Seattle artisan expands with custom hat bar
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Topping off the look, one brim at a time. Photo: Christine Clarridge/Axios
Michael Patrick Hoyle makes hats that are built to stay put in a Seattle windstorm.
Why it matters: In a rainy, gusty city where many locals refuse to carry umbrellas, a well-fitted hat isn't just fashion; it's function.
State of play: After eight years in Belltown, Hoyle Hat Company is relocating to Pioneer Square as one of the first tenants in the restored Grand Central Building, which has been closed since 2020.
- Hoyle tells Axios he plans to expand by creating what he calls Seattle's first true storefront "hat bar," where customers can customize ready-to-wear hats or commission bespoke pieces.
- He also plans to host classes and private events in the new space, teaching customers how to block and shape hats themselves.
The big picture: Hoyle is among a handful of local artisans — including Wayne Wichern of the Ballard Millenary Studio, who creates Kentucky Derby-style concoctions, and Scott Flesher of RDS Hats, who specializes in top hats — keeping the craft alive.
- He says interest in hats grows every year and the city is due for a revival.
- "Hats were really popular in the 1920s and '30s," Hoyle says. "We're here again."
What they're saying: "For the hat wearer, fit is mission-critical," says Eric John Makus, a fourth-generation Seattleite who used to get his hats made at what he called the "legendary" downtown shop Byrnie Utz.
- Even slight weight changes, humidity or hydration can alter how a hat sits, he tells Axios. Utz used to fine-tune hats on site — something he's found that online retailers can't replicate.
Plus, Seattle's wind tunnels are particularly unforgiving. Makus once watched a poorly fitted hat fly halfway down University Street "like something out of 'The Wizard of Oz.'"
What to expect: Hoyle sells a variety of hats, including custom creations ($1,000–$2,500) built from scratch using hand-blocked beaver or rabbit felt and high-quality leather. Hoyle measures the customer's head, shapes the crown and brim, and fits it precisely.
- Bar hats ($250–$350) are ready-to-wear pieces he sources from select makers, then customizes on site.
- Customers can reshape brims, add bands, branding burns and detailing to make it their own.
- He also offers hand-stitched caps, alpaca pieces and knit beanies made locally.
Catch up quick: Hoyle, 40, was working in a piano shop in Bremerton when a customer noticed the wool felt dust across the floor — remnants of piano hammers — and suggested he could make a hat from it.
- The comment stuck, especially since Hoyle's early baldness had given him a particular affection for hats.
- Hoyle went home, bought every book he could find on millinery and hat-making, and taught himself the craft.
The bottom line: In this fleece-loving city, Hoyle is betting Seattle is ready to try another way of topping things off.