Hats Off to 45 Years!
Village Hat Shop (est. May 1980) turns 45!
Thank you for your continued support - we couldn't have done it without you!
We've come a long way and no one can better attest to that journey than our very own President and co-founder, Tina Belinsky. In her own words (reposted from May 2014):
This month marks our 34th years for Village Hat Shop (villagehatshop.com). I always wanted to live in California. Maybe it was watching the Wonderful World of Disney on Sunday nights when I was a little girl. California seemed so magical with none of the long winters or gray skies that plagued us in Michigan. We moved to San Diego in May, and the weather was beautiful. Michigan will always have a random snow storm in May that dusts the ground. Even though the May snow does not linger, it is still an insult to Michiganders who have been fooled by the burgeoning crocuses popping out of the ground.
By the time I arrived in San Diego our shop in the new specialty center called Seaport Village was about to open. It was very exciting. We had a new baby Zachary, (the current Vice President at Village Hat Shop) new city, new careers, and a new business. We were very nervous because we did not know that much about hats. The garage of our rented house was filled with hat boxes to take to the store when the renovations were completed. Fred [founder] grew up working at his father’s drug stores, and he said he had a rudimentary understanding of being a merchant. He also told me with confidence that he had learned about being a merchant at the dinner table.
It’s been a roller coaster hat life with more stores, lots of terrific employees, and our wonderful adventure as one of the first hat stores on the internet. We ventured to the UK and France with a warehouse in London operated by our nephew Bruce 5 years ago. Both of my kids work in the business. It is wonderful to have them close. Unfortunately, Fred passed away in March. When I worried about how would we carry on without him, he said, “you will be okay.” We are okay ... better than okay. Upon reviewing the past 34 years I can only conclude that we have been very lucky, indeed.
Happy Birthday Village Hat Shop!
It's been 11 years since Tina wrote that blog. Adaptation has always been in our DNA – from our founders' learn-as-you-go approach to retail, to our e-commerce pioneering days, maneuvering leadership changes, surviving a worldwide pandemic, and recent site migration – the learning never ends. After 45 years, we at the Village Hat Shop are not only proud but incredibly grateful to continue serving your every hat need. Thank you to all our customers – past and present – and cheers to 45 years!