“I love the smell of this shop…”
Hardly a day goes by without hearing those words when folks enter the shop, and confession: it’s usually our leathers that they’re talking about!
This luxurious staple material is one we try to keep year-round to the best of our ability, and with the quality and array we take such pride in being able to offer with the milliners we work with, here’s a quick guide to the varying styles to help you hone which one is for you.
Nappa Leather: The best of the best, Nappa (sometimes referred to as ‘Napa’) leather is full-grain, with only the top being sanded in such a way to remove surface imperfections and is put through a chromium tanning process which gives it its supple and buttery soft feel. As Nappa leathers are named because of this processing, they can be sourced from varying hides ranging from lamb, calf, goat and otherwise. Ours just happen to be sourced from cow! We love the fact that Nappa leathers are also easy to care for and clean, making them a must-have. Our Belfry Leabola baseball caps are the perfect example of this with their every day, casual comfort without compromise on material.
Waxed Nappa Leather: All the benefits of its unwaxed counterpart, these have the added bonus of a waxed coating to give it extra heft against the elements. The Belfry Carter flat cap belongs in this category, and is a shop favorite.
Sueded Leather: While suedes can be made in a couple of ways, the most common is for the hide to be split and the upper grain scraped, exposing the napped velvety inner part, hence the texture we’re familiar with. They tend to be thinner, but very pliable and comfortable to wear, hence their popularity. The Belfry Ercole is a good example of this.
Distressed Leather: Love texture, but don’t wish to go to the extent of a suedes? Hats like the Belfry Tiber are gently distressed to give a more rugged look while keeping the integrity of the leather and quality construction.
Lambskin: Another option for a soft leather, it's lightweight and silky–and has been what makes up our Belfry Rocky since its inception!
Pig Skin Leather: Denser and able to hold up against abrasion, this is a prime choice when also looking for a leather that can take on elements without getting stiff like others sometimes do–which is why you’ll see it in our outdoor styles the Belfry Tim and Belfry Murray.
If you’re worried about upkeep–don’t be! Care for these will often come down to basic hat maintenance in making sure you keep the inner band clean since it’s what will be touching your skin or scalp collecting sweat and natural oils. We suggest spot cleaning with a diluted light detergent and letting it air dry, and for when anything gets on the leathers themselves, we have a leather cleaner to help you out!
Hardly a day goes by without hearing those words when folks enter the shop, and confession: it’s usually our leathers that they’re talking about!
This luxurious staple material is one we try to keep year-round to the best of our ability, and with the quality and array we take such pride in being able to offer with the milliners we work with, here’s a quick guide to the varying styles to help you hone which one is for you.
Nappa Leather: The best of the best, Nappa (sometimes referred to as ‘Napa’) leather is full-grain, with only the top being sanded in such a way to remove surface imperfections and is put through a chromium tanning process which gives it its supple and buttery soft feel. As Nappa leathers are named because of this processing, they can be sourced from varying hides ranging from lamb, calf, goat and otherwise. Ours just happen to be sourced from cow! We love the fact that Nappa leathers are also easy to care for and clean, making them a must-have. Our Belfry Leabola baseball caps are the perfect example of this with their every day, casual comfort without compromise on material.
Waxed Nappa Leather: All the benefits of its unwaxed counterpart, these have the added bonus of a waxed coating to give it extra heft against the elements. The Belfry Carter flat cap belongs in this category, and is a shop favorite.
Sueded Leather: While suedes can be made in a couple of ways, the most common is for the hide to be split and the upper grain scraped, exposing the napped velvety inner part, hence the texture we’re familiar with. They tend to be thinner, but very pliable and comfortable to wear, hence their popularity. The Belfry Ercole is a good example of this.
Distressed Leather: Love texture, but don’t wish to go to the extent of a suedes? Hats like the Belfry Tiber are gently distressed to give a more rugged look while keeping the integrity of the leather and quality construction.
Lambskin: Another option for a soft leather, it's lightweight and silky–and has been what makes up our Belfry Rocky since its inception!
Pig Skin Leather: Denser and able to hold up against abrasion, this is a prime choice when also looking for a leather that can take on elements without getting stiff like others sometimes do–which is why you’ll see it in our outdoor styles the Belfry Tim and Belfry Murray.
If you’re worried about upkeep–don’t be! Care for these will often come down to basic hat maintenance in making sure you keep the inner band clean since it’s what will be touching your skin or scalp collecting sweat and natural oils. We suggest spot cleaning with a diluted light detergent and letting it air dry, and for when anything gets on the leathers themselves, we have a leather cleaner to help you out!
