Southern California Hat Stores?

[GWD]

Are there any quality hat stores in the Southern California area? There used to be Hills Western Shop in Bellflower but that is when I was a kid. I've been to World Hats in Pasadena but I don't think they do hat maintenance there.

 

[Mike in Seattle]

I used to work by Hill's! Are they gone now?

 

[GWD]

I used to work by Hill's! Are they gone now?

Are you serious!!!!! I loved that store. I used to go there with my Dad all the time! I grew up in Bellflower. Hills has been gone for at least 10 years if not more.

 

[Mike in Seattle]

Are you serious!!!!! I loved that store. I used to go there with my Dad all the time! I grew up in Bellflower. Hills has been gone for at least 10 years if not more.

Hill's Western. Ralph's Jewelers. Evelyn's Flowers, Demar's Menswear, Cherokee Cafe (in the old city hall building which was bulldozed for senior housing and after they moved onto the boulevard into what became the second location of Johnny Reb's in about 1990), that great bakery across the street, Johnson Jewelers, Sims Park, Thompson's Furniture, Omni Office Products, Ming's, and there was the old feed & grain & western wear shop with hats on...was it Alondra? "Twirl with Earle" at Earle's Tux Shop, and Earle's Toys with trains and the old slot-car track. I'm still kicking myself for not taking a row of the red-velvet theatre seats they were just throwing away when they converted it to the church.

I've been in Washington for 14 years but one of my cousins found some old postcards awhile back and sent me the one below, along with Lakewood Center (before it was a mall) at about the same time:

 

[Jfala]

Depending on the part of Southern California you'd like, there is Barons Hats in Burbank, Hollywood Hatters in Hollywood, and Village Hat Shop in Long Beach and San Diego.

Hope that helps.

- Jeff

 

[Stoney]

I saw a place selling hats with ears out near Anaheim.

 

[GWD]

Hill's Western. Ralph's Jewelers. Evelyn's Flowers, Demar's Menswear, Cherokee Cafe (in the old city hall building which was bulldozed for senior housing and after they moved onto the boulevard), that great bakery across the street, Johnson Jewelers, Sims Park, Thompson's Furniture, Omni Office Products, and there was the old feed & grain & western wear shop with hats on...was it Alondra? "Twirl with Earle" at Earle's Tux Shop, and Earle's Toys with trains and the old slot-car track. I'm still kicking myself for not taking a row of the red-velvet theatre seats they were just throwing away when they converted it to the church.

I've been in Washington for 14 years but one of my cousins found some old postcards awhile back and sent me the one below, along with Lakewood Center (before it was a mall) at about the same time:

Did you grow up in Bellflower? What High School did you attend?

 

[Mike in Seattle]

Long Beach - Jordan. But my grandparents lived in Bellflower for a period. My mom was born there in 1927 (delivered by Dr. Sims) but I know from the early 30's on, they were in Long Beach. But one of my aunts and her family lived there until the 60's and part of their old farm became one of the parks or schoolyards and my uncle did a lot of the old brick buildings in town.

 

[GWD]

I grew up about a half a mile from where this picture was taken. I lived on Maple St. just West of Ardmore. I don't know if you knew any of the side streets but my Grandparents house is on Walnut (The Gingerbread House) is kind of "famous" in the area. I went to Valley Christian High School in Cerritos.

 

[HatFan]

I would suggest Village Hats at Shoreline Village in Long Beach. They have a decent selection of Stetson, Borsalino and Jaxon but they also will order anything they don't have in stock..sometimes it is just inventory at one of their other locations.

I recently bought a Stetson Pinnacle from them and they had to order it, but did so along with a Borsalino so I could try them both.

My salesperson there was Anita and I was pleased with the service she provided.

 

[Mr. Lucky]

I would suggest Village Hats at Shoreline Village in Long Beach. They have a decent selection of Stetson, Borsalino and Jaxon but they also will order anything they don't have in stock..sometimes it is just inventory at one of their other locations.

I recently bought a Stetson Pinnacle from them and they had to order it, but did so along with a Borsalino so I could try them both.

My salesperson there was Anita and I was pleased with the service she provided.

