Where can I buy this hat?

January 7, 2016 7:33 AM

A friend recently left her beloved new hat (this one) at a restaurant. When she went back to look for it, a server said that someone had already taken it, claiming it was theirs. I'd love to find her a replacement.

She'd bought the hat somewhere in England (but I don't know where) during a trip this past autumn. My husband thinks he remembers her mentioning that it was "pretty expensive".

I'd love to surprise her with a replacement, especially if I can do so without asking her for further details, since I don't want her to know what I'm up to.

Does anyone have any idea where I could buy this hat, or something very similar? I don't really even know what terms to search for. I didn't have much luck with things like "floppy hat plaid lining big buttons"...

I'm in France, but I've got friends elsewhere (UK, US, etc.) who could help with purchasing and shipping if necessary.

Thanks for any suggestions!

posted by Asterism to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (9 answers total)

It looks like a cloche with plaid lining. I found something similar(ish): https://www.etsy.com/listing/259043815/cloche-style-chemo-hat-women-brown
posted by heathrowga at 7:48 AM on January 7, 2016

Best answer: I think that is a waxed cotton hat. The lining may be wool. That might give you a start.
posted by djinn dandy at 8:11 AM on January 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

It looks like those Barbour waxed rain hats with plaid linings...a la these.
Unfortunately Google US refuses to show me the UK site - you know, England, home to Barbour for 120 years - but here's a start http://www.barbour.com/
posted by henry scobie at 8:11 AM on January 7, 2016

That is very cute and quirky and very much not Barbour, who are the epitome of English old money stuffiness.

Do you know where in England your friend was?

That hat looks to me a lot like the hat version of a jacket a friend of mine bought last year at Spitalfields Market in London. The jacket was like £90 so I can imagine a similar hat would have been pricey too.

(The good news is I'm in London and can check Spitalfields at the weekend if that's helpful - memail me)

Also, if you're googling UK websites you might have more luck with 'check' or 'checked' to describe the pattern instead of 'plaid'. Good luck!
posted by citands at 8:33 AM on January 7, 2016

Best answer: I (Southern UK) would have described the inside as "tartan", so you might try that as a search term as well. You could try adding the term "asymmetrical" as well, as that's a reasonably unusual characteristic of the hat, I'd say.
posted by greenish at 8:43 AM on January 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: "Wax hat" and "asymmetrical" were the magic search terms! Thank you all!
After looking through the Barbour site, I tried Googling "ladies wax hat asymmetrical", and voila! Meet the "Heather", which is one-size-fits-all and available for shipping anywhere in the world.
AskMeFi is amazing!
posted by Asterism at 8:50 AM on January 7, 2016 [18 favorites]

I was just posting that very link! Olney heather brown waxed.
posted by cabingirl at 8:53 AM on January 7, 2016

Yay! Not only glad to have helped, but now purchasing that exact hat for a friend. Tis a bonnie thing to be sure.
posted by greenish at 9:03 AM on January 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

Send it with a copy of Portly's Hat.
posted by flabdablet at 7:38 PM on January 7, 2016 [1 favorite]