What does it take to become a bespoke hat maker today? And what makes a man want to pursue a craft, which is pretty niche, even by the standards of this podcast? That’s what we set out to discover this week, in a sit-down with LA-based hat maker, Cody Wellema, founder of the Wellema Hat Co.

Cody has more or less dedicated his life to the noble art of hat making, and his passion for his craft speaks volumes. He’s open, honest and refreshingly forthright. He chats to Aleks about his love of all things vintage, the painstaking process each and every Wellema hat goes through, and the two explore how a beautiful hat can tell the story of a person’s life.

As always, we hope you enjoy the episode. Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram @handcutradio for regular updates (and daft pictures of Aleks), and to kindly leave us a review on Apple podcasts if you can.

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HandCut Radio is proud to be sponsored by Thomas Mason, an historic mill that’s been supplying famous designers, shirtmakers and tailors with world class shirting fabrics since 1796.
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Show Notes:
Cody Wellema — Website | Instagram

[0:45] Permanent Style Pop-up (2019)
[1:44] Brasserie Zédel
[39:50] Stòffa on HandCut Radio #018
[45:00] Bryceland’s
[45:11] Ethan Newton on HandCut Radio #021
[46:00] Tie Your Tie, Florence
[46:52] Connolly, England
[47:08] Crockett & Jones
[47:12] Yohei Fukuda
[47:26] Cohérence, Japan

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HandCut Radio is produced by Birch, a London based creative agency. Our theme music is by Joe Boyd.