Bibi & Compagnie

I spent some time in this store today and had a wonderful, educational visit with the shop owners. Both were busy making hats when we entered. My husband told them up front I liked looking at hats but did not like to spend money on myself just to prepare them for my «tire kicking» visit as another reviewer put it. While there are no «do not touch» signs in the store, it was obvious their inventory Is special that deserves respect and careful handling. They joked with us while we took a quick stroll around the store until we arrived at the fur hats. I put them in charge with no intention to purchase and within a few minutes (much to my husbands surprise) I was ready to buy. Between the two of them they had found the hat of my dreams that fit perfectly and I will wear for years.

My wife really wanted to buy a brown hat. After being forced to try on several old-​ladyish hats that were too small and looked ridiculous, the wife and husband started their barrage of insults such as, «if you can’t see yourself in a hat, don’t waste my time», to «if you spend that much money on your boots why won’t you spend that much on your head.» I felt like we were being scolded by the beret-​wearing villain in the Goonies movie. Then the husband turned to me (I was wearing a college baseball cap) and said «like you, wearing your cheap Chinese made hat that’s only good for publicity.» After less than five minutes in the store, the husband said, «if you can’t see yourself in a hat, better to go elsewhere.» And with that we did. But as we were walking toward the door, they continued sharing their insults about us with each other.

I think these bad reviewers have never dealt with:
1. Dry-​witted hatters
2. Dry-​witted Québécois
3. Dry-​witted older store owners
In any case, I had a lovely experience here, after the gentleman stopped tailing me through the store (I get this a lot – I’m apparently too young or disheveled to be shopping for serious items of luxury, so the store keeps assume I’m a thief) and helped me find my size, I had a grand time with him and, yes, the quite polite, good-​humored Bibi herself.
If you go in for ten minutes, ask questions, try more than one hat on, then get rudeness when you leave without purchasing anything and so leave a low review, you deserved the shade that was thrown your way and your reviews mean nothing.
I am quite happy with my wool hat and my experience with this fine Chapelier.
Post-​script: the reason hatters don’t want you trying the hats on without them is not simply because they’re detesting of tire-​kicking (which they very rightly are) – it’s because you can damage many hats with your hand’s natural oils, and brimmed hats are meant to be handled on certain areas of the hat to avoid premature degrading of the wool, felt, straw, etc.
The more you know…

I found Bibi and the gentleman with her to be extremely pleasant and helpful. And I love me new hat!

Ditto to other reviews. The old guy is argumentative, rude, and insulting. The hats are pretentious and expensive. I found the whole experience repressive, stuffy and a tourist trap. Avoid this place unless you actually enjoy being treated poorly or dealing with curmudgeons.

Terrible employee, super rude. The man was helping another couple, and we were browsing the shop. We found a mans aviator hat, and we were trying them on, with intent to purchase. The man walks over, and begins to berate us something about «does not pay his rent». I was speechless, apologized, and he said, «next time you should ask, apologies do not matter». This was the first shop we stopped in, and thankfully the only rude person we encoutered our whole trip. It was so bad, I wanted to walk back in and show him the hat WE DID BUY from his competitor. Vote with your $$!

Si vous aimez les chapeaux, un détour chez Bibi est de mise! L’endroit regorge de tous les chapeaux auxquels vous pouvez rêver!
Depuis quelque temps, les couvre-​chefs semblent tenter de revenir comme élément mode essentiel de toute garde-​robe. Ainsi, peut-​être que cette petite boutique du Vieux-​Québec saura vous charmer? En tout cas, pour moi ce fut une visite très inspirante puisque chaque chapeau fait rêver!
Malheureusement, je suis loin d’avoir une tête à chapeau…

Dans un monde où le port du chapeau n’est plus autant à la mode qu’autrefois résiste un couple de chapeliers qui n’en démordent pas. En fait, leur passion est telle qu’ils réussissent à nous la transmettre. J’ai fait part à la madame, coiffée de son éternel panama (enfin, je crois que c’était cela), du déclin général de l’engouement pour les chapeaux, ce à quoi elle m’a expressément répondu: «C’est parce que les gens n’ont plus de tête! «. Comme c’était bien dit! J’ai été charmé. J’avais envie de repartir avec un haut-​de-​forme sur le tête et me procurer un monocle de bourgeois.
La plupart des chapeaux sont fabriqués par des artisans québécois, le reste provenant des 4 coins du monde (Australie, Belgique, Écosse, Équateur). Chaque tête, qu’elle soit féminine ou masculine, classique ou excentrique, trouvera ici le chapeau qui lui convient: melon, béret, cuir, fourrure, casquettes, cowboy, capitaine, etc. etc. etc. La variété est incommensurable et l’expérience, unique, surtout si on commence à en essayer…

Un endroit bien spécialisé dans la vieille ville. Bibi, le spécialiste du chapeau n’a rien à envier aux magasins du même genre que j’ai déjà visités à New York. On y trouve tous les couvre-​chefs possibles et inimaginables! Les prix sont assez variés, ce qui est une excellente chose, mais tout reste de très bonne qualité!
Du tricorne à la Jack Sparrow, au sombrero traditionnel, en passant par le chapeau de Clint Eastwood, vous serez assez surpris de voir tout ce qui se porte là-​haut, au-​dessus de vos oreilles. Il va sans dire que vous pourrez aussi bien trouver des articles plus classiques (tuques, casquettes, etc.).
Une belle petite boutique à connaitre, chapeau bas! (désolé…)

Great shop. I’m not a hat person, but suddenly felt the need to get a summer hat, and they set me up with something perfect. Very helpful people work there/​own the place. I experienced none of the rudeness that others mentioned, and I’m an American with practically no French. Really nice, one-​of-​a-​kind shop, with high quality products.