Brimming with Style

Christmas not only creates custom hats but also revitalizes vintage ones.

The hat is back. But according to Keith Christmas, owner of Alexander Hats, which opened in 2006, they were never really gone in the first place. "A good hat never goes out of style," says Christmas, who has been in the business for nearly thirty-five years. Many of his clients are older men (though many are also in their twenties), who still believe, as he does, that, "You just aren’t dressed without a hat."

Christmas doles out his version of timeless attitude in the form of classic fedoras, pork pies, bowlers, and a few styles of his own creation, all fashioned from rabbit, fox, and beaver pelt or Panama straw. For a more casual look he also offers a range of linen, wool, and leather caps ($35 for a wool cap, $79 for a basic fedora, and up to $600 for a custom-made piece). Christmas also specializes in revitalizing vintage hats. A hat isn’t just an accessory, says Christmas, "it's an attitude."

Alexander Hats, 4401 E. Independence Blvd., Suite 100, 704-537-6228, www.alexanderhats.com

Photograph by Chris Edwards