This blog brings together our latest updates, announcements and behind-the-scenes moments.
You’ll find the same posts we share on Instagram and Facebook, collected here in one place.
A beautifully covered hat starts with what you don’t see. In the November 2025 issue (no. 107), Denise-Innes Spencer shares practical tips and techniques in her article What foundation materials to use for covered hats, focusing on how the right foundation allows the material to perform at its best.
Luton’s hat-making heritage is entering a new chapter. In the November 2025 issue, we explore the story behind the Luton Hat Company – a venture led by Nick Horn, whose family has been part of the town’s industry for nearly 300 years. Building on the legacy of Baxter Hart & Abraham, the new company brings together restored historic machinery, over 400 aluminium blocks and decades of specialist knowledge to support today’s makers. From offering blocking services to developing accredited training and apprenticeships, the project aims to safeguard skills that are fast disappearing. Read the full article in the November 2025 issue (no. 107).
Last photo: One of the blocking machines operating at its previous location, the W. Wright factory.
Stiffening solutions can be applied in several concentrations. The amount of dilution varies according to both the type of stiffener and the fabric or straw being treated. Some stiffeners can alter the appearance of the surface once dry, leaving a slight sheen – or causing darker tones, particularly on pale colours. For this reason, it is advisable to test the solution on a small sample of the material before treating the whole piece.
For an overview of the most commonly used stiffeners and their applications, take a look at the posterside of the 2026 calendar that comes with the November 2025 issue of the magazine (no. 107).
Unlock new possibilities in your workroom with the ‘Around the block’ article in our November 2025 issue. Hat blocks are the foundation of hat making, but when the exact shape isn’t to hand, creativity takes over. This feature highlights the resourcefulness of makers around the world who adapt, improvise and innovate to achieve the perfect made-to-measure block, using techniques that range from vintage sparterie to contemporary workroom solutions.
4 DECEMBER 2025
Who says inspiration can’t be found in the everyday? Move over Surrealists - Sophie Beale’s ‘Daily Objects’ sketches in the November 2025 issue prove that creativity often starts right in your kitchen or in your living room! Check out how the familiar is transformed into fresh millinery ideas that feel both clever and beautifully considered in the The Hat Magazine no. 107.
You don’t need a full library of wooden blocks to achieve the shapes you want. Sometimes all it takes is a smart workaround with the blocks you already own. In the November 2025 issue, Ian Bennett demonstrates how to build your own crown block using nothing more than a basic dome block and pattern paper. A practical technique to expand your hat making possibilities! The blue hat was created by Ian for the theatre production ‘By Royal Appointment’, which features several hats worn by Queen Elizabeth during her reign.
20 NOVEMBER 2025
Issue 107 (November 2025) is out! In this issue: Interview with Sebastien Tessier, Trends report S/S 2026, Event reports, Make or adjust a block, Foundation materials for covered hats, Workroom technique ‘Card block with tip’ by Ian Bennett, Wall/desk planner 2026 with ‘Stiffening solutions’ on the poster side and more! Not yet a subscriber? Order a copy of this issue on the back issues pages on the website or become an online subscriber.
Hat on magazine cover by Nicki Marquardt
Hat on calendar cover by Cristina de Prada
