DON RONGIONE CHATS WITH THE WALL STREET JOURNAL ABOUT KEEPING HIS HATS IN TIP TOP SHAPE

The article, by WSJ fashion writer Ray Smith, passed on Rongione’s secrets to keeping hats in good shape while traveling and storing. “Mr. Rongione stores most of his hats in boxes to keep out dust and sunlight; over time, sun exposure can cause the fibers to change color. Caps and some other hats he places on a shelf in his closet in the crown-down position,” said Smith.

“If the brim is laid down on a flat surface, over time it will flatten and then the hat looks kind of dorky,” said Rongione, CEO of Bollman Hat Company. As for packing, Smith gleaned this hint from Rongione, “Mr. Rongione usually packs his baseball caps nested together, putting one behind another with the crowns folded in. He tries to take crushable hats, which bounce back to shape. He stiffs non-crushable hats with tissue paper and then packs them on top of his clothes, “much like you pack eggs or bread on top of your bag at the grocery store,” he added.