ABOUT HILLS HATS
Our Craft
We are Wellington Hat Makers,
hatters since 1875. New Zealand made.
Every hat holds a thought. Which got us thinking. Thinking of those who designed and crafted the art of hat making, who traveled the world sourcing the finest raw materials and selling their beautifully made hats to those near and far. Every day we nod to our past and pay respect to those that have helped create the legacy that is Hills Hats.
Our Process
Our materials
Every Hills Hats piece begins not with a pattern or a shape, but with a cloth.
We spend considerable time sourcing the right materials before a single hat is designed around them, travelling to mills, handling countless samples, and turning away far more than we accept. The materials we work with are chosen for how they feel in the hand, how they hold a block, and how they age with wear. A good felt should have a density and warmth you notice immediately, and a tweed should have character woven into it before the hatmaker ever picks up a needle. It's an unhurried process, and deliberately so.