How To Give the Perfect Panama Hat

A custom-made, hand-blocked, custom-sized Montecristi Panama hat is an extraordinary gift.

It is a customized, personalized, unique work of art in a mass-market world.

You will be remembered often for years to come.

Let’s make sure we get it right.

Brent

My sister gives me sheets that must be woven by angels or elves. They are so soft, so smooth, so expensive, so pleasurable to snuggle into for another five minutes of morning sleep that I think of her lovingly every time I do it.

Wearing one of my hats can be a similarly ecstatic experience. It begins with a triumphant reflection in the mirror. The hat becomes a frequent companion, soon a familiar friend, over the years a rare treasure.

I will work with you to make sure the gift and the experience are everything you hope.

1. Choose one of our new Gift Hat Packages, a beautiful gift that you can give as a surprise and still give just the perfect hat.

2. Order a Gift Certificate in the amount you wish to give/spend, remember to add shipping costs. You do not need to know his/her size or style preference when you order a Gift Certificate.

You can place your order online, by phone, by fax, by mail, even by  email .

3. If you know what s/he wants, you can order that specific style at the price/quality of your choice. If you know the size, select it in the drop-down menu. If you do not know the size, select Don’t Know. The style selection will be entered on the Gift Certificate.

4. If you want an actual hat, not a Gift Certificate, then give up the idea of it being a total surprise, unless you are a brilliant con artist. To custom block and finish a hat I must have the size confirmed by the wearer-to-be trying on size test bands and choosing the perfect fit.

At least 75% of my first-time clients choose a size test band that is a different size than the one given when the order was placed. Simple self defense. It is difficult enough to keep up with the orders now, if I have to block a second hat for 75% of my orders I’m pretty sure I’ll just hang myself instead.

With a confirmed size to the nearest one-eighth inch, I can custom block and finish a hat.

First, we need a head size.

Either put a tape measure around his/her head as shown here or maybe you can find a size tag in a hat he already has. S, M, L is not enough information. You need an actual hat size, and it makes a difference if the hat was made in the US or the British Commonwealth (they use the same numbers to mean different head measurements).

Once I have a size, I can send (Priority Mail is the default) you 5 size test bands. The person who will wear the hat needs to try on the bands and choose the best fit (be sure to read the enclosed suggestions).

Now I can make the hat. Choose a style, and give me some idea of the physical size of the person so I can make the hat with a crown height and brim width that will suit the wearer.

The hat will still be a surprise. Even if the recipient knows s/he is getting a hat because of trying on the size test bands, and even if s/he chooses the style—the hat itself can only be imagined, not known. The box will still be opened wide-eyed and eagerly. What exactly will it look like? How fine will the weave be, what hue the straw? Even with the hat in hand, it is still an unknown until it is properly placed on one’s head and seen in a mirror. A great deal of fussing with the brim is almost obligatory.

I want to get it right as much as you do.

You want to give a gift that will light up a face, a gift that will become even more appreciated over the months and years ahead.

I will work with you to make sure the gift and the experience are everything you hope. Let’s get started.