Who Looks After Hollywood’s Hats?

Jerry Gault

Aug 3

3 min read

Behind Hollywood’s Hats

When an actor removes a hat after a scene, who makes sure it returns looking exactly the same?

The answer depends on the production, but it is rarely just one person.

One Hat, Several Jobs

The costume designer decides what the character should look like, right down to whether the hat appears pristine, unfashionable, battered, expensive, awkward, or decades old. The costume supervisor then helps make that idea workable, arranging for the hat to be made, bought, rented, fitted, labeled, stored, maintained, and eventually returned.

During filming, the hat may come under the immediate care of a set or standby costumer, the member of the costume department working close to the actors and the camera. This person helps prepare the costumes, watches for continuity problems, handles minor repairs on set, and keeps track of anything that needs attention before the next scene.

Film director James Cruze, 1923. J. Willis Sayre Collection of Theatrical Photographs, University of Washington. Public domain.

Continuity Down to the Last Dent

That recordkeeping is essential because films are rarely shot in the order the story unfolds. A scene set on Tuesday morning may be filmed weeks after one that takes place later the same day. To keep everything consistent, the costume team relies on fitting photos, labels, notes, costume breakdowns, and daily continuity records showing which version of the wardrobe belongs in each scene.

With a hat, even small details matter: how it sits on the actor’s head, the shape of the crown, the bend of the brim, the position of a band or feather, and exactly where the dust, sweat, or damage appears.

Former Hollywood actor Ronald Reagan at Rancho del Cielo, 1976. Photograph by Michael Evans, Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.

Repeats, Doubles, and Breakdown

There may also be more than one hat. Costume departments often prepare extra versions, known as “repeats,” when the same costume is needed for a stunt performer or an actor’s double, someone who takes the actor’s place when the performer’s face will not be clearly seen. Extra hats may also be needed when one will be soaked, crushed, dirtied, or damaged during a scene.

The deliberate aging and distressing of a costume is known in the industry as “breakdown.” With a hat, that could mean fading the material, softening the brim, adding grime or sweat marks, or making a new hat appear to have been worn for years.

Repairing Without Erasing the Story

Not every production begins with a newly made hat. Western Costume Company in Los Angeles says it has eight miles of rental stock. Its rental departments include hats and other accessories, while its millinery shop can make or refurbish headwear when the right piece cannot be found.

Cleaning presents one of the most interesting decisions. Before anything is cleaned, the costume team must consider how it appeared in the previous scene. Dust, sweat marks, rain stains, and deliberate grime cannot automatically be treated as mess. They may be an important part of the character’s appearance.

Someone’s job may therefore be to repair a battered hat without making it look repaired, and to ensure that its dents, stains, and crooked brim remain battered in precisely the right way.