Sep 28, 2026

8 Felt Fascinators and Hats Worth Waiting for Winter

From the Merve Bayindir atelier in London: eight hand-made felt pieces for the colder months, what the felt is made of, how it becomes a hat, and how to keep it in shape for years.

When the straw goes back into its box, felt takes over. Felt fascinators and hats carry the occasion calendar from autumn to early spring: winter weddings, Christmas parties, race meetings on cold afternoons, gallery evenings and the days that call for something dark and quiet. Felt holds a sharp line, takes a deep colour and sits warm on the head, and a well-made felt piece keeps its shape for years. What it can do depends on which felt it is and how it was blocked, so that is where to start.

Wool felt	Made from sheep's wool. Lighter in price, soft in handle, and the usual choice for berets and relaxed shapes.
Fur felt	Made from rabbit or beaver fur. Denser, smoother, more water-resistant, and holds a crisp, sculpted shape.
Season	In Britain, felt is worn from autumn into early spring. There is no fixed date; the weather decides.
Care	Brush with the nap, let rain dry naturally, store boxed and away from sunlight.

Eight felt fascinators and hats from our atelier

From a sculptural statement hat to an everyday beret, each is blocked and finished by hand in London. Prices include UK VAT.

GENEVE HAT

Model is showcasing Tall double pillbox felt base decorated with long Chanel style feathers surrounding the hat

£3,400

A structured cylindrical black felt base with an explosion of black feathers rising from the top and fanning out in every direction, for height and movement that change with each turn of the head. The smooth felt against the soft plumes is the whole idea. Made to order and ready to dispatch within 20 working days.

CORDELIA PILLBOX HAT

Model is wearing a double layer, tall ivory pillbox hat embellished with pearls.. The hat has ove ivory felt bow on each later, centres adorned with pearl balls.

£1,450

A tall, double-layered ivory pillbox blocked in soft fur felt with a smooth, two-tiered silhouette. A felt bow sits at the front of each layer, each centred with a cluster of cultured pearls that echo the pearls scattered across the hat. Worn upright and centred on the crown, it is made for winter weddings and bridal occasions.

LUNE WIDE BRIM BOATER HAT

£1,100

A black wool felt boater with a clean, flat wide brim. The crown carries a hand-stitched outline of a hand drawn in fine thread, circling a sculptural wire ornament that loops upward like an unruly ribbon flower. Calm geometry below, sharp drama above.

LUMI FELT BERET HAT

The model showcases the front of the Lumi Beret, crafted in classic black felt, and adorned with multi-coloured crystals that wrap across the front to the side of the brim. Designed by Merve Bayindir.

£900

A black wool felt beret on a soft, classic base, its crown wrapped in dense, hand-set bursts of multicoloured rhinestones. The sparkle against the matte felt makes it one of our most festive pieces, for winter parties, gallery openings and New Year.

ORION BERET HAT

The model showcases the front of the Orion beret, made from deep grey wool felt, a classic vintage style shape is transformed by a sculptural knot in metallic gunmetal crystal rhinestone, resting near the temple like an insignia. Designed by Merve Bayindir.

£550

A grey fur felt beret on a softly slouched French shape, with a sculptural knot in gunmetal crystal rhinestone resting near the temple. Quiet, modern and easy to wear with a winter coat. Made to order and ready to dispatch within 15 working days.

BELLE PILLBOX FASCINATOR

The model is showcasing the front of the Belle Fascinator button-shaped hand-formed pillbox hat in a warm cinnamon tone, wrapped in finely pleated organza for rich texture and depth. Sitting neatly on the crown, it’s finished with delicate beads and translucent resin petals. Designed by Merve Bayindir.

£750

A cinnamon pillbox fascinator in wool felt, hand-formed and wrapped in finely pleated organza for a layered texture. Beads and translucent resin petals give a frosted finish and a little height, and the piece sits neatly on the crown.

STELLA FEDORA HAT

The model showcases the left high angle of the Stella fedora crafted in deep black felt, the silhouette is elevated by a subtle metallic crystal band featuring strands of crystal embellished thread that catch the light with every tilt of the head. The tied ends fall just off-centre on the left side. Designed by Merve Bayindir.

£500

A black wool felt fedora with a softly pinched crown and a metallic crystal band of fine reflective strands around its base, tied off-centre for a deliberate asymmetry. For autumn city days, jazz bars and gallery evenings.

BRAMBLE FELT BERET HAT

The female model is showcasing the right front side of the wool beret-style hat she is wearing. The black hat is decorated with metal, two bold floral embellishments in vivid fuchsia. The side beret is higher on the left side and shorter on the right side, with a bit of felt ribbon detail on the top centre. Designed by Merve Bayindir.

£450

A deep black wool felt beret on a softly slouched shape, with two bold metal floral embellishments in vivid fuchsia enamel set on the side. Structured enough to hold its form and light enough to wear all day.

