Tuesday 15 October 2013

THE MAN, THE LEGEND, HAPPY BIRTHDAY SIMON


Today Simon would have reached his 89th birthday. Although he is no longer with us we celebrate his life on his birthday every year. Simon arrived in South Africa from Poland to escape the war in the early 30’s. He was an orphan at the age of 21 and this is when he took control of the family cap business, which he then turned into the largest felt hat manufacturer in Africa. We thank and love you Simon Pozniak.

Monday 30 September 2013

ALFRED MANYONI

Mr Alfred Manyoni began working at the factory in 1953 when he was employed by Simon as a general worker in our cap factory. In the height of our wool felt hat body production in the 80's, Mr Manyoni worked his way up to become the production manager and oversaw over 100 employees and a production of 3500 units a day. Today he is still with us as a senior manager and a vital cog to the machine that is Simon and Mary. We take our hat off to him.





Tuesday 17 September 2013

THE STETSON

In 1965, Stetson marked its 100th anniversary by publishing a booklet called “The Stetson Century”. In it, the company’s then president said this: “...It is, I think, possible to say without too great exaggeration that America grew up under a STETSON. Today our business is so truly world-wide that there can be but few corners of the globe where the name Stetson is not known and honored”. Nearing Stetson’s 150th anniversary, the company is much more than hats and continues to bring product steeped in the authentic American spirit to customers around the world.


James Dean - via http://witanddelight.tumblr.com/

Monday 16 September 2013

KEEPING YOUR VINTAGE HAT CLEAN

When dealing with vintage hats, purists never wear them, less strict collectors wear them when their hair is very clean, and nobody takes the aging hat out in a downpour. Straw hats will collapse. Keep a close eye on the weather when wearing vintage hats. If you are caught in the rain with your felt hat, turn out the sweatband to dry it, and provide a platform for the hat to slowly dry on. Gently push out the creases and dents to make the crown as rounded as possible. Never use a hair dryer as this will wrinkle and damage the hat. Once the hat is dry, gently reform the creases.
Dust your hat frequently with a soft-bristled brush. Stiff bristled brushes will tear the felt. Use a dark colored brush for dark hats and a light colored brush for light hats.
A damp towel with a slight nap can also be used to remove dust. Gently rub the dampened towel in a circular counterclockwise motion, over the surface to quickly remove dust.
For stubborn stains the brush will not reach, try using a soft, small-pored sponge such as a makeup sponge, which works well; or a bit of foam rubber. Rubber sponges are slightly sticky and will coax surface soiling away from the felt. An art-gum eraser will work as well, as long as you remember to rub with a counterclockwise motion to the grain.
If stains remain, find a professional renovator for your hat. Heavy sweat stains, for example, need professional attention as they penetrate deep into the body of the felt.
Proper handling will extend the life of your hat. Never touch your hat with dirty, oily hands. Pick up your hat from underneath by both the front and back brim to maintain the shape and set of the brim. Resting a hat on a hat stand or block will make this operation easier.
Avoid resting your hat on any flat surface. To preserve the pitch, or scope of the brim, the lower front of the brim should hang over the edge of any surface it is resting on. Hats left on table tops bow up in the front and back, while bending the sides downward and forever deforming the shape of the brim. If need be, you can also rest a hat on its crown, provided you place it on a clean surface.
A straw hat can be kept clean and fresh-looking much longer if it is brushed regularly with an ordinary whisk broom. If a straw hat gets wet, first wipe off the surplus water with a clean dry cloth. If it is a sports straw, worn snapped down in front, turn the brim up all around. If your straw hat has a bad soaking, the sweat band should be turned out, and the hat stood on it's band while drying. This permits air circulation to all parts.
With proper handling and care, a quality hat will remain a thing of beauty and a source of pride for years to come.


THE PORKIE PIE

The Porkpie became wildly popular by artists, musicians, and fashion forward gentlemen in the 1940's and 1950's. Although this hat remained a strong statement among artists throughout the years, it became popular during the 1990's with the release of Johnny Depp's Benny and Joonin 1993, along with several others. The Porkpie hat soon became the most important fashion hat of the 1990's.

Today's Bebop Porkpie varies little from the original, yet many variations are being made in other styles. The original Porkpie featured a telescope brim, with a very short 1 1/18" inch brim. Current brim lengths are as stingy as ever, but Porkpies can now be found with diamond crowns, center dents, and teardrop crowns. The true popularity of the Porkpie lies within the stinginess of the brim length. As long as the brim remains short, the Porkpie will continue to evolve.




Friday 13 September 2013

FELT HAT DAY: 1925

In the US in the Twenties a strange craze grew up around “Felt Hat Day”, September 15. Anyone who wore a summer straw hat after that date risked being physically attacked. When President Coolidge wore one on September 18 1925, it was front-page news.

In 1922, police reserves were called into handle a “straw hat riot” in New York in which scores of straw hats were destroyed by marauding “rowdies”. To prevent these attacks some people destroyed their own hats first.
The milliner title has passed down from generation to generation. Hats are in our blood, it is more than a clothing item but rather a way of life. Every gentlemen and lady needs a hat, and we are here to give you not just a hat, but an item with history and character.