Funky Brims
United States· $$
- Signature
- Independent maker with bold, pattern-forward custom caps
- Best for
- A scally or flat cap that doesn't look like everyone else's
- Known for
- Scally, Flat cap, Custom
- Ships from
- United States
Funky Brims is a small US workshop that makes scally and flat caps in cloths most established makers won't touch — wild plaids, statement prints, colour-blocked panels, and custom combinations built to a customer's own spec. Where most of the category treats tweed as a texture to be kept subdued, this workshop treats it as an opportunity to stand out, and the catalogue reads more like a small design studio's output than a traditional hatter's.
If the heritage end of the flat-cap world feels too quiet or too samey to you, this is the obvious antidote, and it fills a genuine gap: there are very few makers in this directory willing to build a cap from a customer-supplied fabric or an unusual panel layout.
Construction is solid hand-sewn work by most accounts, though as a small operation the catalogue rotates fairly often because cloth is sourced in small lots rather than bulk-ordered from a mill on a standing contract — meaning a specific print you like might not be available again once it sells through.
Custom orders are actively encouraged: bring your own fabric, specify a panel layout, choose a lining. This is a meaningfully different service from most of the makers in this directory, most of whom offer either a fixed catalogue or a formal bespoke service at a much higher price point.
Sizing is generally handled on a made-to-order or semi-custom basis rather than through a rigid standard chart, so expect more back-and-forth communication about measurements than you would with a stock-size purchase from a larger maker.
The honest caveat: this is not the place for a first, conservative scally cap, nor is it a good fit if you want a cap in a subdued heather tweed that will blend in with a tailored coat — the whole point of the shop is caps that get noticed, and that won't suit every wardrobe or every occasion.
This is the maker for someone who already owns a quiet tweed cap and now wants the cap their friends actually comment on. For a first, more conservative scally, Hanna Hats or Stetson remains the safer starting point.