Wellema Hats

With the launch of our latest collaboration with Wellema Hats, we checked in with founder and master hat maker Cody Wellema from his base in California. The ready-to-wear creation will be available exclusively from our London store, in two colourways: Silverbelly and Charcoal Grey. Cody confided to us about his craft, the DNA of the project and gave us a little of his sartorial wisdom.

Cillian Murphy in Oppenheimer film directed by Christopher Nolan leaning against classic American car, Wearing single breasted vintage wool suit with pleated trousers trilby style hat and leather belt with silver and turquoise Native American south west American style belt buckle with hand stamped detail. White spear point shirt and black wide tie. Belt buckle similar to new Bryceland’s & Co. Red Rabbit silver and turquoise 1” belt buckle

“At the foundation, these new hats were made with the style and proportions of a time when most people wore a hat. I originally made Ethan a hat many years ago now that had a base foundation of the one Bogart wore in the Maltese Falcon. We ended up stocking a ready-to-wear version in the Tokyo Brycelands store. From there a few years later in Hong Kong, Kenji took a similar idea but with slightly more western details: thinner trimmings for the hatband and edge binding, along with the "gamblers" bow with tails that extend out - all from inspiration around the 1950s. That is where these hats for London were born.”

The new hats, like all the others I create, are made from beaver fur felt. Beaver fur - from the late 1800s until now - has always been the top tier quality. Naturally water resilient, durable & dense, with a soft hand to them. They only get better with time, wear and weather. A beaver fur felt can be reblocked, and reshaped, much like having good shoes resoled, and so can handle many years of life. I also use the highest quality roan leather sweatbands, rayon liners and new-old-stock or deadstock trimmings. There are probably about 10 hours of work that go into each hat, spread out over a few days as there is a lot of drying involved with hat making. I haven't counted out the steps in a long while, but I would say somewhere around 30 steps in total in the fine details to complete a hat.”

Cody Wellema steaming an antique beaver-felt hat

Red rabbit Trading Co. And Bryceland’s & Co. Collaboration silver and turquoise hand stamped Native American south west American belt buckle inspired by Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer film staring Cillian Murphy, with original vintage sample next to it. Fit for one inch and one and a quarter inch belts. Natural patina polished silver. Photo taken in workshop in Lockhart Texas. Handmade jewellery

“Brycelands has always been a brand that I have identified with personally. I have worn vintage for most of my adult life. Becoming a hatmaker has led to me having the opportunity to meet amazingly talented makers around the world: from tailors, to bag makers & shoe makers and everything in between. Incorporating the handmade pieces from these makers into a mainly vintage wardrobe ever since feels right to me. Incorporating the best of yesterday with the best of today, if you will. I think Bycelands does just that. While hats aren't worn as much as they used to be in their golden years, it's hard to beat a well tailored suit with a good hat to top it off. Likewise a vintage chambray with some denim & a jaunty western hat is something that has been worn for decades and will always be right.”

Men stood and sat outside pub wearing brown single breasted three roll two wool suit with pleated trousers by WW Chan, westerner shirt in dobby stripe from Bryceland’s and Co. With Oppenheimer inspired silver and turquoise south west American collaboration red rabbit trading co. belt buckle. Smoking cigarette. Man sits on bench wearing hunting jacket in foreground with pint of beer/ale on wooden table in front of him. Kenpi wool hunting jacket from Bryceland’s & Co. Inspired by wool rich and Pendleton vintage jacket. Wearing trilby style hat from Wellema Hat co. California

Man stands in the street outside of English London pub with hands in pockets. Wearing Woolrich and Pendleton inspired contemporary hunting jacket from Bryceland’s and Co. With cashmere rollneck jumper made in Scotland. Black HBT Washed high rise Vietnam era inspired fatigue pants. With alligator skin belt and silver and turquoise red rabbit trading co. Bryceland’s collaboration silver and turquoise Oppenheimer inspired belt buckle.

“A hat to me is first a tool of function and occasion, secondly when worn well, becomes an iconic stylish accessory. I wear the same hat one day with tailors, and the next casually at a park with my kids in jeans and a rayon shirt. Hats can be limitless with styling - as with most things - so long as you gain the confidence in wearing and make it uniquely your own way of presenting yourself to the world.”