Silk Hats

Betty Burian Kirk

photo by Kip Jacobs

Laminae Silk Hats

Each hat is individually designed and created.

Loose silk fiber is hand-painted with dyed using a chemical dying process. When the dye is set, rinsed and the silk dry, the fiber is laid out in layers, soaked with water and then saturated with a textile medium. The wet sheets of silk are molded on custom-made hat blocks. It takes several days to dry before it can be removed from the hat block. When thoroughly dry, the hat must be heat set to finalize the textile medium processing.

The hat has a hand sewn sweat band stitched into the crown. Most brims have a wire stitched to it to add stability and a bias tape is hand sewn over it.

The hatband is hand made. It is hand braided using perle cotton thread or glass Czech beads are strung and hand knotted.

Key Benefits

The luster of silk makes an elegant hat.

Each hat is a uniquely sculpted piece of art.

Designed for the women who appreciates high fashion.