In its three years of business Gwen’s Hat Club has made a few moves (five to be exact.) Its most recent was from Southern Pines to downtown Aberdeen and this is the biggest spot yet. Gwen’s Hat Club sells felted hats that you can customize. The store also provides hat cleaning and repairs. “We’re still doing what we do best, making custom hats,” says owner Mackinley Farmer.
Mackinley has brought in Elizabeth (Liz) Schilling, who also owns Rabbit Rabbit mobile bar, as a business partner. The fast-friends bonded over their love of vintage and hats. “It’s just a little thing to add playfulness to your whole day or outfit,” says Liz.
In addition to having more room to work, Mackinley is excited to be in Aberdeen. She says it can be difficult to work when you have a retail storefront. “I think Aberdeen will be the perfect blend. There’s a lot of foot traffic on the weekends but weekdays will be nice for appointments or actually making hats,” she says.
“Seeing Aberdeen blossom the way Southern Pines did 15 years ago is really special,” says Liz.
“A lot of people think they don’t look good in hats but thats because they don’t have a quality hat that fits them right,” says Mackinley. “The goal is to make it not feel like a costume,” she says. Hats can be customized with shape, color, width, pins, feathers, inside lining and even your name. Fully custom hats can take up to six weeks.
Gwen’s Hat Club intentionally has an old-timey feel to it. Mackinley is passionate about things that are made to last and wanted her shop to emulate that all the way down to playing oldies jazz music while working. She once had someone bring in a hat from a great-grandmother that dated back to the 1870s. It was able to be cleaned and almost perfectly preserved because of the materials it was made with. Quality hats, she says, are made with felted wool or fur. “A hat is made to protect you from the elements, it shouldn’t be ruined by being in the rain one time,” says Mackinley. “They’re meant to be an investment piece.”
“I believe in keeping people alive through their things. That’s what a nice hat can do too. Your future children can know a specific part of you,” says Mackinley.
The mix of western and vintage in her store has cap-tured the hearts of many hat enthusiasts over the years. To celebrate three years of hat making, Mackinley is going back to the original pricing through the end of the year. Get a hat that regularly costs $499 for $349.
Make an appointment online or stop in Saturdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The grand opening of the new location is Dec. 7.
