The London Lounge

Dear All,

I know how to reshape a normal topper or for that matter a bowler. However, I recently bought a chapeau claque which is in reasonably good condition, and which is the right circumference. Annoyingly, it's the wrong shape. Does anyone know how to reshape it?

Take it into Lock's. Last time that I asked for a little minor TLC for a normal topper with an accidentally bent brim, they just did it, without charge.
NJS

I would ask http://www.aleisa.de/, one of the very few Chapeau Claque makers left nowadays.

I went into Lock's today. Their chap who deals with their top hats told me that they never used to re-shape them. They always used to 'pad out' any gaps - and if a hat were tight along any axis, then they sold him a size larger and then padded out the hat so it fitted.

I know they are the experts, but I wasn't really ready to believe that the hats were never re-shaped, for the following reasons:
(1) the opera hat on my table beside me has an extremely stiff rim - unless one's head were exactly the same shape (very unlikely), then it wouldn't fit;
(2) this hat doesn't have any space for padding to be placed without unstiching the inner lining;
(3) although it looks to be 1930s, it doesn't look to be bespoke (just a guess - no owner's name; shape too uniform to be shaped to an individual's irregular head);
(4) the chap in Lock told me that they never sold very many - if they didn't fit at once, they didn't sell them - that sounds like the dying days of the hat's popularity, rather than how they were treated when they were a more everyday item.

So - I'm not ready to take his advice as the definitive statement on the subject. Has anyone used aleisa.de before? I don't speak German, but if any member wished to translate the question and pass it on, I'd be very grateful.

Well, there's Patey: http://www.pateyhats.com/ the last bespoke English hat maker but they are not in central London. It seems a lot of trouble! Are you planning on giving this hat an airing? If you avoid being pelted with rotten tomatoes, I suppose that you might raise a smile!
NJS

I can see several occasions when it could have been used, and not have looked out of place! I've not been pelted yet; and if people are going to be annoyed enough to throw rotten fruit at a chap in white tie, they are going to do so regardless of the topper!

Good idea about Patey.

Just joking about the pelting! It may well be that significantly changing the head band of the hat would interfere with the springs and that is the reason that it may not be possible to change the shape. However, Patey still make hats and they will certainly know.
NJS

YoungLawyer, here is what Lock's own site says:

I have inherited a silk top hat but it is too small - can you make it bigger?
Sadly the answer to this question is no. However we can redistribute the shape and so if there is a gap on the sides of the head we could take a head shape and reconform the hat to that shape. We get asked this question on a regular basis because when these hats were made men were generally of a smaller stature and had smaller head sizes. At the present time we buy in second hand silk top hats but they have to be at least a size 7 ¼ for us to be interested and in excellent condition. Perhaps you should start looking in the attic!

This is the page: http://www.lockhatters.co.uk/faq.aspx

So...?

Dear Costi,

That query relates to a conventional silk hat. I spoke to a chap from Patey hats, and he tells me that he is able to reshape them. I haven't yet had time to go for an appointment.

You are right, of course. Good news that Patey can do it. I'd be grateful if you shared the results, I also have a silk claque in excellent condition that fits me reasonably well, but there is enough room (literally, too) for improvement. Good luck!