Those who know me know that I have thing for brimmed hats. This started years ago when I was refereeing cycling, and was often standing out in the sun for hours. My 'go to' back then was a Stetson Panama (no idea what model). Over the years, I had a number of Panama style hats, but they were work hats - never fitting just right, and never something that I would consider wearing 'downtown' unless it was with the ref blazer.
When I started coaching kayak racing, I again needed a brimmed hat - yep, time for another Panama. Unable to find a Stetson that wasn't a "cowboy hat", I started looking at online providers of 'real' Panama hats. (Did you know most of them come from Ecuador? I do now...)
Five or six years ago, that led me down a rabbit hole to look for a felt hat - not a cowboy hat, per se, but something with a fairly flat brim and some character. On a road trip and on a whim, I stopped at a place called Hatwerks in Nashville. It's definitely one of the larger providers of hats for people who are in the music business, and can't really afford the services of a custom hatter (and they do make some of their own). I wound up with a real authentic Akubra, an Aussie brand, and definitely a favorite of Australians. It's a great hat, and I don't hesitate to wear it when the occasion calls.
Fast forward to last summer, and I've two or three hats, including an Indiana Jones replica that was closer on hitting my head shape (x-long oval), and would be especially well suited for cosplay. It's become my "I don't care if it gets crushed" hat to wear to the shop, lumberyard or what have you.
About the time the pandemic started up, I started thinking about a bespoke hat that fit my head, could be worn 3-seasons, and had a certain amount of style - without being a freakin' cowboy hat. (Haven't earned that - I don't ride, rope, or own a pickup.) At the end of the day, my choices came down to one of about 3 hatmakers around the country. And to be honest, I'd have been proud to wear any of them. But serendipity conspired to have me pass through Santa Fe the end of June last year, and I paid a visit to the O'Farrell Hat Company. Scott O'Farrell showed me around, took time to understand what I thought I wanted, asked a bunch of questions, and put a bunch of hats on my head. As time went on, his comments were more like "something like this, but with the brim down a little in front" or "needs to be a little taller" and helpful thoughts about the color, finish, hatband and so on. And finally used the conformateur - which looks like a medieval torture device that sits on your head, but actually replicates your head shape onto an index card that will later be used to shape your hat.
And after all that, I handed him a small ransom, and with the expectation that my hat would show up sometime this spring, headed on to Minnesota.
Last week, I got a call from O'Farrell saying my hat was ready to ship. Six weeks shy of a year, but I wasn't expecting otherwise. UPS dropped it off yesterday, and I hustled back inside to nervously open the box. Would it fit? Was the color what I remembered? Would it be 'right'? After washing my hands, toweling off my shiny head and very gently cutting the tape on the box, I pulled the lid back - and then pulled the hat box out of the shipping box. Another moment's anxiousness, and I opened the hat box revealing my bespoke headgear in all its upside down glory. Carefully extracted from the packaging, I pulled it out, admired it, and with both hands put it on my head. Fits like it was made just for me...
Buying a hat of this quality was never something I imagined doing, but I am happy I did. This hat and I will have to get used to each other. Scott O'Farrell noted on the Panama I wore into his shop that I "wore it well" - which considering how much I'd worn it better have been the case. Now I get to start the process of doing the same with this piece of very wearable art.
If you are interested in learning more about O'Farrell, their website is https://ofarrellhatco.com/, and they are located just off the square in old Santa Fe.
