Historical timeline

Timeless

Not long ago, a customer walked into our store on the Heiligeweg. He took a Barbour wax coat out of his bag and laid it on the counter. The jacket had clearly seen many years of wear - and no wonder: he had bought it in 1995, thirty years ago. “I’d like a new one,” the customer said.

No problem: we still carry that very same coat.

If it’s a classic, why change it?

Family

Here we see Peter and Hans Kraan - a duo that has been a steady and important presence within the company. They’re brothers, which makes them a fitting illustration for the theme of Family.From 1949 to 2017, The English Hatter was a true family business, led by the Garrels family. But the sense of family remains strong to this day.The
chosen family of The English Hatter isn’t limited to our staff. The brands we’ve worked with for decades are part of it too.And when a loyal customer walks into the shop, it feels a bit like a visit from a cousin we’d really like to see more often.

Slow Fashion

When the Netflix series Peaky Blinders premiered in 2013, we didn’t immediately understand why so many young men suddenly came in to browse our collection of caps. Such is the power of media to influence the way people dress.

In this case, it was fun - but that influence also has a downside. Around the same time - roughly 2013 - the term Fast Fashion began to take hold. Major clothing chains have since started responding to online trends at an ever-increasing pace, turning clothing into little more than a disposable product. The result: an environmental crisis.

By simply staying true to the company’s core values, The English Hatter now finds itself in a truly unique position. Not only do our loyal customers keep coming back - we’re also being embraced by a new, younger audience. A generation that is rediscovering traditional values like craftsmanship and quality, which today have taken on new meaning: sustainability and slow fashion.

Sustainability

You could say that the last trend we embraced at The English Hatter was the English Country Style - which rose to popularity around 1830. Granted, it has evolved a little since then. But not in a way that requires us to take part in the cycle where the “old collection” needs to go on sale to make room for the “new collection.” And when you don’t participate in that cycle, quality naturally becomes essential. Sustainability isn’t a goal in itself - but rather a welcome side effect of doing things well.

More Stores, More Personal Attention

In 2017, Clé Enneking became the new owner of The English Hatter - marking the start of a new chapter in many ways. Under his leadership, the webshop grew into a full-fledged branch of the company - a modern necessity. But at The English Hatter, we continue to believe in the value of personal attention. It’s our mission to keep offering it - and to do so in more and more places.

That’s why we’ve been expanding significantly with new stores. You can now experience our unique in-store atmosphere at three locations in Amsterdam, as well as in Amstelveen, The Hague, Laren, Haarlem, Leidschendam, ’s-Hertogenbosch, Gorssel, and Maastricht. And by the time you read this, the list may already be out of date!

Eyes Open

On May 8, 2025, we celebrate our 90th anniversary. A milestone worth celebrating! And of course, we hope to mark our centenary ten years from now with just as much enthusiasm.

So how do we stay relevant in the years to come? By staying true to who we are - as we have for 90 years - but also by keeping our eyes open to the world around us. We see how our younger customers are putting their own twist on our classic pieces. It only reaffirms what we’ve always believed: The English Hatter offers the perfect foundation for the 21st-century gentleman’s wardrobe.