It's important to understand the various materials and forms used in making an Arturo Rios hat.

Below are the most popular materials and forms that we use:

(They were) named in the 1960s, re-emerged with heightened artistry in the late 70s, and today is worn by both royals and the fashion forward. It traces back through the centuries, perhaps to the moment in the 1770s when on a whim Marie Antoinette planted some feathers—ostrich and peacock—into her pomaded hair. It may go back further still, to the first female hominid who saw something beguiling—a fern frond, a butterfly wing—and stuck it on her head, well, fascinatingly.

— Vanity Fair

Sinamay is one of the most popular hat-making foundations in the world. It is woven from the processed stalks of the abaca tree, a type of banana native to the Philippines. Abaca fibre is three times stronger than cotton or silk, and a fabric made from 100% abaca can last for over 100 years. As a result, sinamay holds a very firm shape. Because it is a natural fibre, it holds colour beautifully. (source)

The fiber is also exceptionally strong, stronger than hemp and naturally salt-resistant, making it ideal for making twines and ropes (especially for maritime shipping). It became a major trade commodity in the colonial era for this reason. 

Silk Abaca is the blend of silk and abaca fibres and is a relatively new fabric to the millinery trade. This vibrant material is made by weaving the processed stalks of the abaca tree, a banana palm from the Philippines, through silk.

Plumage has been a major accesorry to milleners.  This elegant accoutrement has consequences.

The demand for feathers began to damage the migratory bird population, and by 1918, lobbying groups such as the Audubon Society had succeeded in a federal ban on certain types of feathers, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918.  Birds excluded from this law are still feathers available to us today – ostrich, turkey, goose, peacock, rooster, garden fowl, and pheasant, to name a few.

And ostrich is still expensive, though not quite as these feathers were in 1880, when their value per pound was almost equal to that of diamonds. (source)

Arturo is singularly commited to make sure that all animal products are sourced ethically and sustainably. READ MORE about our use and selection of feathers HERE >

The modern woman's pillbox hat was created by milliners in the 1930s, and gained popularity due to its elegant simplicity. Pillbox hats were made out of wool, velvet, organdy, mink, lynx or fox fur, and leopard skin, among many other materials. They were generally designed in solid colors and were unaccessorized, but could include a veil.

Jacqueline Kennedy, First Lady of the United States from 1961 to 1963, was well known for her "signature pillbox hats", designed for her by Halston.

This collection features many "disc" or "saucer" hats which are chraracterized as a wide-brimmed hat with a small indentation to accommodate the head. 

Most disc hats are embellished with a ribbon and sometimes silk flowers. If brightly colored, they are commonly used as daytime hats.

daytime

derby

formal

special & event occasions