At a glance

Piece	Detail	Shape	Price	Best for
Geneve	Black felt, feather crown	Statement hat	£3,400	Black tie, winter races
Cordelia	Ivory fur felt, pearls	Tall pillbox	£1,450	Winter weddings, brides
Lune	Black wool felt, wire	Wide brim boater	£1,100	Art openings, evenings
Lumi	Black wool felt, rhinestones	Beret	£900	Christmas, New Year
Orion	Grey fur felt, crystal knot	Beret	£550	Everyday winter
Belle	Cinnamon felt, organza	Pillbox fascinator	£750	Winter occasions
Stella	Black wool felt, crystal band	Fedora	£500	City days, evenings
Bramble	Black wool felt, enamel flowers	Beret	£450	Winter weddings, dinners

What felt is

Felt is not woven. It is made by working animal fibres with moisture, heat and pressure until their scales lock together into a single dense, matted sheet. That is why felt has no grain to fray and why it can be stretched over a block and hold a new shape once it dries.

Wool felt

Made from sheep's wool. It is softer and lighter in the hand, less expensive, and ideal for berets, slouched shapes and pieces that are worn often and packed into a bag. It holds a shape well, though not as crisply as fur felt.

Fur felt

Made from rabbit or beaver fur, whose finer fibres mat more tightly. The result is denser, smoother and more water-resistant, and it takes and keeps a sharp, sculpted line. It is the felt for structured pillboxes, fedoras and brims that need to stay exactly where the milliner put them.

Finishes: peachbloom, velour and melusine

Felt can be finished with a raised pile. Peachbloom has a very short, soft nap, like the skin of a peach. Velour has a short, dense, lustrous pile. Melusine has a longer, glossier pile that catches the light like fur. Velvet, which we also use on winter headbands, is something different: a woven fabric with a cut pile, not a felt at all.

How a felt hat is made

A felt hat starts as a hood: a cone, or a capeline with a brim already formed. The shape comes from blocking, and it is almost entirely handwork.

Steam the hood until the felt softens and becomes pliable.
Pull it over a wooden block, easing it down evenly all round so the crown takes the shape of the block without thin patches.
Pin it in place below the line of the crown and keep working the felt until every crease has gone.
Leave it to dry on the block, usually for at least a day, so the new shape sets.
Stiffen and wire where needed, cut the brim or edge to its final line, then add the lining, headband and trims by hand.

Felt has no grain to fray. Steamed and pulled over a wooden block, it dries into a new shape and keeps it.

The trims are where each piece becomes itself: the pearl-centred bows on Cordelia, the hand-stitched line drawing on Lune, the rhinestones on Lumi, the enamel flowers on Bramble. Our guide to the fedora goes further into one of the classic felt shapes.

When to wear felt

Britain has no fixed date for changing from straw to felt. The convention is seasonal: felt from autumn, as the weather cools, through winter and into early spring, and straw again once the warmer days settle. The well-known fixed date, a September day after which straw hats were not worn, comes from American custom rather than British. In practice the weather and the occasion decide.

Winter weddings: an ivory or pale felt pillbox for the bride or a close family member; a coloured felt beret or pillbox for guests.
Christmas and New Year: a beret with sparkle, worn at an angle.
Race meetings in the colder months: a fedora or a structured felt piece that will not wilt in the damp.
Evenings and gallery openings: a black felt beret or boater with a sculptural trim.
Remembrance and funerals: a plain black felt shape, simply trimmed.

Our edit of fascinator hats for winter covers more cold-weather pieces beyond felt.

Caring for felt

Brush it regularly with a soft brush, working anticlockwise around the crown with the direction of the nap.
If it gets wet, blot off the excess, stuff the crown lightly with tissue so it keeps its shape, and let it dry naturally at room temperature. Never dry felt on a radiator or with a hairdryer.
Lift marks with steam, holding the felt a short distance from the steam of a kettle, then brushing once it has dried.
Handle it by the brim or the base, never by the pinch of the crown, which is where felt wears first.
Store it boxed, away from sunlight, which fades dark felt, and away from damp.

How our felt pieces are made

Every felt piece in this edit is blocked, dried, finished and trimmed by hand in our London atelier, with the felt chosen for the shape: fur felt where a line must stay sharp, wool felt where a piece should feel soft and easy. Merve Bayindir is a member of the British Fashion Council, with pieces selected for the Royal Ascot Style Guide. Every order arrives in a custom box, with worldwide DHL Express shipping included.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between wool felt and fur felt?

Wool felt is made from sheep's wool: softer, lighter and less expensive. Fur felt is made from rabbit or beaver fur: denser, smoother, more water-resistant, and able to hold a sharper shape.

When should you wear a felt hat in the UK?

From autumn, as the weather cools, through winter and into early spring. There is no fixed British date for changing from straw to felt.

Can a felt hat get wet?

A little rain will not harm it, and fur felt copes better than wool felt. Blot it, stuff the crown with tissue and let it dry naturally, away from radiators.

Are felt fascinators suitable for weddings?

Yes, for autumn and winter weddings. A felt pillbox or beret is the cold-weather counterpart to a sinamay fascinator, and sits comfortably with a winter coat.

How do you clean a felt hat?

Brush it anticlockwise around the crown with a soft brush, following the nap. Lift marks with a little kettle steam and brush again once dry.

Find your felt fascinator or hat

All eight are hand-made in our London atelier. Browse our winter occasion hats and fascinators, our wool beret hats, pillbox hats, fedora hats and boater hats, or our full range of hats. When the date is close, our ready to ship pieces dispatch the next working day. Felt fascinators and hats are the heart of the winter wardrobe: choose the felt for the shape, and the shape for the occasion.

Currency