Page 28 - Southern Oregon Magazine Winter 2015
P. 28
BITs
SOUTHERN OREGON MADE
Art Fawcett, Jr.
Tossing his hats into the ring
You might have noticed a new shop on Highway 99 in North Medford, in a non-descript
building with only a sign over the door saying “Hat Shop.” Behind its door resides one of
the more notable names in hatting that you’ve never heard of, Art Fawcett, Jr. Fawcett built
an international reputation for both quality and design of gentlemen’s fedoras with an online
presence named VS Custom Hats, which started from a hobby of purchasing and renovating
older hats (1920s – 1950s) to add to his vintage clothing business in the San Francisco area.
Over a 15-year span he collected equipment specifically made for hat making and ribbon
appropriate to the age of the hat he was working on. He rented his hats (among other cloth-
ing) to the film industry until 2000 when he retired from the Bay Area to live in Southern
Oregon. After building his home, he offered a single hat design on the Internet, which sold
out in 36 hours, thus creating a business. In the nine years since, he has acquired clients on
almost every continent in the world and has begun teaching other hatters in his methods. In
April of this year he opened a retail shop on N. Pacific Highway in Medford and is carrying
not only hats made by himself and his apprentice, but also Dorfman Pacific, Capas, Bailey,
Master Hatters of Texas, and new hat lines as he can find them.
VS Custom Hats
3534 N. Pacific Hwy., Medford
888-270-3984
www.vintagesilhouettes.com
26 southernoregonmagazine.com • winter 2015
SOUTHERN OREGON MADE
Art Fawcett, Jr.
Tossing his hats into the ring
You might have noticed a new shop on Highway 99 in North Medford, in a non-descript
building with only a sign over the door saying “Hat Shop.” Behind its door resides one of
the more notable names in hatting that you’ve never heard of, Art Fawcett, Jr. Fawcett built
an international reputation for both quality and design of gentlemen’s fedoras with an online
presence named VS Custom Hats, which started from a hobby of purchasing and renovating
older hats (1920s – 1950s) to add to his vintage clothing business in the San Francisco area.
Over a 15-year span he collected equipment specifically made for hat making and ribbon
appropriate to the age of the hat he was working on. He rented his hats (among other cloth-
ing) to the film industry until 2000 when he retired from the Bay Area to live in Southern
Oregon. After building his home, he offered a single hat design on the Internet, which sold
out in 36 hours, thus creating a business. In the nine years since, he has acquired clients on
almost every continent in the world and has begun teaching other hatters in his methods. In
April of this year he opened a retail shop on N. Pacific Highway in Medford and is carrying
not only hats made by himself and his apprentice, but also Dorfman Pacific, Capas, Bailey,
Master Hatters of Texas, and new hat lines as he can find them.
VS Custom Hats
3534 N. Pacific Hwy., Medford
888-270-3984
www.vintagesilhouettes.com
26 southernoregonmagazine.com • winter 2015