Thanks, HatFan! And welcome. Oh, by the way, which one did you go for?

 

[HatFan]

Thanks, HatFan! And welcome. Oh, by the way, which one did you go for?

I got the Pinnacle..I seemed better made than the Borsalino and I was really looking for the Pinnacle anyway.

 

[hatflick1]

Santa Monica - There is a small hat shop off of Main Street. It features a limited selection of Borsalinos. Otherwise, fedoras tend to be less expensive wool versions. During spring and summer a pretty good variety of straw hats, fedoras, beach, cowboy, is available.

 

[GWD]

Thanks for the replies, I see a couple of short road trips in the near future.

 

[hipster]

GWD

I'm a real estate appraiser and one of my cities is Bellflower.

That old photo of Bellflower is very cool.
Next time im on Bellflower blvd (north of 91) I'll see of any of the current signs are in the photo.

World hat mart in Inglewood has a pretty good selection. (biltmore, stetson and the like). Its been a few years since i've been. Its on market street near the forum.

Im also new on the forum, and within about a week, I ordered 2 from Art Fawcett. 1 felt, the other a Panama. THey were shipped out yesterday from Art so ill be posting a thread when they arrive.

 

[GWD]

I'm a real estate appraiser and one of my cities is Bellflower.

That old photo of Bellflower is very cool.
Next time im on Bellflower blvd (north of 91) I'll see of any of the current signs are in the photo.

World hat mart in Inglewood has a pretty good selection. (biltmore, stetson and the like). Its been a few years since i've been. Its on market street near the forum.

Im also new on the forum, and within about a week, I ordered 2 from Art Fawcett. 1 felt, the other a Panama. THey were shipped out yesterday from Art so ill be posting a thread when they arrive.

That picture was taken at the intersection of Bellflower Blvd and Flower Street looking North. I think the only thing remaining in that picture is the Clock on the West Side. All the buildings are the same but the businesses are all different. The Florist on the corner is now a law firm and the Theater is a church.

 

[Mike in Seattle]

That picture was taken at the intersection of Bellflower Blvd and Flower Street looking North. I think the only thing remaining in that picture is the Clock on the West Side. All the buildings are the same but the businesses are all different. The Florist on the corner is now a law firm and the Theater is a church.

You mean Evelyn's Flowers & Johnson's Jewelers are gone (the clock on the left side was theirs)? I thought they'd be there forever. The couple who started the flower shop back in line the 40's retired in the early 90's and sold to another family who retained the name. One of my aunts worked there from time to time from the 40's till the 60's. Johnson's went from grandfather to son to grandson and then the son-in-law got into the business as well. And the shop on the left side on the corner was a menswear shop and then accounting - one of the partners in the mens shop became an attorney and had an office down by the PO. Wonder if the kids of that attorney took the family's old menswear shop location over for a law office? Right corner was Wells-Fargo with the aforementioned Hill's Western next door. The right corner south of the intersection was Great Western Savings.

And Cerritos, huhn? I remember when that was still named Dairy Valley...I had a trumpet teacher as a kid who lived there. He was going to Cal State LB (with Karen & Richard Carpenter - Mom hired them for a party while they were relative unknowns) and giving lessons at his parents - one of the first tracts built in Cerritos. In the middle of what had for decades been a dairy...and the manure smell hung heavy in the air out there.

And the photo is decades before some idiot had a great idea of redoing the sidewalks so the street sort of curved around. The idea was if they put in curves, people have to slow down and drive more carefully, and when they'd slow down, they'll notice the shops and everyone will start shopping downtown Bellflower and stop going to Cerritos Center. Of course, that plan took out about 70% of the street parking. So people would slow down and see the shops and nowhere to park and STILL head for the mall. :eusa_doh:

I just looked up the intersection on Google Earth - looks like the curves are gone. Can't tell if they have a pool at Sims Park yet (I'll spare everyone the story of the drama on that) and looks like they put in some restaurants. That end of town needed it.

 

[GWD]

My Sister still lives in Bellflower in my Grandparents house. I'll sneak down there some day soon and take a photo from that same location and post it here. That should be interesting.