HAT CARE

FELT HATS

How to care for your Lock & Co. felt hat

• Steam from a household kettle and a hard bristle hat brush will help remove dust and dirt. Brush the hat using short strokes, following the natural direction of the fibre.
  
• For stubborn marks, lighter fuel or dry cleaning fluid can be used. Ensure these liquids are used in a well-ventilated room and always test a patch first – we recommend the inside of the headband.
  
• Wet hats should be dried using a clean, absorbant cloth or sponge. Do not place a felt hat on a radiator as the heat will shrink the fibres and cause your hat to decrease in size.
  
• Felt hats are best stored in a hat box, away from direct sunlight.
  

Rolling Instructions

Rollable Lock & Co. felt hats include the Nomad, Rambler and Voyager trilbies. These hats are designed to be rolled and stored in tubes for easy travelling.

• Using clean hands, turn the brim down.
  
• Push out the crown of the hat to form a dome shape.
  
• Softly roll the hat along the crease, from convex to concave.
  
• Store the rolled hat, cone down, in either a canvas or cardboard tube.
  
• On arrival at your destination, always unfold and reshape your hat to restore its shape.
  

TOP HATS

How to care for your Lock & Co. top hat

• Using a soft bristle hat brush, gently stroke the hat in short movements. This will remove any dust caught on the fur or silk fibres. For Lock & Co.’s Ascot top hat, carefully buff the surface with a piece of crushed white tissue paper.
  
• Top hats should be restored after every use. Lock & Co. offers a range of top hat restoration services, as listed below in 'Our Hat Grooming Services' section. Please contact us to discuss with one of our hatters.
• Always store top hats in a hat box, away from direct sunlight. Lock & Co. offers sleek leather hat buckets and hat boxes that will ensure your hats are stored in style.

Polishing Instructions

• Lock & Co.’s Westminster, Westminster High Crown, Mayfair, and Silk top hats have a directional nap - the short fibres extend above the surface of the fabric - which is designed to be polished.
  
• Using a soft bristle hat brush, smooth the nap lightly in an anticlockwise direction. Follow by spraying a fine mist of fresh water over the top hat and then use a damp velvet polishing pad to bring up the hat’s lustre.
  

TWEED CAPS & HATS

How to care for your Lock & Co. tweed cap or hat

• Steam from a household kettle and a hard bristle hat brush will help banish any dust and dirt from tweed. Brush the hat using short strokes.
  
• For stubborn marks, lighter fuel or dry cleaning fluid can be used. Ensure these liquids are used in a well-ventilated room and always test a patch first - we recommend the inside of the cap or hat.
  
• Dry a tweed cap or hat by shaking off the water and leave it at room temperature. Never dry a tweed cap or hat on a radiator, as the heat will shrink the fibres and cause your cap or hat to decrease in size.
  
• Should your tweed cap or hat shrink in size, a hat jack can be used to stretch it back to its original shape.
  
• Tweed-brimmed hats can have their brims straightened by ironing on a low setting, over a damp cloth.

Rolling Instructions

Lock & Co. tweed caps are designed to be rolled and stored in tubes for easy travelling.

• Place the cap on a flat surface and tuck the peak under the cap band, rolling the cap in half.
  
• Store the rolled cap inside either a canvas or cardboard tube, or within your luggage.
  
• Softly roll the hat along the crease, from convex to concave.
  
• On arrival at your destination, always unroll and reshape your cap to restore its natural shape.
  

LEATHER HATS

How to care for your Lock & Co. Fur or leather hat

• Fur and leather hats should never be steamed. Instead, a soft bristle hat brush should be used to remove any dirt or dust.
  
• When brushing fur, always follow the natural direction of the hair.
  
• Wet fur hats should be lightly shaken to remove excess water and then dried at room temperature. Wet leather hats should be dried using a clean, absorbent cloth or sponge. Do not place a fur or leather hat on a radiator, as the heat will shrink the leather or fur and cause your hat to decrease in size.
  
• Should your hat shrink in size, a hat jack can be used to stretch it back to its original shape.
  
• Fur and leather hats are best stored in a hat box, away from direct sunlight.

PANAMAS & STRAW HATS

How to care for your Lock & Co. Panama or straw hat

• Always handle your Panama or straw hat by the brim to avoid distorting the crown.
  
• Steam from a household kettle and a soft bristle hat brush or clean pencil rubber will help remove dust and dirt. Alternatively, use a soft nailbrush and a little soapy water.
  
• Avoid wearing a Panama or straw hat in the rain. If it gets wet, dry using a clean, absorbent cloth or sponge.
  
• Should your hat shrink in size, a hat jack can be used to stretch it back to its original shape.
  
• Panamas and straw hats are best stored in a hat box, away from direct sunlight.
  

Rolling Instructions

Lock & Co. carries rollable styles of straw hats: our Rollable Panama, our Rollable Superfino Montecristi Panama, and our St Ives Rollable Panama. These hats are designed to be rolled and stored in tubes for easy travelling.

• Using clean hands, turn the brim down.
  
• Push out the crown of the hat to form a dome shape.
  
• Softly roll the hat along the crease, from convex to concave.
  
• Store the rolled hat cone down in either a canvas or cardboard tube.
  
• On arrival at your destination, always unfold and reshape your hat to restore its shape.

USING A HAT JACK

How to use a hat jack to maintain hat size

• Turn the handle to shorten or lengthen the jack to the approximate size of your hat
  
• Rest your hat, crown down, on a flat surface and place the hat jack, writing side up, inside the hat, so that the centre of the jack is aligned with the centre and back of your hat
  
• Turn the handle of the jack until it is a snug fit
  
• Store the hat, resting it crown down, ideally in a hat box
  

How to increase a hat's size

• First, follow the instructions above on how to use a hat jack.
  
• Then, fill a household kettle and boil until a steady jet of steam appears.
  
• Holding the jack handle, position the hat over the steam. Ensure the steam only touches the outside band area of the hat.
  
• Twist the jack’s handle once more and apply more steam.
  
• Turn the kettle off and leave the hat with the jack inside to cool.
  
• Repeat steps 2 - 4 if the hat needs further adjusting and continue until the hat reaches the desired size.
• Having stretched the hat to the desired hat size, leave the hat jack in the hat for a minimum of 24 hours or until the hat feels comfortable on your head.