Michael Patrick Hoyle makes hats that are built to stay put in a Seattle windstorm.
Why it matters: In a rainy, gusty city where many locals refuse to carry umbrellas, a well-fitted hat isn’t just fashion; it’s function.
State of play: After eight years in Belltown, Hoyle Hat Company is relocating to Pioneer Square as one of the first tenants in the restored Grand Central Building, which has been closed since 2020.
- Hoyle tells Axios he plans to expand by creating what he calls Seattle’s first true storefront “hat bar,” where customers can customize ready-to-wear hats or commission bespoke pieces.
- He also plans to host classes and private events in the new space, teaching customers how to block and shape hats themselves.
The big picture: Hoyle is among a handful of local artisans — including Wayne Wichern of the Ballard Millenary Studio, who creates Kentucky Derby-style concoctions, and Scott Flesher of RDS Hats, who specializes in top hats — keeping the craft alive.
- He says interest in hats grows every year and the city is due for a revival.
- “Hats were really popular in the 1920s and ’30s,” Hoyle says. “We’re here again.”
What they’re saying: “For the hat wearer, fit is mission-critical,” says Eric John Makus, a fourth-generation Seattleite who used to get his hats made at what he called the “legendary” downtown shop Byrnie Utz.
- Even slight weight changes, humidity or hydration can alter how a hat sits, he tells Axios. Utz used to fine-tune hats on site — something he’s found that online retailers can’t replicate.
Plus, Seattle’s wind tunnels are particularly unforgiving. Makus once watched a poorly fitted hat fly halfway down University Street “like something out of ‘The Wizard of Oz.'”…