Here are our best tips for taking care of your Lastelier hats , to keep them in beautiful and good condition, for as long as possible.

How to handle your hat?

Always hold your hat by the brim when putting it on or taking it off. Avoid picking it up by the crown or pinching the crown, as this could deform or damage it. And, in the case of straw hats, pinching the crown could break the straw. By holding the hat by the edges, you preserve its shape and lifespan. Avoid folding your hat too much, only do it on a model intended for this purpose and only during transport.

How and where to store your hat?

Before storing it, you must ensure that the hat is very clean and dry. If it has a little dust, a gentle, light brushing with a soft brush or lint roller will work just fine.

Avoid leaving your hat in a hot, dry place as this can dry out the straw fiber and make it brittle. Your hat needs a little moisture to keep its fibers beautiful and durable. The same goes for heat sources (near a lamp, on the back shelf of a car, near a radiator or a fireplace) which, in addition to making the straw brittle, can discolor your hat or even it. deform.

Store it away from direct light, in a place of its own and where it will not be exposed to dust, crushed or deformed such as in a hat box, a storage box, on a shelf , on a hat stand…

To store it, several options are available to you:

• You can lay it flat with shell padding
• You can put it upside down, that is to say on the cap, taking care that the edges do not touch any surface
• You can hang them as decoration on a wall or put them on a coat rack, taking care to turn them from time to time

Caring for your straw hat

How to take care of your straw hat?

Gently brushing your hat, once a month, helps preserve it well. To do this, simply use a soft brush, lint roller or even a vacuum cleaner with a brush attachment to remove dust, dirt and hair from your hat.

It is also important to moisten the hat from time to time with steam or a mister to prevent the straw from becoming too dry and breaking. Alternatively, you can also let your hat sit in a bathroom after a hot shower so that the humidity in the room will cool the straw.

How to remove a stain on your straw hat?

For light, non-encrusted stains, you can first gently rub your hat with a soft, clean, damp cloth or a clean, damp microfiber, then you can let your hat air dry.

If the light stains have not completely disappeared, you can repeat the operation by adding a little neutral soap (like Marseille soap for example) to the cloth or microfiber.

For oilier stains, you can use Sommières earth. You will need to sprinkle it so as to cover the stained part of the hat, let it dry overnight then brush it the next day.

How to remove a stain from your hat ribbon?

For a light, non-encrusted stain, you can first lightly brush the tape with a soft, clean cloth. If the stain has not completely disappeared, you can repeat the operation by adding a little water and neutral soap to the cloth. You will then just need to rinse the hat ribbon, being careful not to get the hat straw too wet. To dry the ribbon, we advise you to place a clean, thin cloth between the ribbon and the hat and let it air dry. Putting a clean cloth between the ribbon and the hat helps prevent any color transfer.

For oilier stains, you can use Sommières earth. You will need to sprinkle it so as to cover the stained part of the tape, leave it on overnight then brush it the next day.

How to clean the inside of your straw hat?

To clean the inside of your straw hat, you can sprinkle the inside of your hat with baking soda. You leave it on overnight and the next day, you gently brush your hat and then shake it gently to completely remove the leftover baking soda.

How do I perfume my straw hat?

The best way to sanitize a straw hat while leaving a subtle scent is to sprinkle it with talcum powder. Talc is a mineral known for its broad spectrum use, its delicate fragrance and its absorbent properties.

How do I get my straw hat back into shape?

Place your hat over a source of steam (steamer, saucepan filled with boiling water, iron) for a few minutes. The steam will soften the hat and allow good malleability of the straw. Still above the source of steam, reshape your hat by hand to restore the desired line. Once the operation is finished, put white tissue paper in the crown of the hat (it is important that the paper is white to avoid any transfer of color from the paper to the hat) to maintain the shape you have just created. give him.

Let the hat cool and air dry.

What to do if your straw hat has fallen in water or caught the rain?

Our Whater hat is a summer hat that is water-resistant. You can swim with it, it can take on sea or rain water, the Whater hat will dry in a few minutes in the sun.

Our other hats like the Portofino or thePanama have an interior ribbon which is comfortable, elastic and very slightly pulled to ensure a perfect fit on the head and above all and an uncompromising hold when it is windy. If you have the right size for your head size, your Lastelier hat will not fly away during your boat trips or if it is very windy.

However, you are not safe from the weather and your hat could get rained on. In this case, let it dry naturally in the open air, away from any heat source. If after drying you find that your hat has not completely recovered its shape, we advise you to follow the instructions above "How to get my straw hat back into shape". » ?

How do I clean the interior ribbon also called “head entry” or “comfort band” of my Lastelier hat?

The inner hat ribbon is the part of the hat that is in direct contact with the skin. This strip sponges creams, sebum, makeup, perspiration, oils on the hair... To prevent the excess of what has been sponged by this ribbon from reaching the straw and weakening it, we We recommend airing it regularly. If the inner ribbon is not sewn all the way to the hat, you can turn it outwards and if it is sewn to the hat, you can simply lay your hat upside down to let the ribbon dry and breathe when not in use.

