The Mad Hatter’s Device that Fitted Charlie Chaplin

Step inside the world's oldest hat shop, Lock & Co. Hatters, and meet Roger Stephenson, the Deputy Chairman and seventh-generation family member who takes immense pride in being part of such a longstanding business.
Nestled in the heart of London, we sent Stuart from the Great Big Story team to explore the captivating story of this iconic shop and get fitted for his very own hat. From crafting the iconic bowler hat to serving clientele like Winston Churchill, Samuel L. Jackson, Nick Cage and even James Bond, we delve into the craftsmanship and tradition that has crowned this establishment as the go-to hatter for celebrities and hat aficionados alike.
Don’t miss this journey through history and style, where every hat tells a story. Tip your hat to tradition!
#Hat #Shop #London
00:00 Intro
00:19 Oldest Hat Shop In The World
00:50 Mad As A Hatter
1:26 Fitting Royalty
1:46 Winston Churchill
2:16 How to Fit A Hat
3:25 Inventing The Bowler Hat
4:15 Bond Gets A Hat
5:28 Haute Millinery
6:47 Lady Gaga's Hat Choice
7:26 Inheriting A Hat
Lead Producer - Stuart Smillie
Exec Producer - Genevieve Ingham
Camera - Matt Taylor
Editor - Steven Kelly
Graphics - Will Minns
Got a story idea for us? Shoot us an email at pitch [at] GreatBigStory [dot] com 📧
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👉 shop.greatbigstory.com/
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[@GreatBigStory]

A well deserved tip o' the hat for Lock and Co. 🎩

[@babynuget1591]

Why no one is commenting ? Let me fix that

[@boy638]

Hats off to them for staying in business for so long.

[@1carus123]

😑

[@CrewmanEl]

Ba dum pss

[@AlHyde1997]

Hats on for the hats off

[@Ship84]

This really is journalism you can't get anywhere else, so glad you guys are back!

[@meisrerboot]

I mean in this case you have quite a few menswear youtube channels that cover stuff like this, like Tom Chamberlin and Kirby Allison.

[@GreatBigStory]

Thank you for the love, we appreciate you! 🫶

[@mostlynull]

On one hand it makes me sad that the videos you guys produce don't have the same reach they once did, but on the other hand I'm very happy that you still dedicate yourselves to telling interesting and inspiring stories we wouldn't have heard otherwise. I know I've mentioned this on previous videos, but we love you guys and we're absolutely elated you've returned. 🖤🤘🏽

[@baronvonrhaptzody5440]

“The Conformator” is the most Victorian superhero name I’ve ever heard.

[@LordFyrestone]

Right?!

[@jamescorbett806]

A tip of the hat to this fantastic story!! So excited and happy GBS is back !!!!!! So greatful

[@GreatBigStory]

A tip o' the hat to you 🎩

[@Gr95dc]

I really want for hats to make a full comeback into modern day fashion, well, everyday fashion to be precise. Hats are just a lovely accessory that helps keep the sun out of your face and it can add so much to a plain outfit. Right now I wear caps and I have a wide brim felt hat that doesn't quite fit me, I'd love to own a fitted hat for my tiny head.

[@Demasx]

I don't envy the writer who had to pick the video name... so many amazing fact drops! "we fitted the queen", "we invented the bowler", "we use victorian tech even today", etc.! 🎩👍

[@GreatBigStory]

There were lots of choices 😅

[@blipblop0398]

That was great! What a fun store. The mad hatter thing was awesome 😆

[@melodyparra2960]

A great hat makes a style look complete

[@GreatBigStory]

Absolutely 🎩

[@drinny26]

I’m definitely getting a hat here when I visit London. ❤

[@GreatBigStory]

Yesss, do it! 😃

[@TheRealBorb]

Still so happy GBS is back

[@mathwithnikhil]

Hat's off to them for keeping the Hat's on

[@TheBooker66]

Great video and great shop.

[@1jbunceiii]

Such a good story!

[@Dev1nci]

Interesting sidenote, Charley Chaplin wore Lock and Co. hats, his great grandkids are musicians called Lockenville 😄

[@jujitsujew23]

Always loved this shop. Love my linen flat cap from them

[@EddieBurke]

I would kill to get a hat here, super cool place.

[@jonathanm9436]

Well, that was quite a bit of fun!

[@C5ndle]

Amazing video

[@colinharper6774]

Very cool episode

[@MightyElo]

They made odd job’s hats!!?!! That is so cool!!!

[@darkflamekiller6101]

Man, if I ever visit London, this is the first place I'm going to. Always wanted a nice hat, it just feels cool

[@sgtpepper1138]

I was fitted for my Raiders of the Lost Ark fedora at Northwest Hat in Eugene, OR. His head shaping device was 3d printed and my fedora fits perfectly.

