Bates
LOCATED ON JERMYN STREET since 1898, and now enfolded by the flagship store of top shirtmaker Hilditch & Key, Bates is home to probably the most photographed cat in London. Crowned with a jaunty topper, Binks has turned his friendly, if glassy, gaze on generations of customers who’ve come in quest of top-quality headgear. As a kitten, he ‘adopted’ the firm way back in 1921. Stuffed upon his death, he’s been omnipresent ever since.
Without pretending to the long and illustrious heritage of its chief competitor, Lock & Co, Bates is nevertheless one of England’s premier hatters. While adhering to the precepts of the late Victorian and Edwardian eras, when most of the rules governing male headgear were codified, it’s proud to keep abreast of the latest trends, purveying a wide range of linen, cotton, tweed and wool caps, as well as traditional bowlers, fedoras, homburgs and trilbies. It’s in the summer months, and especially during the Season, that hats come into their own. Bates does a fine line in panamas for Henley, Wimbledon and Lord’s. Woven by hand from toquilla palm straw, they come in a variety of styles and grades, with the most expensive, the Ultrafino, weighing scarcely more than a sheet of tissue paper. For formal occasions, Bates can supply an antique but fully refurbished silk hat at a price to reflect its rarity.
See also: Oliver Brown, Lock & Co
