer. The hatter encourages his patrons to bring along items that have deep personal meaning to them, items that align with their intentions for their hat. These tokens might become part of the hat, or may be used in the making of it, to be incorporated in a specific protocol resulting in a truly one-of-a-kind, positively charged piece. And though Roberts is emphatic that he, and his hats, are by no means healers, the notion of a custom-made hat crafted with care and diligence, inspired and adorned by the things dearest to you, sounds like a powerful talisman to us. // Hampui Medicine Hats, 728 Divisadero (Nopa), hampuihats.com
Paul’s Hat Works
Historic vibes and toppers galore at Paul's Hat Works.
(Janie Cai)
Founded in 1918, Paul's Hat Works is a gem of a place and should be a San Francisco must-see, if only for its extensive collection of vintage hat molds and hat-related memorabilia. The hats are all made onsite, in a workshop located behind the main counter, by owner Abbie Dwelle and her two millinery apprentices. There, materials such as rabbit fur and beaver fur are hand-shaped to exactly fit a customer's head, and finished hats awaiting collection line the interiors of the wooden display cabinets. The fine straw hats, which are sourced from Ecuador, are equally impressive—we spotted a stunning Montecristi Panama hat during our visit, with a superfine weave of toquilla palm leaves that would leave most hat aficionados giddy with desire.
On average, each hat takes six to eight weeks from start to completion, with prices depending on the materials used. Their current best-seller, The Financial District, sports a wider brim on a classic silhouette, while The Fillmore (with its slightly narrower brim) comes in close second in terms of popularity. The original Paul may no longer be around, but Paul's Hat Work still fills the gap for high quality handmade hats that are meant to last a lifetime. // Paul's Hat Works, 6128 Geary St. (Outer Richmond), hatworksbypaul.com
Goorin Bros.
Goorin Bros.' lightweight Samuel P. Taylor hat ($220) is made from extremely durable (and packable!) Milan hemp and has a fierce wide brim for sun-filled holidays.
(Courtesy of Goorin Bros)
Although its founder, Cassell Goorin, hailed originally from Pittsburg, Pennsylvannia, Goorin Bros. has been a San Francisco institution since 1949. A hat-making family business that has spanned four generations (and counting), Goorin, now helmed by president Ben Goorin, has since expanded its range of styles available to cater to a wide clientele, whilst retaining classic heritage styles such as the fedora, flatcap, and chic cloche hats.
Walk into a Goorin shop and it feels like you've snuck back to a time where elegant hats were de rigeur to complete a sophisticated outfit. And why not, after all there's a choice for even the finickiest among us. Anna Delis, the iconic brand's design director, draws from a diverse palette to create around 35 to 40 hats per collection; she describes her method for divining inspiration as a mix of "hunting and gathering." From hitting vintage shops, to drawing and writing from her subconscious, together with feedback from the store and what's heating up in the world of fashion, each direction is the summation of Delis' sharp, design-driven eye. And even though the company has been in the hat business for over a century, they're not resting on their laurels. Goorin has a newly opened factory in Newark, NJ and collaborations with several Bay Area designers in the works for next spring, so keep an eye out for limited edition and one-of-a-kind hats coming up online and in stores. // Goorin Bros. (multiple locations), goorin.com
