Leather and fur items tend to shrink over time. This can happen with shoes, jackets, and hats. Let’s find out how to stretch a fur hat that seems a little snug after a year of wearing it. It will also be useful to learn how to store the hat so that it does not change its size.
Reasons why hats change sizes
Having bought an expensive hat, we expect to wear it for several years. Fur hats are very beautiful and warm, and are hard to live without in a cold climate. In addition, natural material is highly valued, fur items are considered prestigious, and are chosen carefully, spending a long time in front of a mirror.
Once you buy a properly sized hat, you need to care for it correctly. If the fur or leather gets wet, then it should be dried at room temperature. Do not use a hair dryer or heater for drying. To prevent changing sizes, stuff the hat with newspapers or make a special blank.
If you store a cap in too hot and dry a place, it will shrink, decreasing in size. High dryness in the closet makes the leather crack, get stiff, and make the color of the fur fade. Choose a cool dark place for storage, periodically take out and inspect the item, make sure that there is no moth in the closet.
Stretching the hat yourself
Not every town has a professional leather craftsman. For this reason, it is important to know how to stretch a fur hat yourself using common means:
- pick up a pot, a large jar, or other hard round object of the size you need to stretch the hat;
- boil water in a kettle and hold the hat over the steam so that it warms up and gets dampened (steamed);
- pull the hat over the pot, and put it in a cool place to dry.
Do not dry mink or any other fur hat near hot home appliances. Let it dry slowly at a temperature of + 20°…+25°, do not take it off the pot until it dries completely. It will stretch perfectly after 2-3 days. The same method can be used to stretch a winter fur cap with ear-flaps. In the army, a stack of hardcover books of an appropriate size is used as a blank.
You need to be careful while increasing the size of the hat at home, and not overdo it. Once you stretch the leather more than intended, it’s unlikely to shrink back to a smaller size. Besides, you will be running a risk of tearing the lining, seams, or fur. To prevent your hat from dangling on your head and slipping down to cover your eyes, please select the sizes of a block carefully. To do this, measure its girth (circumference) with a tape-measure and compare it with the your head circumference.
Professional stretching
If the item is expensive and shrunk a lot, it is best to contact the professionals. Leather and fur workshops have special instruments for stretching. The craftsmen will treat the material with softening compounds and slowly stretch the hat, pulling it over the pad of the appropriate size. They also make sure that no tears appear on the leather, and the hat has not lost its shape.