The best hat shops in London

One must never underestimate the importance of the perfect hat.

Whether it’s an elaborate number for Royal Ascot, a modern headpiece for a wedding or a traditional gentleman’s trilby, there is an appropriate hat for every purpose and occasion. This selection of the best hat shops in London will see to your every need, whether traditional or more avant-garde.

Lock & Co. Hatters

6 St. James’s Street, SW1A 1EF

The holy grail of hatmakers, Lock & Co. Hatters opened its doors in 1676 and is the oldest hat shop in London. You’ll still find it in its original location on St. James's Street, where the first bowler hat was invented in 1850. These days they stock every kind of hat, from smart straw boaters to women’s winter couture, while attracting notable royal ‘regulars’ such as the Duchess of Cambridge and King Charles III.

Stephen Jones 

36 Great Queen Street, WC2B 5AA

Something of a modern celebrity milliner, Stephen Jones has fashioned bespoke designs for everyone from Galliano to Boy George. Princess Diana was an iconic patron of his work, and the Victoria & Albert Museum exhibits certain items in their collection, in preparation for posterity.

Bates Hats 

73 Jermyn Street, SW1Y 6NP

A millinery destination for the old-fashioned gentleman, Bates is a London institution that has retained its original Jermyn Street location since 1898. Classic designs range from panamas and trilbies to flat caps and tweed, with each hat carefully fitted to the head in question.

Philip Treacy

69 Elizabeth Street, SW1 W9PJ

Philip Treacy designed the hat that Princess Beatrice wore to the royal wedding in 2012. Love it or loathe it, his controversial creations are cutting-edge and popular among the fashion elite, with famous patrons including the likes of Isabella Blow and Sarah Jessica Parker.

Natasha Moorhouse Millinery

Papered Parlour, Prescott Place, SW4 6BS

With a boutique located in Clapham, Natasha Moorhouse began her career studying with the late Queen Mother’s milliner. Her bespoke couture designs have since taken a less conservative turn: expect a cacophony of sweeping brims, eccentric shapes and feathers by the dozen.

Hetherington Hats 

25 Walpole Street, SW3 4QS

If it’s a formal black silk top hat you’re after, Hetherington Hats is the place to go. From their extensive selection of more than 700 available to buy or rent, the hat specialists at Hetherington’s even steam the hat to the head to ensure the perfect fit.

Gina Foster Millinery

5 Kensington Church Walk, W8 4NB

Last but not least, this new kid on the block opened on Kensington Church Walk in 2010. Having trained under and worked closely with fellow milliner Philip Treacy, Gina Foster has set up her own hat shop in London with a collection of creative avant-garde designs.