How to care for your hat and make it last a lifetime
You invested in a handmade wool hat. One that was crafted one by one in Portugal, from top-notch quality wool, in a colour rich enough to turn heads. The last thing you want is to ruin it with the wrong kind of care.
The good news: wool felt is one of the most durable hat materials in the world. It's been used for centuries for a reason. But it does need a little love. This is everything you need to know to keep your Andora looking like it just arrived in the box - for years to come.
First: Understand what your hat is made of
All Andora hats are made from 100% premium wool, handcrafted in Portugal. Wool is a natural fibre with remarkable properties - it's naturally resilient, water-resistant to a degree, and it holds its shape well when treated right. But it has one key vulnerability: heat and moisture combined. That combination can cause wool to shrink, felt unevenly, or permanently lose its shape.
So the golden rule of Andora hat care is simple: keep it away from water, heat, and pressure. Everything else follows from there.
01 - Daily handling: the habits that matter most
Most hat damage doesn't happen in dramatic moments. It happens in small, repeated ones. Here's how to handle your hat every day without thinking about it.
Pick it up by the brim, not the crown. This is the single most important habit. Gripping the crown repeatedly weakens the structure over time and leaves permanent dents where your fingers press. Hold the brim at the front or sides instead - it's sturdier and distributes the pressure better.
Set it down upside down or on a hat stand. When you place your hat on a flat surface, always rest it on its crown (upside down) or on a dedicated hat stand. Never leave it resting on the brim - the brim will flatten and warp under the hat's own weight over time.
Don't toss it on the passenger seat. We know. It's tempting. But a hat rolling around in a car, getting squashed against the window or sat on by accident, is how brim damage starts. If you're in the car, put it on your head or store it in its box.
02 - Storing your hat correctly
How you store your hat between wears matters more than most people realise. Wool has a memory - it will hold whatever shape it's kept in.
Use the Andora box. Your hat came in a box for a reason. When you're not wearing it for an extended period, store it in its original box, crown up. This protects it from dust, light, and accidental reshaping.
Keep it away from direct sunlight. Prolonged UV exposure fades wool, especially in deeper tones like Pitch Black, Dark Olive, and Ruby. Store in a cool, dark place - not on a sunny windowsill or near a radiator.
Don't stack things on top of it. A wool hat under pressure - even light, sustained pressure from something resting on top - will lose its crown shape. Give it space.
Use a hat stand for everyday storage. If you wear your hat regularly, a hat stand or wide hook is better than the box for daily use. Just make sure the stand is the right size for your hat - too narrow and it stretches the inner band, too wide and it distorts the crown.
03 - Cleaning: what to do and what never to do
Wool is naturally self-cleaning to a degree - the fibres have a structure that resists dirt and releases it more easily than synthetic materials. But it still needs attention now and then.
For dust and surface dirt: Use a soft-bristled brush (a hat brush or a clean, soft clothing brush) and brush gently in a counter-clockwise direction. This lifts dust and debris without pushing it deeper into the fibres. Do this regularly and your hat will rarely need anything more.
For light marks or smudges: Spot clean only. Use a barely damp cloth - not wet, damp - and dab gently at the affected area. Do not rub. Rubbing agitates the wool fibres and can cause pilling or a change in texture. Let it air dry naturally, away from heat.
For sweat stains on the inner band: The inner band is the part that takes the most wear. Dampen a cloth very slightly with cool water and gently wipe the band. For more stubborn stains, a tiny amount of gentle wool-safe detergent on the cloth can help - but use the absolute minimum and make sure you wipe away any residue.
What to never do: Never put your hat in the washing machine. Ever. Not even on a delicate cycle. The combination of water, heat, agitation, and centrifugal force will permanently felt and shrink the wool - there is no coming back from this.
Never submerge it in water. Even hand-washing in a sink is too much for a structured wool hat. The brim stiffening will soften and the crown will lose its shape.
Never use a hairdryer or iron on your hat. Direct heat is the enemy of wool. It breaks down the fibres and can permanently alter the shape.
Never use regular stain remover or household cleaning products. These are formulated for cotton and synthetics. On wool, they can strip the natural lanolin from the fibres, causing dryness, brittleness, and colour damage.
04 - What to do if your hat gets wet
It will happen at some point. A sudden rain shower, a splash, a moment of bad luck. Here's exactly what to do.
Don't panic - wool can handle light moisture. The key is what you do next.
Shake off any excess water gently. Don't wring or squeeze the brim.
Reshape the hat immediately while it's still slightly damp. This is your window. Wet wool is temporarily mouldable - use your hands to coax the crown and brim back into their correct shape.
Let it dry naturally at room temperature. Place it on a hat stand or upside down on its crown on a clean, flat surface. Keep it away from radiators, hairdryers, direct sunlight, and any other heat source. Let air do the work - it takes longer but it's the only safe method.
Do not wear it while it's still damp. Wearing a damp wool hat accelerates stretching and can alter the shape of the crown permanently.
If the hat gets completely soaked, the same rules apply - but be extra patient with drying time and reshaping. The more thoroughly wet it is, the more carefully you need to set the shape before it dries.
05 - Reshaping a hat that's lost its form
Wool has a forgiving quality - with a little steam, you can often coax it back into shape. This works well for minor dents, a brim that's gone slightly wavy, or a crown that's been squashed.
Hold the affected area over steam from a boiling kettle - not touching the water, just close enough to let the steam penetrate the fibres. Keep it moving gently to avoid soaking any one spot.
While the wool is warm and slightly relaxed from the steam, use your hands to reshape it. Work slowly and deliberately. For a dented crown, press gently from the inside outward. For a warped brim, smooth and flatten it with your palms.
Hold the shape in place for a minute or two as it starts to cool, then let it finish drying on a hat stand.
This technique won't fix everything, but for everyday wear-and-tear distortion, it works remarkably well.
06 - Travelling with your hat
Your Andora is a travel companion - but it needs a little planning.
The safest option is always to wear it on the plane or train. Overhead bins and luggage holds are brutal for hat structure.
If you need to pack it: use the Andora box if you're checking luggage, and pack soft items (scarves, jumpers) around it to absorb impact. Never pack it in a bag where it can be crushed under other items.
For road trips: bring the box or put it on your head. The passenger seat is not a storage solution.
07 - Special care for specific colours
Lighter colourways like Pearl and Sandstone show marks more easily and may need more frequent gentle brushing. Keep them away from dark clothing that could transfer dye.
Darker colourways like Pitch Black and Dark Olive are more forgiving of day-to-day marks but are more sensitive to UV fading. Store them away from light when not in use.
Bold colours like Ruby, Wild Orchid, Sunset, and Greenstone are dyed in rich, saturated tones. Avoid contact with water and sweat on the outer surface as much as possible, as this can cause some colour bleed onto lighter clothing.
Your quick-reference care summary
Do: brush regularly with a soft brush, store crown-up or on a hat stand, spot clean with a barely damp cloth, reshape with steam when needed, air dry at room temperature.
Don't: machine wash, submerge in water, use a hairdryer or iron, use regular stain remover, grip by the crown, leave in direct sunlight, store under pressure.
One last thing
Your Andora hat is made to wear for life. Not for one season, not for one summer - for life. The wool is top quality, the craftsmanship is handmade one by one in Portugal, and the design is timeless enough to still be on your head in ten years.
A little care is all it takes to make that happen. Treat it well and it will keep showing up for you - every entrance, every occasion, every stare.
Still have your Andora? Show us how you wear it. Tag us on Instagram - we love seeing where our hats end up.
