The GeekMom Guide To Great Hats

There are plenty of mediocre hats out there. Mass produced, boring, and unlikely to inspire any of us to take up hat-wearing. Maybe that's why so few of us adorn our heads any more. But there are great hats out there too. Yes, that includes pricey designs but it also includes artful, affordable headgear that looks and feels great. Even if you're not "into" hats, it's worth giving it a try. Some day soon put on a hat when you're headed to the market, a parent-teacher conference, a party. Wear one that really says something, the way a handmade hat can. It's an unexpected flourish, whether you're in jeans or a dress. It'll do wonders for your look but also for the way you feel.

Check out our list of great hats, all handmade by Etsy artisans. You may discover how enticing it can be to wear hats all year round.

Anna Shoub of Hat Junkie makes softly feminine hats with a funky 20's flavor. They're ridiculously comfortable, like pj's for your head. She also blogs about her hat-making life in Nova Scotia. We've got a thing for her wide brimmed polar fleece hat, rose tuque hat, and jersey cloche.

I have been making hats for 18 years. It all began with an obsession for hats and when I found my wallet could no longer keep up with my addiction, I turned to making them myself. Over the years I have worked with many different materials, but since my son was born 8 years ago, my mission has been to create hats that can be stashed in purses, sat on, run over by small feet and toys and still look great at the end of the day.

I am very inspired by many vintage periods, but particularly the twenties. I am fascinated by the beauty that lived in everyday lives. Women were so much more adventurous in the way they dressed and enjoyed being seen. I am a modern woman, though, and I demand to be comfortable and practical. My goal is to combine modern day practicality with old fashioned attention to detail and beauty.I love quality. The fleece I use is the best there is. It is milled in Massachusetts and is made from recycled soda bottles. I look high and low for the best quality ribbons. I also have an organic line of hats. I use organic cotton and hemp stretch jersey and hand dye all the fabric myself with fiber reactive dyes.

I live with my woodworker husband, 8 year old son, our dog, Lego and our 18 year old cat. We live in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. It is one of the most beautiful places on earth. Everyone should come here and when they do they should ask for The Hat Junkie and come see the lovely shop my husband is building for me.

Sevde Maher of LiquidShiva works with all sorts of eco-friendly items including wool, raw silk, linen, and hemp to create unique hats. She also offers purses, pouches, scarves, cuffs, and increasingly popular items made from coffee bean bags. These are one-of-a-kind pieces direct from her imagination. We're fawning over her hats, especially the newsboy cap upcycled from a purse and her herringbone wool hat, but are also hankering for a leather, mustache adorned collar she makes. Sevde suggests that customers check out her sold listings for more ideas, then contact her to discuss custom orders.

I've been working as a wardrobe technician, supervisor, designer, and assistant on movies and TV for 9 years. I'm inspired by the old movies and go shopping for the actors. I sometimes work on period movies and learn something new all the time. I love to make vintage style hats with new fashionable fabrics. I started to make hats with upcycled clothes and love the idea. This makes them all one of a kind and eco-friendly as well.

The ideas always come to me at night and I think about it and start to work on it in the morning. I live in New York and everywhere I go I'm inspired by the city: the artists, the talent, the culture, the diversity and the energy. I love to go to the city and find new original fabrics. New York is the best city for textile and fashion. I make one of a kind bags as well. I use burlap from coffee bean bags with vintage leather jackets and pants. People love this idea. I've gotten a lot of requests for more. When I opened my shop I was making only hats but now I make bags, accessories, clothing, and home decor. All my items are one of a kind. I love making things that can be worn many different ways.

Dana Dooley of DanaDooleyDesigns (d3) is earning credentials to become a high school social science teacher and recently married the love of her life. Her grandmother taught her to crochet when she was six years old, she's been at it ever since. She makes all sorts of amusingly geeky hats. We're talking a Portal inspired beanie, a robot hat with antenna, a beanie that evokes Pokémon Pokéballs, plus owl and other animal hats. (Proceeds from kitty hat sales are donated to the Sacramento-area cat rescue group, Cats About Town Society.) Dana designs all items from scratch. She also offers bags, purses, laptop sleeves, scarves, and more. Join her on Facebook to keep up with her newest custom designs and to get secret coupon codes.

