|
Brief History of the Borsalino Hat
Established in 1857. some consider Borsalino as the finest hats made in the world.
Borsalino is synonymous with style and elegance.
 Borsalino produces their
own felt from the finest Belgian lapin fur at their
factory in Alessandria, Italy. The felt Borsalino hats
are still produced today just as they once were one
hundred years ago.
Giuseppe Borsalino,
after visiting Italy and France to learn the secrets
of the trade, set up the first artisan workshop for
the production of felt hats. When Giuseppe Borsalino
died in 1900, the production had reaches 750.000 hats,
60% of which were destined for export.
Teresio Borsalino
succeeded to his father in the family business. His
success lasted some decades. Then, in the 1940s,
business declined as the hat was no longer a part of
everyday dress. However, the fame of its trademark
remained untouched all over the world, and the name
Borsalino soon became part of fashion history. In 1970
it even inspired a famous and successful film: "Borsalino",
of course. In 1986 the factory moved to a new site,
more efficient and modern, in the suburbs of Alessandria, whereas the offices of the old site not
only house the new University of Alessandria, but also
a piece of the Borsalino history: a precious museum
dedicated to the history of the hat. |
