A Hat for Every Occasion

Whether you need a hat to wear to the opera, a gala, or just because it's Tuesday, you can find it at Revolution Clothiers & Co. The store has an amazing hat collection, including homburgs, bowlers, newsies, drivers, and fedoras.

Barone knows hats and loves sharing his incredible wisdom about hats with shoppers. "I consider myself the Mad Hatter," he said, referencing the character Hatter in Alice in Wonderland. "I have always fancied that character; it's a great reference." The Hatter, a fictional character in Lewis Carroll's 1865 book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, is often referred to as the Mad Hatter due to his outlandish and erratic behaviors, which mimic those of a person who has gone mad.

The phrase "mad hatter" comes from the expression "as mad as a hatter," referring to the often crazy and unpredictable behavior of hat makers in the 19th century. At the time, mercury was used in the manufacturing process of fine hats, causing a high rate of mercury poisoning among those working in the hat industry. "The hatters would put mercury in the rim of the hat brim," Barone explained. "The men would wear the hats all day long in the heat, and [the mercury] poisoned the people, and they went mad." Mercury poisoning can cause neurological damage, including slurred speech, memory loss, and tremors.

"I collect hats," Barone shared. "No accessory can change up a look quite like a hat. Throughout time, all cultures have found hats attractive because they allow people to add that other accessory or addition to their image.”

Barone explains how all civilizations have worn hats. "A hat or a headdress has always been within every culture you look at," he said. "From Native Americans to Egyptians, Mayans, and now to modern society." The earliest depiction of a hat was in Thebes, Egypt, in 3200 BCE. The pictorial description was found in a Theban tomb, in a painting showing a man wearing a conical straw hat. Throughout history, each social group had its own style of hat."Historically, the hat assigned people to their social grouping or echelon," Barone explained. In the 1900s, immigrants would get off the boat wearing their newsies [newsboy cap]; at the same time, you saw people working in the financial institutions wearing toppers; you went to a symphony, and everybody was dressed in black tie and a top hat.

"The first top hat appeared at the end of the 18th century," Barone explained. “At the time, they were wrapping these hats in gorgeous silk. The fur felt in the nap was so long in silk that it shone and glistened as they walked down the street. What does wearing a glistening silk top hat show you if not aristocracy? Amazing.”

"The hat changes itself through the different layers of what the hat is built on," Barone said. "Each element makes the hat different, whether it be the brim, the crown, the bucket, the pinch, the brim, the rim, the ribbon.” He explained various parts of the hat change the hat's purpose.

According to Barone, the most popular hat at Revolutions is the fedora. "The second most popular is probably a driver," he said. A driver, also called a flat cap, is a soft, round wool or tweed men’s cape with a small bill in front. "The driver hat is a great choice. It is sleek-looking and the kind of hat you would see someone wearing while driving a sports car like a Maserati or BMW M3," he added. "Or even a vintage Bond car." t

COMMONLY-USED HAT TERMS:

Crown: The top portion of the hat; the area above the brim that sits on your head.

Brim: Think of this as the hat's ledge, which protrudes from the base of the crown and is often used to protect you from the sun and other elements.

Underbrim: The underside or bottom of a hat brim.

Liner: The lining in the hat’s interior is usually made from satin fabric.

Hat band: The decorative strip of material (often leather, cloth, cotton, or silk) circling a hat, located above the brim.

Pinch: The indentations made along the crown's front, back, and sides

Sweatband: Inside the hat's interior, the sweatband ensures a good fit and keeps the hat's shape intact. It also prevents sweat from getting into the material of the hat itself.

When I buy clothing, I see the art within some designers. Other people see [clothing] and think, where would I wear this to? For me, the answer is out the door.

She makes this magical sweeping hand motion and says, ‘I feel like this is the most penises I’ve ever had in my hand at once.’” Barone, shocked, replied, “You get ten percent off, my love.”

Barone said he felt like he slipped in the universe when he judged her. “I realized I judged her. I judged that book by the cover, and I am the one who hates that.” Ever since, anyone who walks in that door– gets the same love from me across the board.”

Barone says he buys clothing and items for the store strategically. “You’re not buying what's current; you are buying to create something that is going to be current. You need to know what you are trying to dress your guy or gal like– and what image you are trying to portray. There are a lot of worlds out there as far as fashion is concerned, and it's very easy to end up with a hodgepodge collection. I stay very focused on my theme. If the clothing is from an era that really talks to me, culturally wise, I can redo it and bring the style back with a newer age look. Then I play my gal or guy towards that style, depending on whatever the store represents. When you buy, it's about buying for a collection that you think will make a stand for your impression of fashion. I can put someone in an era where they feel self-expresses themselves without having to say anything to anybody and then give it to the masses. And that’s powerful.”

“When I buy clothing, I see the art within some designers,” he said. “Other people see [clothing] and think, where would I wear this to? For me, the answer is out the door.”

More Community Engagement

Barone’s main goal for the upcoming year is to engage more within the community. Playing off the store's name, he shares, “Our whole point of having a revolution is to create a revolution. It’s not a solo project; it is for us to be among the masses and to get out there so much that people recognize you can still be who you are through your looks.” He's planning to organize multi-faceted events with different levels of entertainment, including music, fashion, and art. “If it's a fashion event, and I bring in ten models and exhibit a certain look, we have a great opportunity for people to meet up,” he shared.

“My goal is to host more events in 2023," Barone explained. “Planning more events allows people to understand that just because they have beautiful clothing, they don’t need to set them aside for an event. I want to let people know it’s always okay to be gorgeous in your clothing. Can you just not wear [beautiful clothing] because it's a Tuesday? “I create the events for you – once you go to enough events, you’re comfortable wearing your beautiful clothing.”

Barone describes himself as a very multi-layered person. “I have so many different styles and versions of me, and each version of me can find one that can relate to the customer,” he said. “It's all about them, the customers, to walk out of here with that jacket or outfit on and just be happy. You didn't buy clothing, you just bought something that just makes you feel good, and that's the revolution.” t