I refuse to use patterns when I crochet, because I feel like it's cheating. The best part of making hats is the creativity that goes into developing the design itself. I like to look at things in terms of yarn: what are the shapes that make it up, how would I crochet those shapes, and how can I assemble it all into a wearable piece of awesome? I keep a tiny notebook with me all the time so I can draft out ideas as I see or think of them – and then there's a bunch of trial-and-error once the hook and yarn get involved!

I also absolutely love custom orders because people have the craziest ideas. Often, I'm pushed to the edge of what I think I can do, and I end up figuring out a lot more ideas and techniques as a result. So I'm legit when I say "custom orders gladly tackled!"

Felicia Noel of Fablewood works in a book store and is an avid reader, particularly of fantasy and cheesy mysteries. Her interests can't help but appear in the hats she makes. We see Link's charmingly floppy cap from The Legend of Zelda in her green elf warrior hat, one of our favorites from her shop along with her earflap hat.

My inspirations for a lot of my products come from various fantasy novels. In fact, the name of my shop was inspired by one of my favorite young adult fantasy series, Fablehaven by Brandon Mull.

My earflap hats were designed to look like an elven soldier's helmet. My green elf hat is for keeping your ears warm on all of your princess-saving adventures.

Chris Shimpach of Luminata Co is a designer by education and trade. Her millinery hats are created free-style by draping fine felt and straw fabrics on antique wooden head forms. As she is folding and pleating, the fabric itself often inspires the shape. Vintage embellishments like antique buttons, jewelry, scarves, and silk ribbons provide the finishing touches. Chris will be opening a store in Lake Oswego, Oregon, named"Maison des Artistes, " which will provide local artists with an affordable venue for selling their designs. She'll also have a studio and teach millinery classes there. She'll be providing updates on her Facebook page. We find ourselves deeply lusting after many of the beautifully sculpted hats available on her Etsy site, particularly the Megan seagrass hat, the Ava felt cloche, and the Sophia black straw hat.

Luminata means "enlightened." My mom, a skilled seamstress, influenced me in sewing and designing and it has been my life since. After working in the 'industry' for 30 plus years as a designer and fabric developer with companies such as Nike, Pendleton, and others, I continue to absolutely love designing hats and accessories.

I started my millinery career by recycling 100% cashmere sweaters into fun hats with embellishments such as vintage buttons, earring or gemstones. It was a matter of time before I was ready for new challenges so I took a millinery class and fell in love with this centuries old art using techniques and equipment dating back to the 19th century. Each hat is lovingly embellished with new and traditional concepts creating extraordinary hats that flatter my clients.

One of my greatest joys is working with my customers and watching them play “dress up” while trying on my hats. Many people come up to me and say they can’t wear hats, or they don’t look good in hats – the challenge begins – there is a hat for everyone…you just need to find the right one. Women are actually amazed how wonderful they can look in a hat!

Jill of WreckingCrewCreation is a Fashion Institute of Technology graduate with a degree in pattern making. She's spent more than 15 years working as a pattern maker and technical designer in the garment industry. She began sewing at five years old and always knew she wanted to make clothes for a living. "Costumes have always been a passion," she says. "They are a way for me to express my creativity and challenge myself. If you think about it everything you put on is a costume. Our clothes are the outward expression of what we want other people to think about us." Until last year she never gave hat-making a thought. But now she has created an adorable gnome hat perfect for woodland creature wanna-be's and dress-up aficionados of all ages. Made of stretchy fleece, it can be worn flopped over or, with a bit of paper stuffed in the point, stand straight up and stay there easily. She also makes richly textured long skirts and gorgeous leggings perfect for weddings, proms, Renaissance faires, steampunk events, and everyday glamour. There is a story behind her popular gnome hats.

It started off with an idea I had for one of my closest friends birthday party's. You see Kate (the friend) loves gnomes, has since she was a little kid. I thought it would be fun to throw her a "not a surprise" surprise party. She knew we were throwing her a party but had no idea what the theme was!

