I’ve been told on more than one occasion that I have a big head. It rarely bothers me except when I get the urge to buy a hat. The average head size for a woman is 56 – and I’m a 60. Couple that to having to wear glasses and it’s rare indeed that I find a hat that a) suits me and b) I like.
In Belgrade, walking down Balkan street, I passed a hat shop. Actually, I passed four shops with hats in their windows, two of which were devoted exclusively to hats. I went into one. And it turned out the be the oldest hat shop in the city. It’s been in the Andelković family for three generations and has been operating since the early 1950s.
Most of the hats are made these days by Veljko Andelković and it’s obvious that the millinery skill has been passed down from father to son. The summer collection is cute, light, and colourful. And he caters for big heads like mine.
I spent a lovely half-hour with Ivana trying on various styles, shapes, and colours and came away with not one, but two. I’m already looking forward to the Fall collection and as for winter…
With so much of what’s on our shelves today originating in China, it’s a pleasure to walk into a shop that has been in operation for 60 years, is being handed down through generations, and doesn’t have the need to advertise: there’s no name on the door. It’s simply the hat shop. And I’d edit that last sentence to add emphasis… it’s the hat shop in Belgrade. And if you’re curious, šešir is the Serbian for hat.
Address: 36 Balkan street. Open Monday to Friday 8-8, Saturday till 4 and closed Sunday.
Now, once you’ve bought a red car, every car you see is red. The same goes for hat shops. Since I went into the first one, I’ve been tripping over them. MVK took me to another one today to buy a hat for the Derby… this one has been in business for 20 years and yes, their hats are all handmade, too. Mine is one-of-a-kind – an experiment of sorts. Mam, dad, and daughter run the show and dad suggested I needed a more glamourous dress for the hat I eventually bought. The cheek! I am impressed, though, with the hive of activity in Belgrade and the sheer choice of locally made products. Who’d have thought it eh?
Vesna – the fancy hat shop, Kraljvica Marka 13, Belgrade
