Introducing Mr Hat

We had a sit down with Mr Hat to discuss his love for hats, all things style and how he deals with finding clothes to fit his tall frame.

First things first, How tall are you ?

I am 6’5 in my brogues and 6’7 in my Nike Cortez lol

Where did the name Mr Hat come from?

The name Mr.Hat stems from my consistent hat wearing. After a few years friends, family and the internet started nick naming me ‘Mr.Hat’ and it just stuck. It wasn’t until late 2014 when I actually decided to make it official.

What is it about hats that you love?

The foundation as to why I love hats is because of my grandfather, growing up with my grandparents I would always see my grandfather dressed in suits and wearing a hat and I would take his hat and put it on trying to be like him. Of which he would always tell me “take it off, when you’re older I will give you one” and true to his word he did, before he died I believe I was around 18-19 he gave me a black rabbit fur felt trilby (of which was the hat I used to try on as a kid) it fitted me like a glove. I fell in love and have been fully invested into hats ever since. For me hats are more than just an accessory it’s a piece of art, some hats are special and can hold a more symbolic and sentimental value to them I know for me, every time I wear my hats I feel like my grandfather is still with me. I guess you could say it’s like a comfort blanket or something.

We always see you shaping and delivering hats on your Instagram story. What exactly do you do to/with hats?

So I am a Hatter by trade and a Hat Restorer by passion, of lately I have been developing my existing skills and have been restoring and repairing hats for clients and sharing it via Instagram in the form of an informal tutorial which is working really well for me, not only are people learning but many find my tutorial very entertaining and for those that find it to be a challenge then become new clients of me. I really enjoy every moment, without the music I don’t think I’d be as creatively expressive as I liked to be, the music has a big influence on me and it’s my favourite choice of company for those late nights.

Do you have any style inspirations?

I love watching cartoons and have been inspired by the choice of colour used for example you see cartoons wearing certain colours and they kind of work, so I try it, I would do a salmon pink blazer, a green forest green roll neck and a cream or white trousers with brown or navy shoes. All of those colours I took from a cartoon lol and my other strange source of inspiration is that I often find myself inspired by women’s styles more so than men. I really like how playful some women are with their outfits and how they choose to layer, with different tones, colours and textures. My personal style changes with my mood and is govern by my hats. I always start with my hat and then work out an outfit around the hat.

Do you have any style tips for fellow tall men?

Make sure you’re comfortable, favour longer arms on shirts and jackets, if you can get yourself a tailored suit and have your staple pieces adjusted you won’t regret it, I feel like I look better in tailored outfits. Walk tall!

How do you deal with finding clothes for your tall frame?

I cheat lol, I tend to wear my trousers higher or by a 34L even though I have 36 leg as I like to show more sock. But that works for me, may not work for others. Thankfully brands are now starting to carter for the 6’0 and above club so we have more choices, I still struggle with some shirts and overcoats, but shop around and keep it simple. Stick to buying staple pieces and build around that.

What’s next for Mr Hat?

Currently working on a few hat parties for the year of which I am super excited about. My first children’s book that I am currently working on is coming together. I am currently in talks with doing a few hat restoration workshops so for now I will be in the studio continuing to develop my skills and experiment. Who knows where else my hat will take me this year I am just enjoying the adventures.