SuperDuper Hats in the New York Times (and at Hartford York, of course)

Did you see the New York Times piece on SuperDuper Hats? Since I am the first American retailer to sell the hats by Matteo Gioli and Veronica Cornacchini, I was interested to see how the couple who founded the brand are doing.

In the article, called “At Pitti Uomo in Florence, Put a Hat on It,” it confirms that their hats are “now are sold at Saks Fifth Avenue, Selfridges and 200 other stores worldwide.”

SuperDuper Black Fedora at HartfordYork.com

SuperDuper Black Fedora at HartfordYork.com

I came across SuperDuper at a trade show in Vegas two years ago. It was an incredible performance piece with swarthy Italian models dressed in period apparel with hats that he made for them. Lots of people milling around. A small selection of product really caught my eye, and I knew in an instant that he’d be a hit.

In fact, we sold out two of his creations last Spring, SD1 and SD2, and are in the process of re-ordering. Customers love these hats, leaving reviews that read:

  • I’m very excited about my purchase. I love it. It’s a cool hat. Thanks.
  • The black SuperDuper fedora is simply the best hat, the most comfortable hat, the most complimented hat and the finest quality hat that I own. Thank you for the opportunity to own a masterpiece!

And wait til you see the SuperDuper hats for the Spring/Summer 2015 season! There’s The Duke, a rare find, crafted from decades-old woven parabuntal fiber that lay moribund in a dusty Italian warehouse until rescued by a bright young Pitti Uomo award winner designer, Matteo Gioli, and crafted into one of the lightest, and finest, fedoras I’ve even seen. You won’t be disappointed.

Published in: on January 21, 2015 at 3:12 pm  Leave a Comment  

National Hat Day Celebrations

Borsalino Fur Felt Fedora - The Como at HartfordYork.comAny extra special plans for today? It’s National Hat Day today and we’re in celebration mode with our Fall/Winter Clearance Sale. If you’re on the HY email list, you’ll know that we just made the annual event even better by taking an additional 10% off the sale prices (which are already reduced by up to 65%).

What better way to celebrate this special day than with the long overdue acquisition of a hat you’ve been eyeing, like that fur felt fedora The Como from Borsalino — now offered at the best price you’ll ever see?

Don’t forget to load up on shirts, pants and sweaters from designers including Robert Graham, Nat Nast and Tommy Bahama — after all, you’ll need some good-looking duds to go with all those new hats.

Take time to browse — we’ve put up quite a selection, but remember that inventory is limited so for best selection, put your order in today. Once a size, color or style is sold out, no amount of crying will help. I’ll feel for you, of course, and deeply, but it’ll still sting and you’ll have to be strong.

Happy National Hat Day!

Thanks for reading,
Steve Singer
CEO Hartford York

Published in: on January 15, 2013 at 3:19 pm  Leave a Comment  
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How Many Hats Do You Own?

Biltmore Fur Felt Stingy Brim Hat - The Peluche Pork Pie at HartfordYork.comAlthough there are certain men among us who admit to not owning even one hat (!), those fashionable gents who do wear flat caps, fedoras and pork pies tend to own at least a few hats, if not several. I suppose I have about ten favorite hats and caps — per season — that I wear, plus some that have seen better days (but I still use in a pinch).

Because I sell hats for a living, which entails meeting and working with hat designers, going on photo shoots and so on, I’m obviously in the enviable position of having access to all styles of hats in numbers that wouldn’t otherwise be possible.

On the other hand, it can be very trying for a hat lover such as myself to constantly beMakins Fur Felt  Hat - The Salome Pork Pie at HartfordYork.com presented with the latest newsboy or fedora from master hatters like Borsalino and Wigens, and be introduced to new designers like Eugenia Kim and Victor Osborne. I continually see updated looks or some unique design that puts a new hat in my ever-growing list of favorites.

For instance, when Biltmore came out with The Peluche, a remarkably beautiful pork pie hat with its long, uncombed nap, it made the unequivocal declaration of my new favorite fur felt pork pie (Makins’ Salome — the brushed dress hat with rope trim) feel dishonest. There was in fact an absolute tie between the two impeccably designed and flawlessly made hats that left no room for preference.

Loving all well-made, stylish hats equally, the only solution to hat-hoarding must be either an intervention (ha!) or a larger cupboard/temperature-controlled display case. I’ll leave you to decide which path you think I’ll take.

Thanks for reading,
Steve Singer
CEO Hartford York

Thoughtful Fashion for Men in 2013

9_LAI_STRIPE_027In Bill Cunningham’s first On the Street segment for 2013, the fashion photographer says the trend in men’s fashion is moving from dress-down Friday disheveled to thoughtfully and wonderfully dressed.

The difference is as striking, he adds, as when fitted jackets and trousers appeared in the 1950s replacing the very full silhouette seen in the decade prior.

