City Hatters, a review of Melbourne’s 99-year-old hat shop
Posted By Steven Lewis on June 11, 2009
City Hatters' window display
Arriving in Melbourne on a crisp and wintry June night, my first look at City Hatters was its illuminated olde worlde window display. It was easy to find: the shop was, as its slogan and website promised, under the clocks of Flinders Street train station, opposite Federation Square in the heart of the city. By night you can’t miss the aging neon sign flickering the words “City” and “Hatters” alternately then together.
As a lover of men’s hats you can only fall in love with that window display. Underneath old school gilt lettering advertising headwear for men, deerstalkers sit on wooden stands next to trilbies, newsboys, tweed bucket hats, antique hatboxs, and walking canes. Down the steps, you can see a pyramid of top hats ion display in the window by the door.
On this Friday night, City Hatters’ time-warped window display was incongruously innocent next to the vibrant flow of purple-haired goths, toughs in hoodies, and party girls falling out of the train station for a Friday night in the bars around Federation Square, down the Yarra River and beyond.
The charming window was far more promising than the City Hatters website, which I’d looked at the day before. Of the eight brands listed, the pages for six of them said apologetically, “There are no available products under this manufacturer.” So why list them for me to click on?
Part of the large selection at City Hatters
The next morning I found out just how little justice the website does this great little shop. City Hatters is piled floor to ceiling with straws, trilbies, pork pies, flat caps, the odd deerstalker, all kinds of Akubras, and even a bright red sombrero next to a handful tricorns.
But the thing that ensured I went back three times in our two day visit was the staff. Shortly after I walked in, I was asked if I would like any help then left alone when I said I was happy — very happy — browsing.
When I went back later, Christian, looking sharp and professional in a dark suit and black tie was engaging on the history of the shop. He didn’t need Tess to suggest twice that he pop on a tricorn for a picture when I asked to take some for the blog. Tess didn’t need to pick a hat for the picture: she was already wearing a carriage hat and outfit to match. Two staff for such a small shop suggests an emphasis on customer service. (There is also a bespoke hatter on staff.)
Tess and Christian
The quaint shop window framed in gilt letters, the lady in the carrage hat, and the cockney boy soprano on the sound system combined to make City Hatters an endearingly eccentric place to be on a cold morning and, if we’re honest, endearingly eccentric is surely how many hat aficionados would see themselves, which makes City Hatters a perfect place to shop.
City Hatters has been around — and in the same location — for 99 years. It has survived, as the website says, “depressions, recessions, good times, bad times, hat times and hatless times”. From what I’ve seen, there are another 99 years in the shop and I hope to be going back in many of them.
See the Open Crown Flickr pool for more pictures of City Hatters
About the author
Perhaps I was just unlucky then, my own experience at City Hatters was quite different. I finally decided that it was time for me to get a couple of good quality hats and not knowing what made one any different from another I had been doing some online research. In that process I had found a number of quite positive reviews (very like your own) of City Hatters. I extended my lunch break last Monday and was looking forward to my shopping experience. When I entered the store, and for most of the 20 to 25 minutes I was in there, I was the only customer. In that time neither of the two staff even greeted me, let alone offered any assistance. I was ready to buy, a little help with size and colour, and confirmation that I was on the right track with style was all that was needed. A simple greeting or offer of assistance and I would have been leaving as probably a very satisfied customer. As it was, even as I walked out there was no acknowledgment. I was very disappointed to tell the truth because I love the atmosphere of the store and I can certainly appreciate the huge range available. Unfortunately the only reason I would go back, is if I am unable to find what I am looking for elsewhere.
I feel your pain, Wynter. The retail hat experience is the hatlover’s bane. My experience with City Hatters was wonderful. Yours sounds dreadful. How could they ignore you in such a small shop, not even to say hello.
In a niche industry, you’d think everyone would be working very hard on building relationships. There’s one thing most hatlovers seem to have in common: they’re not shy about spending money and there’s no such thing as enough hats. I’ve never been in a hat shop without being keen to walk out with a hat. We must be some of the most “qualified” customers in retail.
Despite spending a fortune on hats — certainly relative to how much I spend on clothes generally — I’m the member of no loyalty program, I’m not on any mailing lists (although I’d love to be), etc.
This is definitely something the shops need to work on.