Levine Hat Company

Levine Hat Company traces its origins to 1903, when Benjamin Levine and his young family established a small hatmaking operation in St. Louis after emigrating from Russia. Before leaving Minsk, the family had worked as furriers and cap hood makers. Those skills provided the foundation for a business operating within the city's clothing and garment trades. Over its history, the company occupied three different locations, each in St. Louis's Washington Avenue Historic District. The district is associated with the city's former garment industry, giving Levine Hat Company a long-standing physical connection to the production and sale of clothing and accessories in downtown St. Louis. The business remained family-operated and privately owned, although the available reference material does not identify individual later-generation owners or managers. A major strategic change occurred in the 1970s. Levine Hat Company shifted toward retail and phased out part of its manufacturing activity. This transition repositioned the enterprise from a small-scale hatmaking operation toward a specialty store serving customers looking for a wide range of finished headwear. Its showroom subsequently became known for the scale of its inventory, with reference material describing space for up to 50,000 hats and indicating that most could be examined and tried on by customers. The business's historical importance has extended beyond ordinary commerce. In 2013, hats and millinery equipment from its collection were loaned to The Griot Museum of Black History. The objects were displayed at Lambert International Airport, allowing the company's material history and the wider history of hatmaking to be presented to a public audience. Levine Hat Company attracted additional attention in 2016 after selling a blue hat to Ken Hitchcock, then an NHL coach. Hitchcock associated the hat with his success at the Winter Classic, giving the otherwise local retailer a notable connection to professional sports culture. In 2017, the company sponsored a St. Louis Art Museum exhibition of works by Edgar Degas. This sponsorship linked the hat retailer with an institution and an artist whose work is widely associated with modern art and representations of everyday life. Recognition followed from both general-interest media and the headwear industry. GQ listed Levine Hat Company among the top seven hat stores in the United States in 2011. The National Headwear Association later named it Retailer of the Year in 2018. Together, these references emphasize the company's longevity, specialist focus, extensive selection, and standing within the American hat-retailing field. The supplied sources do not provide detailed sales figures, a complete chronology of store openings, proprietary brand information, current leadership, or evidence of substantial overseas operations. On the available record, Levine Hat Company is a historic St. Louis specialty retailer whose identity rests on family operation, traditional hatmaking origins, a large physical selection, and continued participation in local cultural life.

• 2018

  National Headwear Association names it Retailer of the Year

  [1]Levine Hat Companyen.wikipedia.org

  The National Headwear Association presents Levine Hat Company with its Retailer of the Year award.

• 2017

  The company sponsors a Degas exhibition

  [1]Levine Hat Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Levine Hat Company sponsors a St. Louis Art Museum exhibition featuring works by Edgar Degas.

• 2016

  Blue hat sale brings sports-media attention

  [1]Levine Hat Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Levine sells a blue hat to NHL coach Ken Hitchcock, who credits it with helping him win the Winter Classic.

• 2013

  Historical collection appears at Lambert International Airport

  [1]Levine Hat Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Historical hats and millinery equipment are loaned to The Griot Museum of Black History for public display at Lambert International Airport.

• 2011

  GQ includes Levine among leading American hat stores

  [1]Levine Hat Companyen.wikipedia.org

  GQ names Levine Hat Company one of the seven top hat stores in the United States.

• 1970

  The company shifts toward specialty retail

  [1]Levine Hat Companyen.wikipedia.org

  During the 1970s, Levine Hat Company moves further into retail and reduces part of its manufacturing activity.

• 1903

  Benjamin Levine establishes the business in St. Louis

  [1]Levine Hat Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Benjamin Levine and his family begin a small hatmaking operation after emigrating from Russia, bringing experience as furriers and cap hood makers from Minsk.

A historic, family-operated specialty hat retailer distinguished by its St. Louis heritage, broad showroom assortment, and connection to traditional millinery.

• Headwear

  Hats

  Hats are the company's central retail category. Levine Hat Company is described as maintaining a showroom with capacity for as many as 50,000 hats, most of which customers can browse and try on. The available sources do not provide a complete breakdown by style, material, brand, or intended use.

• Historical collection

  Historical hats and millinery equipment

  The company has preserved historical hats and millinery equipment connected with its long operating history. These items were loaned for public exhibition through The Griot Museum of Black History and displayed at Lambert International Airport in 2013. They represent the business's craft and retail heritage rather than a clearly identified commercial product line.

• 2017St. Louis Art Museum Degas exhibition sponsorship

  St. Louis, United States

  The company sponsored a St. Louis Art Museum exhibition featuring works by Edgar Degas.

  Outcome. The sponsorship associated the local specialty retailer with a major arts institution and cultural programming in St. Louis.

  Source
• 2013Historical hat and equipment exhibition

  St. Louis, United States

  Levine Hat Company loaned historical hats and millinery equipment to The Griot Museum of Black History for a public presentation at Lambert International Airport.

  Outcome. The collection was displayed publicly, highlighting the company's material heritage and the history of millinery.

  Source

• 1970

  Transition from manufacturing toward retailStrategy

  Background

  During the 1970s, the business adjusted its historical operating model after decades of hatmaking activity.

  Action taken

  Levine Hat Company moved into specialty retail and phased out some manufacturing.

  Aftermath

  The company became primarily known as a specialty hat retailer with a large showroom assortment.

  Source

1. 1Levine Hat Companyen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Levine Hat Company official websitelevinehat.com