Pitti Uomo 92: Bailey Hats

It would be impossible for me to cover all the brands I saw during Pitti Uomo 92. I will instead focus on the brands that caught my attention.

I recently discovered Bailey hat company while looking for information on hat brands worn by actors in classic movies.
I was quite surprised and pleased that a brand that used to make hats for Bing Crosby, Clark Gable and Humphrey Bogart was still going strong. I was also happy of course to discover that Bailey was part of the "Made in America section" at Pitti Uomo 92.

The first hat that straight away caught my attention was a Panama hat on display in the centre of the booth. They informed me that the hat is not just weaved as normal and then pa. Instead they have to train the weavers in Equador to crochet the hat while it is being made as normal. After the hat is weaved and crocheted, it is sent to the US for blocking and final finishing.

Beaver felt hat is in the lower left corner

Given that Beaver felt hats are Baileys top of the line felt hats and I have never seen one in person, I of course wanted to know what made beaver a superior felting material. apparently Beaver felt can be made more compact compared to alternatives like Rabbit felt. This makes it possible to make a hat that is very thin but durable. This is particularly obvious when looking at the thickness of the brim.
Bailey hats also offers a animal friendly wool hats for people that are opposed to wearing felt.

Close up of a wool hat

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