Her husband, several friends and I conspired together to pull this off. We decorated the house with flower and ivy garlands and string lights and made a giant mushroom "gnome home" birthday cake. I got carried away with the theme and decided to make everyone gnome hats..... but not your run of the mill cone shaped hat, that wouldn't do :-) So I created the head contouring hat you see on Etsy.

Her husband got her out of the house for a few hours while the rest of us set up the party. A little while before she was due back about a dozen of us donned our gnome hats and Renaissance garb, grabbed a prop (baskets, lanterns, watering cans and shovels) and filled up their front lawn. It was hysterical! We literally stopped traffic :-) When they arrived home we could hear Kate screaming in the car "Oh my God, my friends are gnomes" By the time the party was in full gear we had about 30 people running around in gnome hats. I can't tell you how many times that night I heard "you have to put these on your Etsy site" I don't know how we will ever top that party but I'm sure we will try :-)

That party in March of 2012 started with 1 red, adult size, gnome hat. I now have 8 different colors and both kid and adult sizes. Keep an eye out, I have a fun St. Patrick's Day inspired one coming soon.

Sue Buck of HatsByBuck teaches drawing and printmaking at Allegheny College, PA. In addition, she creates distinctive caps from materials collected in her trips to Mexico, Guatemala, India, Nepal, and Thailand as well as from vintage clothing. She's fond of velvets, tapestries, and embroidery. In her studio she makes Rembrandt hats reminiscent of those the painter wore in many of his self-portraits, blue jean hats combining upcycled denim with lace or brocade, faux fur hats that can be worn with the fibers spiked or smoothed, caps she calls Buck hats, and vibrantly hued gypsy world peace hats. She also offers wide headbands she calls crowns and amazingly detailed cuffs that can made any outfit exceptional. Her artist's eye is evident in each piece. Our shirts suddenly look plain without Sue's cuffs.

I live in a small cedar house in the middle of the woods. Although trained in drawing and printmaking, I, like other folks on Etsy, just love making things. I started making hats for myself a year ago and wear one of my handmade hats from my personal collection every day. I am hooked on both making hats and wearing them. More recently, I have been making cuffs. Way too much fun!!! They are like small, bejeweled hats!

When I was nine years old, Grandma taught me how to sew on a treadle machine. It took a while to learn to move my feet properly to achieve the rhythm necessary to run the machine, but after getting it, I fell in love with the sound of sewing.

I am drawn to the history of old fabrics, especially embroideries. When I touch them, I can feel the time, love and energy that went into making them. I can feel their history. As I put my own time, love and energy into making things, I create more history. Beautiful things should be worn and not stored away and out of sight. Well, that is my motto.

My sturdy one-of-a-kind hats and cuffs are made for wearing. Each hat or cuff comes with its own history in the fabrics, decoration and sewing. Wearing one of them will bring your history to it.

Lenore of Strawberry Couture says she is "inspired by topology and geometrical mathematical shapes. Sometimes my hats look right side up or upside down. They are the most unlikely looking hats you will ever see." As a child Lenore used to play with Barbie dolls, pretending they were characters from her favorite TV shows. Now an Army veteran, she makes fantasy a reality by creating her own whimsical hat designs. Lenore's unusual chunky designs allow the wearer to twist and tuck a hat into a whole new look. We particularly like her Möbius strip-inspired hats, the ones she's named Virginia, Deitra, and Samantha.

Your hat is your crown. Proudly wear it for the unique role you play. Hats do not have to be just one dimensional. They can be three dimensional as well. Why not add layers to make a statement?

I work this business full-time. Instead of slaving and spending time away at a full-time job, I chose to stay at home with my husband who suffers from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). It is a severe anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to any event that results in psychological trauma. This is extremely common to combat veterans. He served 2 combat tours of Desert Storm and Somalia. He cannot stand being alone for more than a long period of time. Therefore the VA (Department of Veteran's Affairs) recommended he stay at home. My Etsy business provides extra income. I would like to make it into a more profitable business enough to live off on it. Someday that will happen.