Mr. Cunningham’s slideshow, a weekly feature in the The New York Times, is not specific to men’s hats, but in viewing the images, you’ll see everyday well-dressed men (in a cold Manhattan) wearing everything from an enormous Russian fur ushanka to a great-looking fedora, as well as a variety of flat caps, newsboys and watch caps.

He concludes that the overall direction that men’s fashion is taking is “to clean up your act. The dress-down Friday is not going to work.”

Happy New Year!

Thanks for reading,
Steve Singer
CEO Hartford York

Published in: on January 8, 2013 at 4:04 pm  Leave a Comment  
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A Look at The Foldaway

Christys' London Fur Felt Fedora - The Foldaway at HartfordYork.com - ImageThis fur felt fedora by Christys’ London has been quietly racking up five-star reviews, and being one of my all-time favorite hats, I thought I’d share in the celebration:

  • David from Little Rock calls The Foldaway a great hat, saying: I love the hat. This purchase was a replacement for my old and well worn one that was ready for retirement.
  • DRS says it’s “as good as the first time.” Meaning? “My purchase from HY of the Christy’s Foldaway trilby is my second such purchase, having lost the first in a NYC cab. Still the best.”
  • Martin G. of New York concurs, calling the fedora “A very fine hat. I like the fact that it can be shaped and it is not rigid. Sizing is accurate. This is my first day wearing it and confidence is high.”
  • In California, Christopher C. posted this review: “I bought this hoping it would look as good on me as it did in the picture. I was pleased. Since it is a foldaway, it is thinner and more casual looking than a standard fur felt hat. It is still quite striking.”
  • Dale C. says: “I like to take a hat when I travel, but they always end up getting crushed in the aircraft overhead bin. This one rolls up nicely and fits in my carry on or blazer pocket. It sometimes requires a bit of manipulation to get it back to the desired shape, but this is a very small issue for the convenience of a fine fur felt fedora roll-up.”
  • His “favorite hat by far”, R.B. from South Carolina posts: “I now have two fur felt fedoras for winter wear. This is far and away the better of the two! It only comes in Burma so I wear it with greens and browns. If they had the same hat in Grey to wear with blues and blacks, I’d get it and give my other fur felt away.”
  • Gary M. finds The Foldaway versatile, saying: “I’ve had this had for at least three years. You really can crush it, or roll it up, Then “re-inflate” it, reshape it, and it’s ready to go. It can assume a variety of shapes. Its only drawback is that it is limited in how dressy it can look. After few years the re-shaping makes it look a bit shabby, but it still works great as a less formal hat. I’m still wearing it that way.”

Thanks, as always, for making HartfordYork.com your go-to online hat store and for taking the time to provide feedback. Very much appreciated.

Steve Singer
CEO Hartford York

Published in: on January 4, 2013 at 6:15 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Fascinators for Every Occasion

Scala Sinamay Feather Spray Headband Fascinator at HartfordYork.comGracey at Fashion for Giants wore the Scala Sinamay Feather Spray Fascinator recently (along with her mega-watt smile) and said it was very comfortable. The headband stayed in place nicely, even with all the dancing that naturally goes along with any birthday celebration–which is apparently a three-day event for tall people, and this lady is 6 feet, according to her blog.

Although you might associate fascinators with very dressy occasions, Gracey said she wore hers to a dinner and pole-dancing exhibition. You can see her outfit on her blog, which was comprised of jeans and a blazer. She looks great and the fascinator just adds fun and style to the overall look.

In other words, you don’t have to put your fascinators away after New Year’s, ladies. Think of them as you do any other fashion accessory; something that livens up an outfit — formal or casual.

Word of advice: store all fascinators (especially those with feathers) far from the reach of any cat. Felines tend to be fascinated by fascinators–but not in a good way.

Thanks for reading,
(and belated birthday wishes, Gracey)
Steve Singer
CEO Hartford York

P.S. Don’t forget that the Hartford York 2012 Fall/Winter sale is going on right now and you can save as much as 65% on your favorite brands and styles. Happy New Year!

Published in: on December 31, 2012 at 4:53 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Men in Ball Caps

Wigens Cashmere Ball Cap at HartfordYork.com - ImageThere have been ongoing debates (and some full on battles) in the world of hats regarding baseball caps for quite some time — are they “serious” enough to be considered real hats? Should grown-ups even wear ball caps (other than to games)? Can they ever be actual fashion statements or forever relegated to teens and musicians who too frequently wear them sideways and backwards?

I don’t know how I missed a post called A Grown Up Baseball Hat at the blog By George, I Found It!, but it cites the JB Stetson caps at Hartford York as those that can help make the transition from being just a kid in a cap to a sophisticated man with style.

