Monsel

Sometimes you just need a hat! One of my colleagues took me here to look around and after thinking on it for several days, I decided to get a hat. They have several different styles for women and men and for those «rare» rainy days in Brussels — they have umbrellas too!

It’s great to stock up on chocolate, waffles and sirop de Liege when you go to Brussels, but a lesser-​know specialty I’ve discovered is hats!
In the center of town near the Galeries de la Reine are several old world hat and umbrella shops that are a throwback to yesteryear. I’m talking the kind of stores with only a few models in the window but lots of stock hidden in the back that you need to have the vendor go and fetch for you depending on your size and preferences.
I decided this year that I was NOT going to be cold this winter. After finding a great down jacket that is cosy glamor, my target was my head and my goal was to get it covered stylishly and well before the temperature dropped. I spotted an adorable knitted wool hat in the window and stepped inside Monsel for more investigating. Turns out that there were several other models in the same style, each hand-​knitted in Nepal using thick, lush wool and available in lots of wearable colors. I settled on a dark grey cap with a faint air of Amelia Earhart that has a removable next strap. For 50E, it certainly wasn’t cheap, but more than worth the price for its cute/​quality ratio and the fact that I’d never seen or heard of the brand before.

Vous vous promenez dans les magnifiques galeries de la Reine et vous tombez nez à nez avec un vieux magasin de chapeaux et de parapluies! C’est devenu bien rare de nos jours et de plus, Monsel est devenu une véritable institution Bruxelloise…
Ce type de magasin pratique des prix assez élevés mais vend des produits de grande qualité. Chapeaux melons, véritables Stetsons et Borsalinos vous feront tourner la tête tant le choix est large! Vous y trouverez également des parapluies un peu plus classe que celui que vous avez reçu gratuitement chez Fortis!
Un endroit idéal pour faire un beau cadeau à une personne classe et de bon goût… Pour l’instant je me contente de regarder la vitrine à chaque fois que je passé devant, et rien que pour ça, ça vaut le détour.