Brief History of the Borsalino Hat

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.