The hatter’s trade: much more than selling hats

You can’t choose a hat from a photograph alone. A difference of just a few millimeters in crown height or brim width can completely change its look. You also need to consider the material, flexibility, season, intended use, and shape of your face.

That’s where a hatter’s experience really matters.

Choosing the right shape

Fedora, traveler, trilby, pork pie, boater, Panama hat, bowler, cloche, wide-brimmed hat, bucket hat, beret, or cap: each shape has its own proportions and character.

Our role is to help you understand these differences so you can find a style that suits not only your taste, but also your face and how you plan to wear it.

Finding the right size

A hat’s comfort depends largely on getting the size right. A hat that’s too small quickly becomes uncomfortable; one that’s too large won’t stay securely in place.

To make shopping from a distance easier, we’ve developed guidance on measuring your head correctly and understanding the equivalents between French and international sizes.

→ How do I measure my head correctly?

Understanding materials

Wool felt, fur felt, linen, cotton, leather, raffia, natural straw, or genuine Panama straw: each material has its own characteristics.

A hatter should be able to explain why a particular material is well suited to rain, cold, travel, or strong sun, and how it will change over time.

Our Roanne workshop: the expertise behind the product

Chapellerie Traclet also maintains a workshop in Roanne.

Some of our collections and custom orders pass directly through our team’s hands for preparation, finishing, alterations, customization, or embroidery, depending on the style and project.

We develop Traclet creations and various collections made or prepared in our workshop, while also working with specialist hatmaking workshops when their particular expertise is essential to a product.

This combination of skills is essential. Being a hatter doesn’t mean claiming to make every hat we sell entirely ourselves. Our work also involves knowing how to choose the right workshop, manufacturer, and expertise for each type of hat.

Customization and embroidery

For individuals, associations, businesses, clubs, or professionals, certain hats can be customized, depending on the style.

Embroidery, branding, a choice of certain finishes, or the production of special runs can turn a hat into something truly personal.

→ Explore our options for businesses and custom orders

Making hats here, selecting the best expertise

Hatmaking is an international craft, and every region has its specialties.

France remains home to workshops and manufacturers with genuine hatmaking expertise. Italy has long been known for its work with felt, straw, and a wide range of textiles. Spain also maintains several important hatmaking traditions.

And when it comes to a genuine Panama hat, its origins are inseparable from Ecuador, where toquilla straw is traditionally prepared and woven before the hat is shaped and finished.

We therefore prefer to state products’ origins and characteristics clearly rather than reduce a hat’s quality to a single country-of-origin label.

→ Learn more about hats made in France

The Traclet brand: our experience put into practice

Over the years, Chapellerie Traclet has developed its own collection.

This brand allows us to offer styles that directly reflect what our customers are looking for: timeless shapes, season-appropriate materials, sought-after sizes, distinctive colors, and styles that have become hard to find in hat shops today.

Depending on the style, these products may be made in our workshop, produced for Traclet by specialist partners in France, or entrusted to European and international workshops chosen for their expertise.

We believe transparency about how products are made is essential.

→ Explore Traclet hats, caps, berets, and beanies

Leading hatmakers selected by Traclet

A hatter’s work also means knowing the specialties of different makers.

We select hatmakers known for their history or specialty: Stetson for its American heritage and iconic hats, Laulhère and other historic makers for berets, Kangol for its contemporary caps and hats, Tilley for outdoor and sun-protective styles, and French and European makers such as Fléchet, Crambes, City Sport, and many others.

Our goal isn’t to offer a brand simply because it’s well known. It’s to select the styles in each collection that stand out for their cut, material, comfort, or balance of quality and practicality.

Advice from a hatter, in-store or from a distance

It isn’t always possible to visit our Roanne store to try on a hat. A large part of our work, then, is sharing our expertise from a distance.

Brim width, crown height, how felt behaves, the flexibility of straw, a brand’s sizing, whether a style can be folded, and its resistance to rain: we aim to include the information you really need to choose in our product descriptions.

And if you’re still unsure, our team can advise you before you order.

→ Ask the Traclet team a question

Caring for, reshaping, and preserving your hat

A hatter’s expertise doesn’t end when you make a purchase.

A quality hat can last its owner many years if its material is treated properly. Drying, storage, dusting, the use of steam, and even how you handle the brim can significantly affect its lifespan.

That’s why we’ve developed guides to caring for felt, straw, leather, and fabric hats.

→ Read the hat care guide

Sharing the culture of hats

Being a hatter also means knowing the history of what you sell.

Why is the fedora called a fedora? What’s the difference between a trilby and a fedora? How can you recognize a genuine Panama hat? Where does the Basque beret come from? Why are some caps called newsboy, Irish, or Hatteras caps?

Answering these questions is part of our trade.

We’re gradually sharing this knowledge in our guides and the Chapellerie Traclet Journal to help everyone better understand hat shapes, materials, production methods, and history.

→ Read the Chapellerie Traclet Journal

Why buy your hat from a hatter?

Today, you can buy a hat from countless websites. But choosing one from a dedicated hat shop offers something different: product knowledge.

We know how sizing varies between brands, as well as the differences between materials, shapes, brim structure, foldable and nonfoldable styles, seasonal uses, and care methods.

This experience helps us guide you toward the product that truly meets your needs, rather than simply the first one listed in a catalog.

Traclet’s advice: the best hat isn’t necessarily the most expensive. It’s the one whose shape, size, material, and intended use truly suit the person wearing it.

Chapellerie Traclet in Roanne

Our online business remains directly connected to our work as retailers and hatters.

You can also explore our collections and get advice at our store:

Chapellerie Traclet
4 rue de Cadore
42300 Roanne
France

Phone: 04 77 71 40 58
Email: contact@chapellerie-traclet.live

→ Information about our Roanne store

Frequently asked questions about Chapellerie Traclet

Does Chapellerie Traclet make every hat it sells?

No. Some of our creations, preparation work, and customizations are carried out in our workshop or for our brand, while other styles come from specialist manufacturers in France, elsewhere in Europe, and around the world. A hatter’s trade involves knowing and selecting these different areas of expertise.

How long has Chapellerie Traclet been in business?

The Traclet business has been based in Roanne since 1880. It has grown over generations and expanded online as early as 1995.

Can I get advice before buying a hat online?

Yes. Our team can advise you on a style’s size, shape, material, or intended use. You can also consult our guides to sizing, shapes, and care.

How do I find my hat size?

Simply measure around your head with a tape measure, passing it about one centimeter above your eyebrows and ears. See our complete hat size guide for instructions on measuring correctly.

Does Chapellerie Traclet offer hats made in France?

Yes. We offer a range of hats made in France, as well as creations from European and international workshops. We specify each product’s country of manufacture and characteristics in its listing whenever possible.

Can I customize a hat or cap?

Depending on the style and project, we can explore various customization options, particularly for businesses, associations, clubs, events, or bulk orders. Our team can advise you on what’s possible for your project.

A passion for hats for more than a century

Styles and fashions have changed since 1880. Yet the work of Chapellerie Traclet remains rooted in the same principles: know the product, select with care, give precise advice, and share the culture of hats.

From the genuine beret to the Panama hat, the fedora to the flat cap, the formal hat to the technical UV-protective hat, every style has its own history and purpose.

Our goal is simple: to help you find the right hat and give you the knowledge to choose it, wear it, and keep it for years to come.

Explore Chapellerie Traclet   |   Ask for advice   |   Explore our hatmaking guides