Vivien Sheriff Bespoke hats

Bespoke Hats By Vivien Sheriff

A beautifully made hat should feel as though it was always meant to be worn with your outfit. Our bespoke hat service gives you the opportunity to create something personal, considered and perfectly suited to your occasion. You may already have a Vivien Sheriff design in mind, or you may be looking for something completely unique. Either way, our millinery team will help guide you through the process with care and attention to detail.

Each year, we design two new collections: one for Spring/Summer and one for Autumn/Winter. If you love a current design, or a piece from our archive, we can often create it in a colour of your choice or make small changes so it works beautifully with your outfit. If you cannot find exactly what you are looking for, we can discuss your ideas and create a one-of-a-kind hat or headpiece made especially for you.

Bespoke Hats Created for Your Occasion

A bespoke hat or headpiece is ideal when the occasion matters and the detail needs to be right.

We regularly create bespoke pieces for Royal Ascot, weddings, race days, formal events, the Kentucky Derby, Dubai World Cup, Melbourne Cup, Cheltenham Festival and other important occasions. Whether you are dressing for a specific dress code, matching a particular outfit, or looking for something more personal than an off-the-shelf piece, we can help you explore the options.

You may want a dramatic statement hat, a refined headpiece, a softer look, for a summer wedding or an adapted version of an existing Vivien Sheriff design. The process is flexible, but always focused on creating something balanced, beautiful and appropriate for the event.

What Bespoke Means at Vivien Sheriff

Bespoke Can Mean Several Things

For some customers, it may be as simple as choosing an existing design and having it made in a different colour. For others, it may mean adapting a shape, changing a trim, removing a detail, altering the scale, or changing the flower, feather or veil used on the piece.

For a fully bespoke design, we can work with your ideas, outfit images, inspiration photographs or sketches to create something completely new. We do not simply copy another maker’s design, but we are very happy to understand the style, feeling and direction you are drawn to, then develop a Vivien Sheriff piece around you and your occasion.

See Our Colour Match Service

Adapting an Existing Design

Many bespoke commissions begin with an existing Vivien Sheriff design.

You may love the shape of one hat, the trim of another, or the colourway of a piece from a previous collection. Because our hats and headpieces are handmade to order, we can often adapt a design so that it feels more personal to you.

This might include:

Changing the colour

Adjusting the scale

Removing or changing a quill, flower or trim

Changing the veiling

Using a different base or headband

Adapting the brim size

Adding or reducing feather detail

Creating a softer or stronger overall look

The design and stylist team will always advise on what will work best, so the finished piece remains balanced and elegant.

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Creating a One-of-a-Kind Hat or Headpiece

If you are looking for something completely individual, we can work with you on a new bespoke design.

You may have a clear idea already, or you may simply know the outfit, occasion and feeling you want to create. During the design discussion, we can look at shape, scale, colour, trim, materials and the overall look of the piece.

If helpful, we can mock up design ideas on a mannequin head so you can see the direction before the final piece is made. Your hat or headpiece is not finished until you are completely happy with the design.

The Bespoke Hat Design Process

The process usually begins with an enquiry by email or phone.

From there, we can discuss your ideas in the way that suits you best. You are welcome to visit our Wiltshire studio for an in-person appointment, but we can also work with you by email, phone or video call if you are not able to visit.

When you get in touch, it is helpful to include as much detail as possible, such as:

· Where you will be wearing the hat

· The date of the event

· Images of your dress or outfit

· Shoes, bag or accessory details if relevant

· Any Vivien Sheriff styles you like

· Any ideas, sketches or inspiration images

· Whether you would prefer a hat, headpiece or fascinator-style piece

During a studio appointment, we can look at materials, shape, colour and trim options together. If you are unable to visit, there may be an opportunity for us to send swatches to help with the decision-making process.

Once the design direction is agreed, our team will begin creating your piece by hand.

Materials and Millinery Craftsmanship

Every bespoke Vivien Sheriff piece is designed at our Wiltshire studio and handmade by a small team of skilled makers.

We work with traditional millinery materials including sinamay, felt, straw, veiling and feathers, as well as more modern trims such as laser-cut plastics and metal details where appropriate. Our bases are blocked to order, either by hand at our Wiltshire studio or through our London-based blocking studio.

Over more than 20 years, Vivien Sheriff and the team have built a trusted library and source of materials, trims and specialist
suppliers. We buy components from industry suppliers we know and trust, and our
feathers are sourced from UK-based suppliers with the very high standards of
animal care.

Every piece is checked by our head designer before
it is handed over or sent to the customer.

Bespoke Lead Times

Our usual lead time for a hat or headpiece is around 4–6 weeks.

For bespoke orders, timings can vary depending on the complexity of the design, the materials required and the time of year. If you are choosing a standard design in a custom colour, the 4 to 6 weeks timeframe usually begins once we have received the fabric swatch or outfit needed for colour matching.

For fully bespoke or new designs, we usually aim for 4 - 6 weeks from confirmation of the design and order. If your piece is likely to take longer, we will let you know during the design process.

We recommend getting in touch as early as possible, especially ahead of busy periods such as Royal Ascot, the Kentucky Derby, Dubai World Cup, Cheltenham Festival and the summer wedding season. Rush orders may be possible, but this will depend on the design and studio availability.

Book a Styling Appointment

Start Your Bespoke Hat Enquiry

To begin your bespoke enquiry, please contact the studio by phone or email.

It is helpful to include:

The occasion

The event date

An image of your outfit

Any shoes, bag or accessories you would like us to consider

Any Vivien Sheriff designs you are drawn to

Any design ideas, sketches or inspiration images

There is no charge for a design consultation. We are happy to talk through options and ideas so you feel confident before placing an order.

Payment in full is required to confirm your bespoke order before we begin making your piece.