Hats. Although it is no longer considered de rigeur to wear them, there was a time – not that long ago – when a man would not consider going out in public without one. In an age where being well dressed seems to mean wearing flip-flops and a tee shirt, it is hard to imagine the need for millinery (I LOVE that word), but fashion archives are full of images of “men in hats”…

“Without a hat, a man may be powerful, savvy, intriguing, classy; with one he is complete.” So claims the website of Barbisio, an old-style Italian hat maker. They continue: “Inspired by the Italian notion of La Dolce Vita, or “the good life,” these handmade felt hats rose to prominence in the 1940s and 1950s, when men were gentlemen and to be distinguished was to have achieved the apex of one’s career. Barbisios are quite simply the only remnants of that era, whose values and sensibilities are on the rise once again … Every Barbisio hat is crafted using a blend of Irish, Scottish and Italian wool fibres, ensuring an enduring, high-quality piece of fashion. The wool fibres are blown and the shape of the hat is sketched out. A hundred-year-old process known as “fulling” allows expert craftsmen to create the shape of the hat by hand.

What inspired the moniker of the 1980’s band Men in Hats is unknown (as is the rationale behind this wacky video of theirs – little people playing the mandolin? Maypoles? Crazy ladies cavorting around the countryside? Check, check, check…), but to us, men in hats are the ultimate in fashion: they radiate confidence, a roguish sensibility, and just the right amount of fashion je ne sais quoi. We’re fans!