I am inspired by mathematical shapes. I want to explore where no one else has gone. Common things are a dime a dozen. Making your own version of something is unique and that's the beauty of it.

Ann McMahon of Savoir Faire Hats is a classically trained musician as well as an artisan and fashion designer. Her creations have been worn by celebrities including Jessica Grey, Goldie Hawn, and Aretha Franklin. She's begun working on hats inspired by Downton Abby, but we can see the era in gorgeous styles she already has available including the red hat crown and summer straw hat.

I live in Newport, RI which is a great hat wearing city. I attended Boston University School for the Arts and I formerly taught millinery techniques at Boston's venerable School for Fashion Design on Newbury St.

My goal with the creation of my hats is to make "new hats that look old." I like to use old fashioned seamstress techniques such as couching of ribbons beads and cords onto the hat. I also use applique and a lot of silk ribbon bobbin embroidery. I love the romance of the old hat styles such as the cloche. The fascinators that are so much in style since the royal wedding are an opportunity to add antique veiling, feathers and any other beautiful vintage piece of finery to a flirtatious ornament for a lady's hair. This season, I am looking forward to creating hats in the style of the PBS show Downton Abbey. Things are looking good for creative hat makers working in the style of romantic traditional hats this year.

Jaya Lee of Green Trunk Designs creates hats that evoke a wander-the-woods mood. She offers a wide range of eclectic designs. Each one seems it might transport the wearer to a more perfect, dream-like version of life. It seems impossible to choose between her freeform sculpted straw cloche, hippie wool felt hat, and rose felt cloche. We want them all. Follow her on Pinterest or Twitter .

I am an artist, milliner, and the creative force behind Green Trunk Designs. I have always had a strong passion for both art and nature, and decided to pursue that by earning my bachelors degree in environmental science. Thought I've always been very artistic and worked with many different art mediums, it wasn't until a few years ago that I discovered my love of hat-making. I'm currently taking millinery courses at the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC and am excited to expand my knowledge of this rare art form.

My work and style is a reflection of myself. I love earthy colors, vintage fashion, antique lace, fairy tales, and happy endings. I've always felt like part of me lives in a different era, and I enjoy wearing vintage hats and clothing from these earlier times. My favorite styles come from the 20's and 40's, and they provide the motivation behind most of my hats. I strive to use vintage, recycled, and re-purposed materials whenever possible, not only to provide an authentic product but also because I love nature and desire to be a good steward of God's wonderful creation. Therefore many of my hats are one-of-a-kinds or limited editions. I'm not into mass production, so if you see something you like, grab it while you can!

Melissa Martinez of MelsBellsHats fell in love with fiber arts as a child when her grandmother showed her "exquisitely soft pale pink angora yarn that she had brought over from Argentina." Melissa started by making gifts for her family and hats for her Strawberry Shortcake dolls. Now she creates her own patterns, available on Acts of Knittery and Ravelry. Her hats, cowls, headbands, and scarves can be customized in a range of colors, all from organic cotton yarns. We can attest that her beautifully lacy tams fit perfectly, never leaving behind the dread "hat hair."

I've been knitting since I was about 9 years old and was taught the basics by my grandmother. I'm now 38 so I've had a lot of years of experimentation in between. I love seeing what I can create with a particular ball of yarn. Sometimes the texture almost "speaks" to me and tells me what type of hat or other accessory it should turn into. Other times I'm inspired by the colors of the yarn. Sometimes nature inspires me while other times it's a documentary about a certain time period.

I have to say that I'm not very fashionable myself (I'm strictly a jeans, sneakers and t-shirt kind of gal) but definitely do like classic yet edgy pieces that make a statement. Perhaps I'm also drawn to hats because I have a dear friend with PCOS and alopecia and my mom is a thyroid cancer survivor. I myself even had a period of thinning hair due to a hormone imbalance. I guess all of these things have made me want to keep on creating hats and other knitwear for both beauty and function.

