Gifts for Someone Who Loves Hats & Headpieces (Eight Headpieces That Need No Size)

From the Merve Bayindir atelier in London: a gift edit for the hat lover in your life, with the sizing, timing and presentation questions answered before you have to ask them.

Buying gifts for someone who loves hats is harder than it looks. They already own the obvious pieces, they have firm views on colour and shape, and a hat that does not fit is a gift that stays in its box. The answer we give most often in the atelier is a headband: a couture headpiece that needs no size, sits alongside the hats they already have, and gets worn from the first occasion onwards. Below are eight we would choose, from £300 to £850, with a guide to choosing, sizing and timing if you do decide on a hat.

 

Eight headbands to give

Each is hand-made in our London atelier and chosen to suit a different kind of hat lover. Prices include UK VAT.

EDEN'S VEIL HEADBAND

£300

A slim, slightly raised band in blush silk satin with a soft, sheer veil that drapes over the face. For the hat lover who prefers restraint to spectacle, and a thoughtful gift for a bride-to-be.

IRIX HEADBAND

£350

A black matte lycra headband with a sculptural iridescent bow that shifts between lilac, blue and pink as it moves, centred with a pink geometric embellishment. For the one whose wardrobe leans modern and playful.

LILAC WHISPERS HEADBAND

£350

A flat Alice-style headband on a soft lilac silk base, with a sculptural JinSin twist curling above it and a mini lilac tulle pompom set into the design. Light enough to wear from morning to evening, and the easiest piece here to wear every day.

PETAL HARMONY HEADBAND

£400

A semi-high headband in dark lilac silk sateen, carrying an oversized double-layered crinoline bow with a silk organza butterfly set into it. For the romantic, and for a summer of weddings ahead.

PEARL SNAIL HEADBAND

£450

Black velvet overlaid with a silver-black net, with a net flower to one side and a mother-of-pearl snail brooch at its centre. Witty and dark, for the hat lover with a sense of humour.

OFFICIUM HEADBAND

£600

A vivid yellow velvet headband with a thick, padded structure, set to one side with a bouquet of pastel resin blooms in peach, light blue and cream, wired on fine stems with leaves and pearl accents. Colour for the grey months.

DEMITTO HEADBAND

£750

A thick, plush pink velvet band with an arrangement of handmade resin flowers in pastel shades and detailed leaves on one side. Soft, warm and versatile, from a wedding to a relaxed lunch.

WALTZ HEADBAND

£850

An ivory silk sateen headband with clusters of cream cotton flowers on one side and pearl accents scattered along the top. The gift for a bride, or for anyone with a wedding in the diary.

At a glance

Why a headband is the safest gift

A hat has to fit, and a hat lover will know at once if it does not. A headband sits on the head rather than around it, so it avoids the question entirely. It also fills a gap: most people who love hats have a hat for each season and occasion, but far fewer have a couture headband to wear when a full hat would be too much, at a dinner, a theatre evening, a winter wedding or a smart lunch. And a headband gets worn quickly. It needs no occasion to justify it.

Choosing for them

Look at what they already wear

Their existing hats tell you almost everything. Note the colours they return to, whether they choose clean lines or a lot of trim, and whether their pieces are small and neat or large and sculptural. Choose something that sits with the collection, not something that copies a piece they already own.

Think about their next occasion

A wedding in the spring suggests a silk or sateen piece in a soft colour. A winter of parties suggests velvet. A bride-to-be might welcome a veiled or ivory piece. If you know the occasion, choose for it, and they will wear the gift within weeks.

Match the scale to how they dress

Someone who dresses quietly will wear a slim band with one detail more often than an oversized bow. Someone who dresses for the room will love the bow. When in doubt, choose the smaller piece: it will be worn more.

Choose something that sits with their collection, not something that copies a piece they already own.

If it has to be a hat

Most of our online collection is designed as one size fits most, which makes a hat a far safer gift than it once was. For anything fitted, find their size without asking.

• Borrow a hat that fits them well and measure around the inside of the band, where it meets the head.

• Check the label inside a hat they already wear; many hats carry the size.

• If you can measure, run a soft tape around the head at mid-forehead, just above the ears, where a hat naturally sits. For most women this falls somewhere around 57cm.

Our guide to measuring hat size walks through it step by step. For a hat made entirely to their own measurements, bespoke consultations are held by appointment; for that, it is best to bring them into the plan.

When to order

Ready-to-ship pieces dispatch the next working day. Made-to-order pieces show their lead time on each product page, 20 working days on some of our more involved pieces, so for Christmas, order made-to-order pieces by mid-November. International delivery takes two to five working days once a piece has been dispatched.

The box is part of the gift

Hat boxes began as bandboxes, light boxes made to store the starched ruffs and collars of the seventeenth century, and by the nineteenth century they were a fashionable way to carry and keep hats. The principle has not changed: a good box protects the shape of a headpiece and keeps it away from light and dust. Every one of our pieces arrives in a custom box, and it is where the piece should live between occasions.

How our headpieces are made

Every headband in this edit is hand-made in our London atelier: the band shaped and covered in silk, sateen or velvet, the flowers, bows and brooches worked and set by hand so they sit at the right angle and hold it. 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 do you buy someone who loves hats?

A couture headband is the safest choice: it needs no size, sits alongside the hats they already own, and gets worn often. Choose it by the colours and scale of the hats they already wear.

How do I find out someone's hat size without asking?

Borrow a hat that fits them and measure inside the band, or check the size label inside one they wear. Most of our online collection is one size fits most.

When should I order a hat for Christmas?

Ready-to-ship pieces dispatch the next working day. For made-to-order pieces, which show their lead time on the product page, order by mid-November.

Does the gift arrive boxed?

Yes. Every order arrives in a custom box, ready to give, and shipping is included worldwide.

What is a good hat lover's gift under £500?

Eden's Veil (£300), Irix (£350), Lilac Whispers (£350), Petal Harmony (£400) and Pearl Snail (£450) are all hand-made headbands in that range.

Find the gift

All eight are hand-made in our London atelier. Browse our full range of headbands and luxury headbands, our party fascinators and headbands for the festive season, or our hats if you have their size. For gifts needed soon, our ready to ship pieces dispatch the next working day. The best gifts for someone who loves hats are the ones they wear the week they open them.