[@stephenbrand5661]

"Cap" is one of those words used by kids these days that makes me feel old.

[@Baronnax]

Don't let it. It'll wax and wane, like "radical" and "on fleek". If it sticks around, it'll make its way into your vocabulary by osmosis, don't worry.

[@op4000exe]

Cool stuff, as someone who's recently gotten into wearing Fedora, this is right up my alley :p

[@TheJugernaut]

Now I want to get my own hat from them

[@clautildadaniel9744]

Very interesting

[@randyreese6413]

Ms. Golding has a unique American/British accent…

[@paillette2010]

I used to see many people wear bowlers field hunting in the late 70’s. They wore it with a special string attached to their jacket in case it got knocked off. I just wore my helmet.

[@queenofdramatech]

If I ever get asked to Buckingham Palace, I'm going here for my hat!

[@pennplayz]

Id love to visit these guys if i ever visit the UK, ive got such a big head I can't really buy hats off the shelf anywhere and it would be cool to get properly fitted

[@Itz.crossery]

Nice

[@shotgunfullofspiders1223]

Now can they make me a burning team captain… but references aside, fantastic video

[@stovepipehat396]

Locke and Co.! I got a bowler from them!

[@myladycasagrande863]

That's cool! Have you tried stepping on it yet?

[@larsstougaard7097]

Hats off to you sir 👏

[@baronvonrhaptzody5440]

Is that also where you got your stovepipe hat?

[@MightyElo]

That is so cool!!

[@JoshWitte]

That head measurer looks like a Saw trap...

[@ibrahimnawfal4441]

Long time no see..

[@madhatterzake3871]

These people are the modern journalists and documentary makers.

[@Tophatjones358]

1:30 well done sir on the man spreading! A true professional. There are only a few groups of men that can pull off this kinda of man spreading. He does it with authority..

[@justinwexy]

"Sir, where can I find your unusual hats? I'll trade for 500 keys" -A certain type of gamer

[@franzladores3625]

Here's to hoping you'll have the same reach you had before!

[@ShinKyuubi]

Wish there was a place like this in my neck of the woods in the US...I like vintage stuff and getting a nice hat...particularly an ACTUAL fedora and not a trilby (which everyone seems to call a fedora) means I have to look online and hope shipping doesn't mess it up since the only hat stores around me are LIDS....baseball caps for days but anything like a bowler, top hat, fedora or other similar classic hats are a lot harder to come by, baseball caps and cowboy hats are all easy to come by down south where I live. The others...not so much unless you go online so a custom fit like this is pretty much impossible...which is annoying as in the old west bowler hats were actually rather popular among cowboys up until the Stetson Boss of the Plains hat was made.

[@mumwifeteacher]

I love the female hat maker with the continental accent.

[@louisfitton7296]

🎩

[@GreatBigStory]

And a tip o' the hat to you 🎩

[@jointhefist1016]

I want a hat now On the list. Get fitted. I'll either never wear it, or wear all the time

[@JMPT]

GBS Nice 🎩🎓👑🎓🎩

[@GreatBigStory]

And a tip o' the hat to you 🎩

[@JMPT]

Back to you mate 🎩

[@lunameriweather7693]

WE ARE SO BACK!!

[@pika3999]

Woe

[@JoshWitte]

Is you?

[@pika3999]

@@JoshWitte you know it

[@armandocardona6975]

your editor messed up the color grade key select when the narrator was speaking in front of the shop. Look at the nose.

[@lutherlucasolivia1136]

For now on they didn't wear the bowler hat, but they wear it for UN & at some special events.

[@AstorReinhardt]

I was wondering if they only did men's hats or not and then you showed the female half...eh. I like the more traditional men's side then the out there female side. Even if she is inspired by vintage...I guess I'd have to see the hats in person. I'm not really a hat person, I feel like I don't have the face for one...plus I have a huge head lol.

[@hwizell7478]

Mad hatter’s Lock breathed Mercurial Milliner Conformities tipped

[@dangeldoll]

his wide spread sit at the camera eye is, something.

[@amoghaggarwal]

Are they also part of an underground agency which keeps tabs on what's happening around the globe ? 🤔

[@leejaztine]

Love it but the background music is overpowering the voice of the interviewee

[@alternateunreleasedshellac505]

A shame the top hat maker has been lost forever.

[@tweezerjam]

Nick Cage is such an inferior star compared to the others 😂

[@2choosewisely2]

das german has a better technique for spiraling you off into insanity

[@MurderBong]

6:47 BEARDED LADY 😂 (MANNEQUIN)

[@MurderBong]

IT’S GOT SOOOUUUUUL 😂

[@MurderBong]

OH… I THOUGHT HE WAS THE EARL OF PARTYING, BRO 😅

[@happyhattergamer8078]

🎩