Robin Brickell of Reloved Fabrics likes to mix needlework with recycled fabrics and fibers of all kinds. We particularly like the hats she calls "floppies" which look different depending on how the wearer turns or rolls the brim. The hat fits loosely (no hat head) and can be stuffed in a bag for travel. She also makes cleverly designed fingerless felted mitts, plus fingerless gloves from recycled sweaters and mixed fiber knit texting gloves. And she has several beautiful shibori silk scarves for sale. Find out more via her site and her Facebook page.

My customers know that I morph. Each year there is something new, and perhaps the old is different. I don’t like to repeat. I attended fashion design school, but I hated drafting a pattern. Today, I don’t have a formal pattern I use. All of my work is cut-and-sew or cast on and go.

I have been knitting and working in fiber for more than 45 years. My British mother taught me to knit when I was 8, and I’ve never quit. Throughout my high school years, I would get at least a row done between classes. Patience, determination and goals are important to me. In my life, I have owned a couture yarn store, sold knitting machines, had a wholesale business and done fiber paintings featured in galleries. Currently I exhibit in craft shows on the East Coast and recently online.

In 2008 a fellow crafts-peer suggested exploring recycling. At first I thought it was bizarre as I had always made all my fabrics, but I love a challenge. Once I started, I got hooked! In addition to hats, I also make a full line of accessories and wearable pieces. I like to add or mix my hand-made fabrics in as well. It’s all about the piece and what has to be done to make it come together.

I love hats. My Grandmother wore one every day. She had her hair teased high as was the fashion then. If that wasn’t enough height, she would stuff paper into her hats and pin them atop her hair. I was fascinated with her character and style. Daring and sophisticated, but practical, is my approach in my designs. I have spent my life observing and yearning to make what I see.

Blending textures and colors is very exciting to me. If a person gets complete satisfaction from watching an incredible show that ignites all the senses; that’s the excitement I experience in my work. It’s like a disease that never goes away. It tugs on my heart, soul and mind constantly. As one piece finishes there are numerous more to take its place.

Kim DeMoise of CrochetHatsForYou was taught to crochet by her Auntie Beth when she was eight years old. She also likes to knit, quilt, and do beadwork. Kim's hats are comfortable and everyday useful. We admit to having a thing for her Yoda cap.

My inspiration was brought on by my husband's Aunt Jane who fought a brave fight with ovarian cancer. She requested hats to keep her bald head warm. She loved to play dress up with all of my hats and this helped her focus on something other than treatment she was going through...Aunt Jane encouraged me to sell my hats, thus leading to my Etsy store.

Zanne Love works in software development but has time to run two hat businesses. KnotWyrd features her crocheted hats and MountainGoth her sewn hats. She loves to combine beauty with function. Her offerings include pixie, bohemian, goth, and costume styles. Best sellers include her 5.5 foot long stocking cap.

I got into making hats as a combination of two things. I started crocheting making hippie granny square vests. I got into hats from building costumes for Halloween and Renaissance Festivals.

Even my sewn hats usually start as a crocheted prototype. Crocheting is so flexible, you can make pretty much any shape you can imagine. You can then refine that into a pattern for exactly the drape and flow you want. I love to crochet especially when I get to use natural fiber materials like cotton, silk and wool.I go to farmers markets and wool festivals to find unique yarns to use in many of my hats.

Mike and Deanna Reed of Cute Storm offer a line of adorable custom fleece caps. Most are geeky animals, like our favorite grumpy cat hat and owl hat, but there are plenty of other delights such as their skull cap. They also make darling plush toys and flouncy skirts. Check them out on Facebook as well.

My name is Mike Reed. My wife Deanna and I run Cute Storm. Deanna is in control of all design and manufacture, and I run the business end of the business (so to speak).

We live and work in Tillamook, Oregon on the beautiful Oregon Coast. My wife has been designing hats, plushies, jewelry, and a line of women's clothing for the better part of a decade. Most of our hats are based on animals, which is where she draws her inspiration. Our creations are designed to be fun as well as unique. Everything we sell is designed and handmade by Deanna, which insures a very high quality product. We really hope that our manufacture process (from design to sale) reflects the love and attention that we put into our work.

This GeekMom enjoyed getting hat samples from several participating Etsy shops and hopes to become a hat-wearing woman.