Hat Care
Hat Care Tips
Hats need to be cared for so they last forever! If you don’t already have one, it is important to invest in a sturdy hat box to keep your hat from dust and other elements when not in use. Lay your hat with the crown facing down and the brim up so that it doesn’t loose it’s shape. For prolonged storage (winter hats over summer for example) stuff your crown with acid free tissue before placing it in the box to help it hold its shape. During times of use, try keeping your hat on a Styrofoam or hat head to help keep its shape (a covered coffee can or bag of oatmeal will do as substitute).
Try to avoid picking your hat up by its crown, due to it’s delicate nature it could crease . Never leave your hat in a car, as the heat and humidity over time can cause hats to loose their size and shrink or distort. Also prolonged exposure to sunlight may fade out the colors of hats in all types of materials. Here are some nifty hat care tips to help you get the most wear out of your favorite piece:
Felt and Straw Hats:
-Once a year, give your hat a nice brushing with a natural hard bristled brush. Make sure to follow the direction of the nap. This dusts away any lint, dirt and gives your hat a fresh revamped look!
-Notice a dent in your hat? You can try steaming it and working the dent or crease with your hands. You would be surprised at the condition of some of the pieces I get and revamp, even the most perfect condition felt hat could be stomped on and seemingly ruined.. but with a little TLC you might be able to work some magic!
-Professional hat cleaning services are available online. Be careful when cleaning a hat, as each material requires different needs… but most stains in a felt hat can be removed with grandma’s secret spot remover or other similar products (a tiny drop of baby shampoo in a cup of warm water as an alternative may work).
-Never be tempted to blow dry a wet hat, this forced air can be very damaging and can cause shrinking.
Feathered Accents and Hair Accessories:
- I use all real feathers in my pieces. Feathers can seem shuffled or might get a bit frazzled over time… but don’t worry! They can be easily steamed into new condition in no time! This trick works great with old vintage whimsy’s or hats with small feathered attachments which look dusty and lifeless. Here’s how:
***Please be careful, as steam is very hot and can scold you quite easily***
Simply boil a small pot of water on the stove and hold your piece into the steam above the pot. Brush out the feathers very gently with your fingers. The natural oils in your skin will help smooth out the feathers, and give them a entirely new and fabulous life again! Even the most damaged peacock eye can be re-worked into a beautiful new feather again! This is a great trick especially if you already have a hat collection, vintage pieces tend to get forgotten about and the feathers seem so lifeless.
Tips on How to Wear
A fascinator should be played with in the hair. There is really no right or wrong way to wear them, and I like to try as many ways as possible (feathers pointing towards the front or to the back, in an updo, to the side of your bangs pointed downwards) making the piece versatile. A lot of them look great as a hat pin, or a brooch for your shaw! I like to wear some of the larger feathered pieces up above the collar to my right. The feathers seem to dance over my shoulder. Clip them to your scarf, or even a bag! Just have fun using these feathered pieces!
Questions? Please contact info@lovecharlie.ca
xo Love Charlie