Although you probably have one or two or several 5-panels in your wardrobe, you've probably never put much thought in to how they are made. Neither did we until we started to make them ourselves. Below is a photo of one of our samples (which was unfortunately never released) mid production to give you an idea of the process involved in creating a 5-panel hat.
All 5-panel hats start off as rolls of fabric. Whether that's a roll of sourced fabric (like our paisley hats), or white fabric which is then digitally printed with your own design (like the photo below), this is how every hat begins its life. The fabric is then printed if necessary and interfacing is ironed on to the back of the fabric to give the fabric a stronger hold so it retains its shape better over time.
After the interfacing has been ironed on to the fabric it is time to cut it in to the relevant panels. Eyelets are applied to the side panels, a woven label is stitched on to the front panel (not pictured), and a plastic peak is inserted in to the upper and lower peak panels to give your hat's peak a firmer hold and longer durability.
Now it is time to assemble the hat! All the panels are sewn together and the leather closure is added to the back of the hat. Banding is stitched around the inside to finish the hat and to make the hat more comfortable to wear.