Brand Story
by the Curator
Childhood Dream
I've always loved the look of hats, since first watching ‘The Lone Ranger’ on TV as a boy in England in 1959 and dreaming of my own Cowboy Hat. In 1975, at University, I occasionally wore a Trilby but hats were completely out of fashion by then. Much later, while living in Belgium, I realised my childhood dream by acquiring a black Resistol Cowboy Hat and my first Indiana Jones Fedora. Not long after, my wife and I relocated to Hong Kong.
In Asia, there are low ceilings and hot sun. If, like me, you are tall, bald and clumsy, you either wear a hat every day or you will have problems. I learned this lesson the hard way with many head injuries so for personal safety, I had to wear hats. While searching for new hats, I quickly became dissatisfied with what I could find in department stores and fashion outlets.
First Hat Experience
One day in 2011, I purchased a vintage Knox Fedora. That first experience of wearing a vintage hat was life-changing. Despite its age, I was overwhelmed by the quality of the felt, the detailed craftsmanship and my suddenly improved appearance in the mirror! At that moment, I resolved only to buy and wear hats of the highest quality and began collecting them. Before long, I was wearing a different hat every single day and realised that people in Hong Kong were calling me 戴帽的男人 or “the man in the hat”. I also began to understand that collecting wasn't enough. I now wanted other people to share in what I had discovered. I started using social media with a newly created brand logo and named it The Man In The Hat!
Movember in 2017
Opportunity Emerges
Starting a hat business was never in our plan, but we were often asked where our beautiful hats came from. In 2017, we joined a 'Movember' event and gave our first hat history presentation. As a result of the intriguing hat stories that we shared, we sold several vintage hats that night. This confirmed to us that hat culture could re-emerge and encouraged us to consider a business around it.
Sunday Market
We moved onto the next stage in early 2018 with a series of outings to Sunday open markets in Discovery Bay, Hong Kong, which went very well. Many people started noticing our brand and asked "Where is your shop?"
Opening a shop
It was only a matter of time before we took the plunge. In September 2018, we opened a small retail unit featuring Classic, Vintage and Custom-made hats. We became the first and only men's hat shop in Hong Kong. In mid-2025, we relocated to the UK and, in 2026, relaunched The Man In The Hat with our new downtown showroom in the city of Brighton.