The Story of Easy Living Hats
Blast from the past:
My favorite story to tell Hat Shoppers is how I started making hats. I was living in Venice Beach California and many of my friends became the artists who sold their art on the infamous boardwalk. The only thing I knew how to make at the time were crochet beanies! All of my friends joked and said "Whose going to buy a knit beanie at the Beach!" and I said: "Tourist"..And they did!
That was my first taste of selling my goods and making money doing something I loved. I also learned quickly that I had a knack for selling and I have never looked back. I have been selling my handmade goods since 2006!
Fast Foward 15 years:
I started Easy Living Hats in 2017 after closing a sustainable clothing store on the Ithaca Commons. My packable hat design was something I had been crocheting and selling for close to 10 years, a product I made for myself after crushing my favorite straw hats traveling on the west coast.
I wanted to crochet a sun hat that could easily pack for my adventures, and would also be comfortable and stylish. In 2017 when I decided to close my store and focus on a hat brand, I was making each hat myself.
In the past 5 years, ELH has grown to include a team of local artisans helping with production and sales, and we opened a production studio in 2020!
Easy Living Hats main objective is to offer a sustainably-made, comfortable hat that you can wear in any season, and will fit any size. As an avid hiker and outdoorsy mama I really appreciate products that are durable, easy, and affordable.
The vision for Easy Living Hats is to become a common hat brand. We hope to see our products sold on websites like REI and in fellow small business boutiques around the world. We strive to make hats that are all inclusive and donate to organizations that lift up communities and causes. Not only is our product made with sustainable materials and methods, but our business model allows our artisans and staff to work sustainable hours from home.
You can shop our hats online at www.easylivinghats.com (we ship worldwide!) and you can also find our hats locally at the Ithaca Farmers Market & Handwork Cooperative. Stop by our workspace during our weekly pop up hours to avoid crowds & try on hats before purchasing!
