Historical timeline

Chosen Family

After Reeser’s passing in 1949, Casper Garrels took over the day-to-day operations and soon became co-owner. In 1974, his son Casper Jr. joined the company. From that moment on, The English Hatter became a true family business - with Hanneke Garrels-Broese, the wife of Casper Jr., also playing a key role within the company.Casper Garrels Sr. led The English Hatter for nearly 60 years, until 1998, when Casper Jr. became sole owner.Although The English Hatter is no longer a family business in the formal sense, there remains a deep bond among the employees - with each other, with the company, and with the products.A chosen family: people who may not share the same blood, but certainly share the same spirit.

Seasons

The English Hatter carries umbrellas by the British brand Fox Umbrellas - and you won’t find a better one. They’ve been making them since 1868. A true seasonal product, because at The English Hatter, the collection has always followed the rhythm of the seasons. Not, as is so common today, a new collection every month. And we don’t do sales either. Not once in ninety years. Because a coat, scarf, or umbrella that’s perfect this year, will be just as perfect next year.

Tradition

In the Sixties, hats became a symbol of the establishment - and hardly anyone still wanted to be seen wearing one of those “old-fashioned” things. It was the perfect moment for The English Hatter to reinvent itself. And yet, it was a bold decision to hold on to the traditions of the English Country Style, precisely during this time. But in those turbulent 1960s, we learned an important lesson: there is always room for tradition. Since then, The English Hatter has carried a selection of traditional brands - each one an anchor for our values. And our own products, crafted under the English Hatter label, are expected to live up to those same standards.

The Sixties

The Sixties were a time of major social change. After the restrictive post-war years, the younger generation longed for freedom and innovation in every area - music, fashion, politics, and art. In the Netherlands, the Provo movement was a direct response to this spirit of the times. Just around the corner from The English Hatter on the Heiligeweg, the famous happenings took place on the Spui. With these playful acts of protest, Provo symbolically broke away from everything associated with the Dutch establishment.

One side effect of this cultural shift? No one wore hats anymore. Hats had come to represent exactly what people wanted to leave behind - the old and the rigid. Hat shops went out of business, but The English Hatter was flexible enough to adapt. Hats and caps gradually made way for men’s fashion inspired by classic English tailoring. And even in the revolutionary Sixties, there was still a clear demand for that.

Loyalty

In the early 1970s, Hanneke and Casper Garrels Jr. were walking through a clothing fair in Paris when they discovered William Lockie. That’s truly what it felt like at the time - a real discovery. There was no internet or search engines back then - you had to go to Paris first, and then on to Scotland, to meet the family behind the knitwear. We still sell those sweaters today, and we’re proud of that. Of course because of the unmatched quality we offer our customers - but above all because of our partnership with William Lockie, which has lasted for over fifty years.

Attitude

Countless books have been written about what it truly means to be a gentleman. You can try to define it through rules or etiquette - but as far as we’re concerned, it all comes down to attitude.

Attitude has more to do with character than with clothing - although, admittedly, the clothing does help. A gentleman’s attitude radiates natural calm, style, and confidence.

From time to time, we like to shine a light on someone who embodies that spirit - someone who sets the tone. Take Michael Caine. In 1985 already a model of refinement, and now - at 91 - still living proof that attitude doesn’t fade
with age. A true gentleman.

And yes - he is exactly one year older than The English Hatter.