It’s certainly true that ball caps are no longer simply the “cloth baseball hat of either [a man’s] undergraduate alma mater or his son’s little league team.” If you look at the ball caps we offer, you’ll note we carry exclusive items (see the Victor Osborne Ball Cap No. V05) as well as caps from famous designer brand names like Borsalino — in addition to John B. Stetson, 1333 Minna, Goorin and Eugenia Kim.

Every material you can think of is offered in ball caps, from leather to cashmere, cotton and woolen tweed and you can even get winter cap with hidden earflaps (that’s the Wigens cap shown here).

I guess the debate can now be deemed officially over. Fashionable ball caps are no longer the exception, and if you choose to wear yours back to front, I might shudder gently, but I won’t say a thing.

Thanks for reading,
Steve Singer
CEO Hartford York

Published in: on December 27, 2012 at 10:13 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Winner of Stetson Cap + Video on How Those Caps are Made

I’ve been so busy admiring the new hats and apparel in the 2012 Fall/Winter catalog, that I nearly forgot to congratulate the winner of twitter competition at Competwition! Chaunyce D. of Chicago is the lucky winner of a fabulous JB Stetson Newsboy Cap, The Wool/Silk/Cashmere Hatteras.

Speaking of JB Stetson, if you haven’t seen how they make those woolen caps at their site in Germany, it’s pretty interesting and there’s a short video, The Making of a JB Stetson Cap, on the process. Templates are used to cut out the cap shapes (by hand), which are then individually sewn. One of the final steps in the process is the shaping of the cap–again, individually and by hand–on wooden blocks, using steam.

I admit to being somewhat fascinated by that one lady’s fingernails…but that’s off-topic and I have to get back to filling orders and dreaming up more Exclusive Hats to Hartford York — have you seen the leather hats from Victor Osborne of New York? They’re stunning. Take a look.

Thanks for reading,
Steve Singer
CEO Hartford York

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Published in: on September 20, 2012 at 2:10 pm  Leave a Comment  

Win a $150 JB Stetson newsboy cap

The JB Stetson Silk/Cashmere Hatteras at HartfordYork.comIf you’ve got a twitter account, you can enter to win The JB Stetson Silk/Cashmere Hatteras, a men’s cap with a retail value of $150.

This beautiful herringbone newsboy is made from a blend of 50% summer weight wool, 30% silk and 20% cashmere. It features impeccable stitching, cotton lining with Stetson embroidered logo and the Stetson icon pinned to the back.

Two five-star reviews have been posted on the Hartford York STC1 product page, as follows:

Very elegant, yet casual, smooth and appealing… a must have!

and

Excellent material. Great fit. Exactly what I have been seeking for a casual everyday hat.

I’ve been over the various prizes at the competition site called Competwition.com, and I must say that this $150 newsboy cap is really one of the very nicest prizes. Good luck to everyone who enters and thanks for playing!

If you don’t have a twitter account, I’d advise you to get one — then you can enter this contest AND follow me at @hartfordyork.

To enter, go to: http://competwition.com/httpwwwhartfordyorkcomproduct3494utm_sourcecompetwition

Thanks for reading,
Steve Singer
CEO Hartford York

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Published in: on August 8, 2012 at 8:18 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Father’s Day Gift Ideas

Christys' London Crocheted Raffia Fedora at HartfordYork.comThere’s still time with express shipping to get a great gift for dad from Hartford York this Father’s Day. I’ve been asked for my top Father’s Day gift ideas, and hope you find something you think he’ll love from these items that pull double duty — being useful and stylish:

Sun Readers

Sunglasses that serve as reading glasses let dad look great when he’s kicking back on the beach. A pair of sun readers also keep him from having to juggle a couple pairs of glasses (except those he’s drinking from, of course…)

Hot Hats and Caps

A cool cap or summer hat will protect dad from too much of a good thing, and below you’ll find a few colorful examples of what’s hot for him in hats this Father’s Day:

  • The Fantasy Band by Borsalino. It may seem a small thing, but the dark edging on the light ribbon trim on this Panama fedora really changes its overall appearance, and is a complete departure from the perceived “norm” of a bleached white straw with black ribbon.
  • The Superstitious by Carlos Santana is satin-lined ivy cap that is brilliant in color, and it’s proving already to be extremely popular. We’re generally seeing more plaids and contrast panels in caps, even in the tans and grays, greatly increasing choice.
  • The Patchwork Ravi is a cotton hat by Robert Graham. Usually everyone immediately goes to “bucket hat” when picturing a cotton hat, but this stingy brim plaid trilby is both boldly stylish and eminently wearable.

Hope your Father’s Day is a real celebration!

Thanks for reading,
Steve Singer
CEO Hartford York

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Published in: on June 11, 2012 at 2:10 pm  Leave a Comment  
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