In The News

"[Karyn Gingras] shows me her collection of vintage hat blocks, or molds, which are used, with the help of steam and sometimes heat, to form the capeline into a certain shape. And then how that is finished, with hat band and wire and eventually embellishment, to become the hats that are sold around the store. We talk about how long it takes to make a hat (as fast as one day in a pinch), how the royal wedding this year created more interest in hats, which led to talk about fascinators, and then about hats as a form of individuality."

 

"'Clothing has become very mass produced, hats are a way of expressing yourself,' Karyn said. 'You don't replace a winter coat every year, but you do get new accessories.'"

 

"She stepped away to help a customer, and I wandered over to a display of fascinators, and tried on a modest one with a spray of black feathers and sequins. I turned my head this way and that. This would be very handy for me when travelling, I thought, building a mental case for dropping $70 Canadian on it, since I don't  pack dressy clothes and often need to dress up a basic outfit with a scarf or whatnot...."

 

"Karyn returns and begins to select hats for me to try on. And then, as they're sitting a little awkwardly on my head, she stops and says, let's just settle this and get your head measured. She wraps my head tape measure. 'Okay,' she says, 'the average head is 22 1/2 inches and yours is 22 3/4s. That's not much!'"

 

"She had the hat band stretched on a couple of hats that seemed promising and eventually I walked out with a hat box, and my very own 1920s cloche: gray, and embellished with felt in other shades of gray. Which fit my giant head, and I daresay my personality, just right."

 

"If you're visiting Toronto, you can call ahead to reserve an hour with Karyn, who will go over the basics of millinery and hat style with you and help you pick out a hat. And tell you how your head size relates to average."