Skip to main content
For a city not known for glaring sunshine, Portland has a surprisingly robust hat culture, with milliners applying the same dedication others do to craft beer and roast coffee beans.
Hats are not a one-size- or one-style-fits-all commodity. Whether you’re in need of a crown worthy of inheritance, stylish shelter from the elements, something to hide your third-day hair, or you really don’t like the feeling of SPF 50 dripping into your eyes, local makers have you covered. In this city, there’s a hat for every head.
The Folklore Hat Company thisisfolklore.com
Seeking an heirloom chapeau? Check out Folklore Hat Company. Since 2013, John C. Fish has been handcrafting 100% beaver-felt Western and dress hats with vintage bands and shipping them all around the world. Felted beaver fur has been prized for centuries for its durable, soft, and shapeable qualities (a merchant wears a beaver hat in The Canterbury Tales, written in the late 14th century). It’s not as breathable as straw, but it will stand up to nearly any weather conditions and last forever, and regardless of the summer’s heat, you couldn’t possibly look cooler than in one of these luxurious toppers. Or you can choose super fino hand-woven straw hats. Fish currently makes about 100 hats a year, but he’s slowly buying up equipment to make even more. Prices start at $1,200.
Pinkham Millinery 515 SW 10th Ave., pinkhammillinery.com
Headed to a summer wedding and looking to bring out your inner Kate or Meghan? Pinkham Millinery is your magic kingdom. Portlander Dayna Pinkham designs high-end headgear with names like “Boney Fedora in Bronze Flat Felt,” “Gold Silk Flower Cocktail,” and “Black Cocktail with Burnt Ostrich Feathers.” While her bespoke bonnets have graced noble noggins at equestrian extravaganzas like England’s Royal Ascot, the Breeders’ Cup, and the Kentucky Derby, her ready-to-wear creations begin at $195.
Grafletics 7013 SE Milwaukie Ave., grafletics.com
Maybe you desire a cap with Pacific Northwest flair. Grafletics is your online galaxy of ultra-hip dad hats (i.e., fitted baseball caps) and beanies (it also makes T-shirts and other swag, like its oft-seen Portland Bridges tote). It’s all designed by the husband-and-wife team Rick Gilbert and Julie Boucher. Launched in their garage 11 years ago, Grafletics now sells over 300 products and collaborates with such local luminaries as PDX Sliders, LAIKA Studios, and the Portland Trailblazers to build brand awareness.
Flipside Hats flipsidehats.com
For those with a penchant for eco-friendly materials, Flipside hats are fashioned with sustainable and recycled materials. If you spy a cap with Pendleton wool accents, it’s likely Flipside’s handiwork. It makes sun, rain, and bucket hats, beanies, and ball caps with patches, all with impeccably sourced materials like American and mulesing-free merino wool, stretch organic cotton jersey, and waxed canvas. Its sibling company, Hats for Healing, continues the eco-friendly mission with hats focused on feminine styles and chic coverage during cancer treatment.
Findlay Hats 2267 N Interstate Ave., findlayhats.com
If you’re searching for an ultra-hip trucker style, check out Findlay Hats. Since 2013, the staff has mushroomed from two to 20 aesthetically blessed, tattoo-adorned employees accompanied by requisite office dogs and extreme sports trophies. New creations drop daily in the North Portland shop. The limited-edition trucker-style hats are so fire, they’ve got a “two per person” limit to keep the shelves from selling out. Additional bragging rights include patented looped shoelace brim designs, clandestine stash pockets, lifetime guarantees, a Hat of the Month Club, a DIY cap bar, and live online video for personal shopper chats.
John Helmer Haberdasher Inc. 969 SW Broadway, johnhelmer.com
Traditionalists seeking the warm embrace of Old World personalized service should make the pilgrimage to John Helmer Haberdasher. Since 1921, its corner shop downtown has displayed a bevy of tweed, felt, and specialty hats like Davy Crocketts, Sherlock Holmeses, and Mad Hatters. For summer, John Helmer III (the OG’s grandson) happily shows off the equally ample selection of women’s headgear, particularly the wide-brimmed SPF 50 cotton sunhats. The shop is also a treasure trove of scarves, gloves, ties, and suspenders.
Classic Collection Hats 353 SW Oak St., classiccollectionhats.com
Maybe you’re new to hat culture and don’t know what type, material, or size to choose. You won’t go wrong at downtown’s Classic Collection Hats. Its inventory encompasses every conceivable cranial covering: cowboy, bowler, baseball, bucket, fedora, panama. “We’ve always believed that hats are for everyone, not just fashion experts or hat collectors,” owner Ray Ameripour says. You’ll find its booths at shows and festivals across Oregon all year long, including the annual Oktoberfest in Mount Angel and at Skidmore’s Saturday Market, where it started 20 years ago.
* With or without a hat, everyone should wear sunscreen.
Fun fact: The term “mad hatter” comes from when 18th and 19th century hatmakers used mercury nitrate to felt animal fur into hat shapes. Mad hatter disease, or erethism, was the result of prolonged exposure to toxic fumes in poorly ventilated workshops, resulting in irritability, slurred speech, and hallucinations. Decades went by before anyone connected the mercury to hatters going “mad.”
This story is part of Oregon Summer Magazine, Willamette Week’s annual guide to the summer months, this year focused on making the most of and beating the heat. It is free and can be found all over Portland beginning Sunday, June 29, 2025. Find a copy at one of the locations noted on this map before they all get picked up! Read more from Oregon Summer magazine online here.
Opens in new window