Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
SPRINGVILLE — Everyone looks good in a hat. If you don't agree, you haven't met Covi King, a master hatter and co-owner of Tatton Baird Hatters in Springville, Utah.
"I don't really believe that there are hats that look good or don't look good on folks," King said. "Most hats and most shapes and styles can be adjusted to fit an individual's face shape or proportion."
She should know. King has been making and fitting hats for customers for over a decade alongside her mentor, Chandler Scott. At their shop, each hat is designed to the wearer's specifications and created using equipment and techniques used by the first hatter in the Salt Lake Valley.
"Here you'll get exactly what you want because we go through a 30- to 45-minute consultation and put things on your head and talk about face structure and what you'll be doing in the hat," Scott said. "We treat each individual construction as a piece of art."
Each felted hat begins as a single piece of fur — either beaver, a beaver blend or rabbit. It's all stretched, steamed, sanded (or pounced) and shaped by hand. A personalized sweat band is then attached using a sewing machine made specifically for the task — a Singer 07 model that's been in service for over 150 years.
"This is one of the only places in the country, in the world for that matter, that still does it in a truly traditional fashion," Scott said.
King said, "This is modeled after a Victorian model of hat making. Lots of scissors. Lots of needles."
Tatton Baird not only makes new hats but also refurbishes old ones. A grandfather's well-worn fedora can be cleaned, resized and reshaped to fit his grandchild. A cowboy hat with a wilted brim can be refreshed to look sharp again.
"The Victorian era, 1880s through the '30s … was the peak of hat fashion. And the hat maker in a small village like this was a powerful player in business and providing a service to the community," Scott said. "We just do that same thing. It's just easier on a bigger level now because of the internet and Instagram."
Learn more about the story of Tatton Baird Hatters in the video, part of KSL's Beyond Business series.
