Launched in 1996, Optimo was born out of founder Graham Thompson’s fascination with the glamour of a bygone age. It was during his seven-year apprenticeship under legendary local hat maker Johnny Tyus that Graham realised how fast the craft was disappearing. “When clients brought in hats from the 1930s or 1940s, the difference in quality was immediately apparent,” he says, recalling their soft, dense felt and custom creases. Graham took over Tyus’ business and set out to revive what he saw as an extinct art. He purchased rare and vintage tools and machinery from museums and workshops, interviewed ex-foremen at great American hat factories, and tracked down a top producer of felt hat bodies.

Operating out of a century-old converted Chicago firehouse, Graham and his small team are constantly evolving their process. It involves classic techniques like blocking, trimming and flanging, as well as lesser-known steps such as decatising, in which a hat is slowly baked after it has been blocked. Soon, Optimo will start offering its clients 3D imaging via a laser scanner to provide a truly bespoke fit. “There are always improvements to be made and I have learned that these subtleties make all the difference,” says Graham.