The Who
Welcome to the Asylum. It all began when I was working with schools. Everyday I would visit schools, going in and out of up to ten schools a day, working with music programs, and looking the part of a musician rocking a fedora. For anyone who went to a school during the day, you know you go through a process of fifty questions, showing your I.D., signing in, and in one school, I had to give them my car keys so they knew I am coming back to sign out. What I found, the days I wore my hat, the schools would recognize me through their cameras, acknowledging I am the music guy with the hat, and they let me right in. This of course gave me the excuse to buy more hats and enjoy having my quick access to buildings, saving me loads or time, and having a secret chuckle that I am wearing a hat in school when I used to be scolded for doing that when I was in high school. Between enjoying the defiance, the time saved in checking in, and looking the part of a musician, hats became my style, my persona. As I started to really enjoy wearing hats on a daily, I wanted something that was more original, so instead of paying other makers, I dove headfirst into learning the trade and making something I love. I admit, it started as something I wanted for myself. Friends and family liked what I made and requested I make them one. My curiosity of “what if I…?” with different hat styles, it got to the point I had more ideas and just wanted to see them come to life and try new things. After you have 18 or so hats laying around that you are happy with but can’t possibly justify wearing, I started doing some local craft shows and they sold. Since people seem to like what I do and I love doing it, Bedlam Hats was born. After all, it is the dream we all want… finding something we love, learning about it, becoming a creator/craftsman of that love, and sharing it with others? I know a few of my fellow inmates that saw a hat at a show I was at or on the site here, and just felt it really spoke to them and will tell the world who they are by wearing it, now feel the same way I do when I put on a hat that fits me perfectly, both in fit, and person.
The Why…
As a continuation of above, I always loved making things. Another company in the Bedlam family is B.L. Cases (Bedlam Life Cases). I make custom musical instrument cases or modify current instrument cases. Born in Bethlehem, PA USA, if you heard about the word Bedlam and it’s origins, it comes from the Bethlehem Royal Hospital in London, which was locally shortened and called Bedlam. If you come from Bethlehem, PA, you will know that instead of calling it Beth-le-hem, it is colloquially known as Beth-lem, so with an English accent, that becomes Bedlam. Bethlehem Royal Hospital was a psychiatric hospital that has such a storied past, the word Bedlam now means chaos and confusion. This feeds nicely into the Mad Hatter title every hatter learns to love (and accepts is true, even without the mercury poisoning). This is fitting with the multiple arms of the octopus, an insanely smart animal that has been known to punch fish (look it up, hilarious videos) and changes colors while controlling its 7 other arms simultaneously. I also love pictures of octopuses in top hats sipping on coffee (AKA Life Juice), so it is fitting to be the logo. One additive I like to add to hats are the ties. I loved wearing a tie everyday (I know, odd). I no longer need to wear a tie…ever, since I have a lot of ties from my past, and have this odd habit of finding fun ties in my travels at markets and thrift stores, I think adding a tie to hats adds a fun twist and a little class. This is Bedlam Hats. WELCOME! We are all a little mad around here, get a hat and come join us. We have a warm padded room ready for you to join our asylum.