Fashion, if we are brutally honest, is a funny old business – one moment an item is ‘in’ the next it’s ‘out’ (even the phrases themselves seem peculiar when you stop to think about it.) There is this ceaseless battle of keeping up with the latest brands, the sharpest cuts, the who’s, the how’s and the why’s. It can all be so exuberant at times.
Thankfully, and to paraphrase the legendary French designer Yves Saint Laurent, unlike fashion, style is eternal. Great style is a grand composition fusing the classic with the contemporary, somehow eschewing the crazed maelstrom of fashion to retain a sense of class and decorum. Which is exactly what the hat designers over at Tom Smarte’s manage to achieve.
Tom Smarte’s Heritage
Taking their name from Devonshire born hat maker Thomas Smarte, who was making hats in as far back as the 1770’s, these London based hat makers are proud to say they still use the same tools and methods dating back to 18th Century. This is very much a brand that places good old honest traditional hat making at its core but at the same juncture updates said hats to ensure they are befitting of the modern gent.
The beauty of the Tom Smarte brand is that while a genteel doth of thy cap is tipped towards traditional values and retaining their British heritage, they are unafraid to move with the times, offering hats that no matter the shape of ones head, will suit every man. In fact in this is where their beauty lies.
We here at MSF often hear men saying hats simply don’t’ suit them but the gents over at Tom Smarte can prove this is simply not the case. Offering a wide range of styles – from Trilby’s to Fedoras and flat caps – in an array of colours, the fact all of their hats are painstakingly crafted by hand and with each individual customer in mind, helps to ensure there is a shape and style for all us men.
We live in an age where the beanie hat has become the go-to piece of headwear for young men but that needn’t always be the case. In this modern world where we want everything here and now and our fashion choices are endless, it is refreshing to know brands such as Tom Smarte are ensuring the skills of great craftsmanship and traditional styles are not being lost.
With the renaissance of workwear as a fashion trend and with more men stepping foot outside of their comfortable clothing norms now is as good a time as any to invest in a hat that will last you a lifetime. The hat is the companion of respectable gents, rock ‘n’ rollers and workwear hipsters so there is really no excuse for not owning one. And of course, the hat is the Smarte choice.
Fedora – Wool Felt – Grey
Drivers Cap – Tweed Wool Brown
Newsboy Cap – Tweed Wool
Trilby Hat Herringbone Brown
