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Hat care & responsible materials
How to care for your Conner hat
A hat you look after lasts decades. Below is how we clean, reshape and store every material we make hats from, how those materials are sourced, and the questions our customers ask most. Every Conner hat is backed by our limited lifetime guarantee against manufacturing defects. The guarantee also includes a 50% off code to replace the same hat if yours is ever lost or stolen.
Care by material
Find your material below. For guidance specific to your hat, check the Hat Care tab on its product page.
Cotton & cloth hats
- Spot clean with a damp cloth and cold water, or hand-wash in a sink if needed.
- Use plant-based soaps — regular detergents can be toxic for our waterways.
- Always let the hat dry naturally.
- To take wrinkles out of a brim, lay a clean rag or old T-shirt over the area and iron it.
Straw & raffia hats
- Spot-clean with a damp cloth and a plant-based soap.
- Let the hat dry naturally.
- Many straw hats have a wire in the brim, so you can shape it to your style — brim turned up at the sides for Western, a dip front and back for Australian styles.
- Store the hat upside down on its crown if you do not have a hat rack.
Oily leather hats
- For a stain, apply a leather dressing to the outside of the hat. It darkens the hat, masks the stain and makes the hat more water-resistant.
- For a small mark, rubbing the area firmly with your thumb can erase it.
- Chalk in a similar color to the hat can soak up an oil mark — rub the chalk off afterwards.
Suede leather hats
- Light-grade sandpaper or a soft cleaning brush will take marks out of suede.
- A clear, soft eraser also works — make sure it is not colored, or it can leave a mark.
- Non-toxic waterproof sprays add protection from stains and rain.
Wool felt hats
- A lint brush, or the adhesive side of tape, lifts dust and dirt off wool.
- If the hat loses its shape, hold it in steam from a tea kettle until it softens, reshape it, then let it cool before wearing.
- Store the hat upside down on its crown if you do not have a hat rack.
How our hats are made responsibly
Our slogan, "responsibly grown, beautifully made," means more than making a quality hat from organic cotton — it means asking hard questions about every part of how we operate, and changing whatever we can to reduce our footprint.
- 100% solar poweredOur original St. Augustine warehouse runs entirely on solar power (orders now ship from American Fork, Utah). We still maintain our company food forest at the site and have created a hub there for other small businesses to use the location.
- No plastic garment bagsWe removed all single-use plastic garment bags. Recyclable and recycled paper protects hats in shipping.
- No single-use plasticsBiodegradable materials are used in place of single-use plastics.
- Organic cotton labelsAll inner labels are GOTS organic cotton, printed with veggie dyes.
- Organic cotton inner bandsThere's a not-so-secret pocket inside.
- Biodegradable hang tagsSingle-use plastic tag connectors replaced with biodegradable string; hang tags are FSC paper.
- One-acre food forestA permaculture food forest grows at our original Florida warehouse, which runs 100% on solar power (orders now ship from American Fork, Utah).
Read our responsibility initiativesHat care questions
How do I clean a cloth or cotton hat?
Spot clean it with a damp cloth using cold water, and use plant-based soap if necessary. We recommend plant-based soaps because regular detergents can be toxic for our waterways. Do not fully soak the hat, and always let it dry naturally.
How do I reshape a hat that has lost its shape?
On a wool, straw or cloth hat, hold the hat in steam from a tea kettle and allow it to soften. Reshape it to its original shape, then let it cool down before wearing.
What is the difference between packable and crushable?
Many of our cloth hats are packable — you can roll one up, put it in a bag, and it will look fine after travel. We use "crushable" for hats made from materials that can be accidentally crushed but are not meant to be packed away. To travel with a crushable hat in a suitcase, stuff the crown with T-shirts and make sure the brim sits flat. The product page tells you which yours is.
How should I store my hat?
Always place a hat upside down on its crown if you do not have a hat rack.
Can I make my hat more water resistant?
On oily leather, a leather dressing applied to the outside will darken the hat, mask stains and make it more water-resistant. For suede, there are many non-toxic waterproof sprays that add protection from stains and rain.
My hat is out of shape and I cannot fix it. What now?
Email customerservice@connerhats.com with photos and we will be happy to help.
How do I shape the brim?
Some of our hats have a wire in the brim so you can shape it to match your style. Western styles are generally worn with the brim turned up at the sides. Australian styles look great with a dip in the front and the back.
What size should I order?
Measure the circumference of your head about 1/2 inch (1.5 cm) above your ears, where the hat sits, and check it against the size chart. If you fall between sizes, choose the next size up. Two free size inserts ship with every order.
Still stuck? Email customerservice@connerhats.com with photos of your hat and our team will help. Full care videos live on our Hat Care page.
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