I was offered a new silk topper when I bought my last Montecristo at Locke & Co. The right corded silk is in rare supply, not the skill.
They asked under £2,000 (not that much more than my Panama) and I was a fool for not taking them up on it.
Very few people are buying Toppers and most people inherit their’s. The British upper classes do not see spending money as proof of anything but foolishness. Extant hats can be repaired and reblocked. Signs of age are not shameful among people who are not nouveau riche.
The market for new hats is tiny. Most sold are plastic and those buying them are none the wiser and appreciate the robustness.
They asked under £2,000 (not that much more than my Panama) and I was a fool for not taking them up on it.
Very few people are buying Toppers and most people inherit their’s. The British upper classes do not see spending money as proof of anything but foolishness. Extant hats can be repaired and reblocked. Signs of age are not shameful among people who are not nouveau riche.
The market for new hats is tiny. Most sold are plastic and those buying them are none the wiser and appreciate the robustness.