I first head of Gigi Pip over on Instagram as an affordable hat brand. And a quick look at their website proved that to be true. And since I was loving and wearing my Eric Javits hat so much, I thought another summer hat (the third in my current collection) wouldn’t be such a bad idea. Especially since the hats at Gigi Pip are much less expensive than other popular brands like Janessa Leone, which I’ve tried before (but never ended up keeping for one reason or another).
If you’re not familiar with Gigi Pip, they’re a brand out of Salt Lake City, UT, and founded by Ginger Parrish. Their hats are made “all over the world” (though I suspect the bulk is made in China since that’s the only country they really specify for production). There’s no specific information about their ethics or fair labor practices, so I’m not categorizing them as an ethical brand. But they at least make their hats using natural materials (wool, straw, leather) so at least these hats are biodegradable somewhere down the line (unlike my favorite Eric Javits hat).
I purchased the Aiden Straw Pork Pie hat because: 1) It was a style that I didn’t yet have and 2) the leather strap made it ideal for hanging the hat around my neck or keeping the hat secure via cinching at the chin. The hat came really well packaged, and the hat was undamaged even though the box was mangled by the delivery carrier. The first thing I noticed about the hat was that it was made from super stiff straw and it’s the stiffest hat I’ve ever purchased. It’s 100% straw and made in China. I figure the hat is so stiff because that’s just the way the style of the hat is. But unfortunately because of the stiffness it doesn’t sit on my head very well, even though it does technically fit (I purchased the 57 S/M size). There is a band inside the hat that can cinch down around the crown to make it a better fit, but for me the hat still sits perched on top of the head. Thank goodness there’s the leather strap to keep around my chin or neck since a small gust can flip the hat right off my head.
I also found due to the stiffness that because I had hung my hat by the leather strap for a long time, the brim got a little distorted. Now the brim flips up a bit and looks odd. Gigi Pip has a little post about how to fix your hat if it gets distorted, so I’ll give that a try and let you know how it works. They also have a little guide on how to hang your hat properly so I’ll probably hang it the right way this time.
So my overall impression is that the hats from Gigi Pip may be affordable and well-made but this particular style doesn’t really fit me. I think in general I’m just not a pork pie straw hat kind of gal. I’m going to cool it on the summer hats for now, but I’m still open to trying another hat style from Gigi Pip in the future.