The advantage of Lastelier hats is that our signature interior is black in color. Which means that neither makeup, nor creams, nor perspiration will stain your hat. But that doesn't mean your hat is clean.

If you want to clean the interior tape, you have 3 options:

• Clean the tape with mild soap (Marseille soap for example which is natural, gentle, bactericidal and hypoallergenic) on a clean, damp cloth or a clean, damp microfiber. Then iron with the cloth or microfiber, still damp, without soap, to clean the tape thoroughly and remove excess soap.
• Clean the tape with a cotton pad soaked in a gentle universal stain remover such as Scarlet Water.
• Clean the tape with a baby wipe

How to maintain your PVC or vinyl bob

To remove dust or light stains such as raindrop marks or fingerprints, you can gently rub your Smile bob or Ibiza bob with a soft, clean, damp cloth or a clean, damp microfiber and then let it dry. outdoors.

What should I do if my hat needs further cleaning?

If your hat requires more thorough cleaning, you can write to us via the contact form explaining your request and sending us photos of your hat. We will come back to you to tell you whether or not it is possible to carry out the operation and what the cost is.

How do I remove a smell from my hat?

The steam has a strong sanitizing and deodorizing power. You can place your hat over a source of steam (steamer, saucepan filled with boiling water, iron) for a few minutes then let it dry in the open air.

Alternatively, you can sprinkle the inside of your hat with baking soda, leave it on overnight and the next day, gently brush your hat and then gently shake it to completely remove any leftover baking soda.

Hat size and shape

Will my hat shrink over time?

Your hat may shrink over time. Indeed, time, maintenance conditions, perspiration and heat can cause the interior ribbon of your hat to shrink. Shrinking the inner ribbon may cause it to shrink from a half size to a full size. Don't worry, it is entirely possible to return to the original size. You just need to follow the recommendations in the section below “how to make my hat bigger”

How do I make my hat bigger?

The head size of a hat can be increased but don't imagine you can gain several sizes. If you bought a hat that doesn't fit, we recommend changing it.

On the other hand, if you hesitated between 2 sizes when purchasing and you find that the hat slightly compresses your head or if your hat has shrunk, you can follow our advice. Several options are available to you:

• Place your hat over a source of steam (steamer, saucepan filled with boiling water, iron) for a few minutes. The steam will soften the hat and allow good malleability of the straw. Then put it on your head so that it takes the shape and size. If you can stay in the open air with the hat on your head while it dries, it will keep this perfect, tailor-made shape since it is made directly on you.
• Get a wooden expander that you can use to stretch your hat to return it to its original size. You need to put the enlarger against the inside ribbon of the hat and let it sit. Once this operation is completed, your hat will have returned to its original size. You can also do this with the hat previously moistened by steam and wait for it to dry to remove the wooden enlarger.

If your hat has shrunk and has one or two reducers put inside, we advise you to first remove one reducer and test for size. If the size fits you, it's perfect. If it is still too small, then we recommend removing the second reducer (if there is a second one). This way, you should have returned to the original size.

How do I reduce the size of my hat?

If you hesitated between 2 sizes when buying your hat and you find that the hat is slightly too big on your head you can slip one or two reducers inside the hat, between the hat and the black inner band . When you order on our site, you will be offered the option to order a pair of reducers for free.

We advise you to try first with a reducer that you put on the back or side of the hat to be able to test it. If the size fits you with a reducer, you can remove the adhesive and permanently position it on the hat. You glue the reducer to the inside of the hat and not to the inside ribbon. If you find that your hat is still a little big, you can place the second reducer, in front or on the side. If the size suits you, then you can remove the adhesive from the second reducer and you can permanently place it on the hat.

Another option may be to take the inner ribbon and shrink it by pinching it and securing the fold created with a stitch.

We do not recommend wearing reducers on the Whater hat, which is a hat designed to go into the water.

Please note, any hat with positioned reducers or with the interior ribbon sewn on will not be returned or exchanged.

How to adjust your hat size?

The signature interior of Lastelier hats has a thick, very comfortable elastic band as an interior ribbon that you can adjust with size reducers which are provided to you free of charge with the purchase of your hat on our site, when you check the option. Our hats do not have an adjustable band for aesthetic reasons and comfort on the head.

How to travel with your hat?

• The easiest option is to opt for Lastelier 's patented Parakalo handbag which you can put your hat on without thinking about it anymore. Indeed, this practical and sophisticated bag was designed as a hat bag. It allows you to go on a trip with your hats without having to pile them on your head or crush them in the suitcase. The ingenious patented design of the Parakalo bag offers an elegant solution for carrying your hats, your yoga mat or even your beach towels when you don't want to put lots of sand in your bag. He is simply perfect.
• You can only fold your hat if it is a model intended for this purpose and only during transport.
• You can put your hat in the suitcase and put clothes in the cap and all around, so that it maintains its shape well and does not get damaged
• And finally, you can put your hat in a plastic bag that you inflate to protect it, but this is a solution that requires a lot of space.