Optimo Hats

Bought a Chicago Fedora from here years ago. Worth every dollar. Love the hat and this shop is so cool. What they do is truely classic. I look forward to getting another hat

Took my husband’s Optimo hats in today for cleaning /​blocking. I forgot how cool the store is, how knowledgeable they are in there, and we talked about my husband’s first Optimo hat. It was a gift and we went together for his fitting and choice of style. Based on the knowledge and suggestion of Graham, the owner, we opted for the larger brimmed fedora. It was well worth the cost as the hat is classy, timeless and my husband looks badass. Never does he go out in his hat that he is not complimented. They are costly, but well worth it when you realize it is hand made, custom made and will last a lifetime. The craftsmanship alone is worth it, looking badass… Priceless.

Truly a great find. Fantastic custom made hats. Highest quality like you can’t really find any more. I actually made time during a business trip to Chicago to visit, and it was well worth it. Highly recommend.

I drive by this place everyday. I was always curious and my interest was perked when I saw write ups in the Trib and Chicago Magazine. I decided to treat myself to a hat, having no idea what they cost. I was a bit surprised at the cost at first, but I’m now on my 4^th Optimo hat, so obviously I’m a believer in their value. Graham (the owner), is an artist. Every time I wear one of his hats, I get glowing comments. I was leaving a Walgreen’s once during rush hour and as I walked to my car, I hear brakes screeching, I look to see the screecher rolling down his window and yelling, «hey man, where did you get that cool hat… it’s da bomb?» His hats make a statement no matter what you’re wearing. You’ll feel like a VIP and you’ll be treated like one. I have noticed several times at restaurants that it seemed I was seated quicker and at more desirable tables. They fit so well that even the windy city gusts have yet to blow one off my head. Go ahead and treat yourself to one OR as a gift for someone special. Graham and his entire staff are always at the top of their game.

This is painful to write, but I have to admit, the hat I dearly paid for is awesome. It hurts because I am admitting that during a moment of weakness, I found value in a four hundred dollar straw hat. Before entering the store, I did some research on Panama hats and knew real ones were pricey. Although the store did have the traditional white ones for about half, I saw a gold colored hat that turned me into butter. The greatest mistake I made was saying this,“can I try that one on.” The feel on my head said «wow.» I turned to the mirror and despite my ratty t-​shirty, I looked dapper from the neck on up. Upon wearing this hat, I have been out in the sun on blistering days and it does the job. Too often hats cause me to sweat more but not this one. Certainly it’s not an air-​conditioner, but I was not roasting like I do in my cheap Chinese paper hats. The second mistake I made was allowing the saleswoman to show me a hat for fall. I tried it on and thought «for the price of this hat, I could have a phenomenal grill.» However, I can’t wear a grill. As the polite saleswoman concluded the sale of my golden straw hat, she said, «Now you have started your hat collection.» «I hope not» I thought. But every time I don the straw hat, like an opium addict, I begin to crave that next high: the fall hat.
Sadly after a recent return I did not have the sales ladies but a guy who was cold and arrogant. He actually worked his way out of a sale. I know you’re an «artist» but you have to have some savvy as well. In sum, if the customer has the desire for the product and purchasing capacity, only a moron fails to close the sale.

Great hats. great store. knowledgeable. can make anyone look good in a hat.
Here is my beef. He has a new store in downtown Chicago. Shouldn’t you be able to drop off your hat there and pick it up for service. I own two Optimo hats, one straw and one felt. They service them on the southside and it’s a long way there. I hate to throw a hat in the mail.
These aren’t cheap hats. They are custom, $ 450 and up. They ought to pick up and deliver at the downtown locale. They’d increase their business.

An update on my hat buying experience at Optimo — got my hat in December, and just putting it on improves my early AM attitude every weekday as I walk out the door– it’s that good. The final fitting was impressive as the owner personally fitted me and gave the hat a final steam-​tweak and brushing. The hat is warm and inviting, and I will regret having to retire it to it’s snazzy hatbox in a couple weeks for the summer. If they weren’t so expensive, I’d get another in an instant — as it is I’ll have to have deferred gratification on that.

overall experience today 3 to 3.5 until i update my review.
the hats were a good 4 to maybe 4.5
i did not even know about this company until my trip to san francisco a couple of weeks ago where i visited my usual clothing spot, wilkes bashford there and saw these hats.
the gentleman who helped me today was a bit pushy, and tried to get me to buy one or two of the hats they had off shelf and modify them for me (rather than custom make them). i may still buy both, or at least one. but felt a bit uncomfortable.
this was very different from an experience i had in a hat shop in berlin just about two or three months ago. I bought a great handmade, old fashioned making type of hat there. loved the hat, the owner and the quality/​craftsmanship so much that just ordered two more hats from them.
given a starting price of $ 595 (plus tax), i think the champ there should have been less pushy and more consultative in his approach. he was reasonably nice, polite, etc. the lady there (luz) was very honest and candid.
maybe i am being a bit cautious as i am sure they do not have many customers called MEHRAN!
i hope in my next visit, i upgrade this place to a 4. in fact, i am sure i will in particular right after i buy one of their quality hats.

Optimo Hat Company is a true throw back to the era when most men wore hats. They make custom beaver felt hats. The process starts with their well trained hat fitters finding the shape of hat that best compliments the shape of your head. Then they size the hat for your head. This isn’t done in 1/​8, ¼ or ½ sizes, it’s done to the actual size of your head for the best fit. You get to chose brim size, ribbon type, color and every thing else to make the hat truly custom. It will take about six weeks for your hat to be hand made (at least that’s how long each of my hats took).
The price for a typical Fedora style hat with tax is just over $ 600. You can get the finest Panama hat for $ 20,000 (both Sting and Johnny Dep took a good look at this hat)
This is a great store and a better experience from the past.

I’m not a hat person. I look dumb in them, and that’s that. But, believe it or not, the gentleman and lady working here were able to find something that didn’t make me look downright stupid. I didn’t know my ginormous freak head could be properly hatted.
Aside from me, the two employees (one of whom was the owner) spent a decent amount of time with my grandfather, helping him pick a hat that would compliment an unseen wardrobe. Optimo has probably a couple dozen shapes, and they can match any size brim with any shape hat, customize it to the shape of your head (round, oval, etc) and then accessorize to your tastes — you pick the color, the ribbon, what kind of bow, what kind of brim edging. Everything is custom made, but if they have something on the shelf you like, you’re welcome to go home with that. For the most part though, I think they use the shelf wares as testers to help narrow down what looks best on a person.
I now have a card in my wallet, listing the hat I would love to be able to justify… but at $ 550 for a custom made beaver felt hat… I would need to wear hats significantly more to made it worth while. Perhaps I should go get one… and start a trend? 25 year olds with fedoras?
And if you really have cash burning a hole in your pocket, I am to understand they have hand woven Panama hats that run in to the 5 figure range. Is there a category above «Ultra High End?»