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Sheng Xifu Hats:Epitome of Style

When it comes to an expression of personal style, perhaps nothing says more than a hat and how it’s worn and who's wearing it. Hats are a decorative symbol of a person’s lifestyle, not just a utilitarian device; they say much about a person’s attention to detail and quality.

For some people, the words fashionable and stylish may not be the first that come to mind at the mention of a Zhonghua Laozihao (China Time Honoured Brand), especially one in the clothing industry. But then there is the Sheng Xifu Hat Shop in Wangfujing Dajie, that is something else again. Here you will be pleasantly surprised to find hats of all kinds, likely in a style that will please you, including straw hats and baseball caps for the summer, fashion and leather hats, historical costumes and felt hats that line the store’s shelves. In the aisles, hip young girls spend a great deal of time trying the hats, giggling at the ones that don't quite work....

Sheng Xifu was founded in 1911 in Tianjin, and its Beijing outlet was established in 1936, and for more than 90 years it has had a reputation for high quality. Relying on a tradition of fine workmanship as an advantage, the caps produced by Sheng Xifu are famous for their quality materials, handmade craftsmanship and wearability.

Since its establishment, Sheng Xifu has regarded high product quality as a first principle. In the 1920s, relying on its cautious choice of materials and delicate craftsmanship, Sheng Xifu’s straw hats prevailed in competition over mainstream products made in Japan, winning new customers along the way.

“Knowing a lot is no better than being professional in one’s skill,” said Liu Xisan, the founder of Sheng Xifu. In order to research and improve the quality of his company’s products, Liu employed well-known craftsmen with big salaries. He learned to place his hats in a steamy bathroom to re-shape them when the hats were affected by dampness and fell out of shape; he encouraged his staff to find ways to improve the products. He adopted hat-making techniques that are still in use today, the same techniques that have ensured Sheng Xifu’s success for nearly a century.

High-quality products are seldom made with less than the finest materials. So for Sheng Xifu, the process of choosing materials is strict. Standards for wear-resistance and colour-maintenance of the linings of the hats and even the threads used had to match the quality of the other materials. Only when all the proper materials were in place could the hat-making process begin.

The appearance of a hat is obviously important, but Sheng Xifu never neglects the quality of the parts of the hat seldom seen at first glance, such as its padding. It has its own secret to ensure that a hat can last for years without losing its shape. In Sheng Xifu Hat Company Limited plant on Dongsi Beidajie, Dongcheng District, you will see skilful workers working with padding to ensure that it never loses its shape, regardless of heat and humidity.

The making of a complete hat is mainly done by hand. Some sewing skills needed cannot be replicated by a modern machine. It’s the same with knives used in the cutting and sewing of materials, where taking full advantage of available materials is always an aim. The less use of a knife the better, the craftsmen say.

These are skills of a delicate craft, skills that are part of the long tradition and heritage of Sheng Xifu that have been handed down via experienced masters generation by generation.

Honouring these skills in the choice of materials and craftsmanship has resulted in Sheng Xifu being honoured by top leaders and ordinary people, and the company has never stopped trying to improving. They continue to conduct research into new materials to enrich the traditional craftwork to pursue the higher quality and to meet the market’s sometimes fickle demands. Their works have been sold in the United States, Canada, Holland and Lebanon.