Bittner Kitzeck Velour Hat - Cognac

Made by hand in Bad Ischl, where the Emperor ordered his hunting hats.

The Bittner Kitzeck is a velour felt hat in a deep, warm cognac, shaped by hand in the Bittner hat workshop in Bad Ischl, Austria. The family has made hats there since 1862 and is now in its fifth and sixth generation. Emperor Franz Joseph ordered his hunting hats from the Bittner family, and the workshop still steams, shapes, brushes and trims every felt hat by hand on wooden blocks.

Velour is felt made from fine hare or rabbit hair, brushed until the surface feels almost like suede. It gives the Kitzeck its soft sheen and a colour that changes with the light, from tobacco brown in the shade to glowing cognac in the sun.

What makes this hat is the garnish: layer upon layer of twisted cords, braids and soft wool strands in camel, grey, chocolate brown and dusty rose, wrapped around the crown and knotted at the back with a tassel and cord ends. It is generous and a little bohemian, and no two are wrapped exactly alike.

How to wear it

Kitzeck is a hat with character, so let the rest of the outfit be calm. In the country, wear it with a loden or tweed jacket, a camel knit and leather boots; the cognac picks up every shade of autumn. In town, it lifts a long camel coat, a grey roll-neck and jeans. The rose in the garnish is a quiet link to burgundy, plum and pink if you want to take it further.

Product Details

• Brand: Bittner, Bad Ischl, Austria (since 1862)
• Model: Kitzeck
• Colour: Cognac
• Material: Velour felt (hair felt)
• Garnish: Hand-wrapped cords, braids and wool strands in camel, grey, brown and rose, knotted with tassel
• Brim: Bound edge
• Made: By hand in the Bittner workshop in Bad Ischl, Austria
• Sizes: 57, 58, 59 (head circumference in cm)
• Product code: P24010-33

Field Notes

How do I wear country style in the city without looking dressed up for the hunt?

Pick one country piece and keep the rest everyday. A cognac felt hat with a long coat, a fine knit and jeans reads as personal style, not costume. Leave the loden and hunting accessories at home and let the hat be the country note.

What hat size should I take, and how should a felt hat fit?

Measure around your head with a soft tape, just above the ears and across the forehead below the hairline, without pulling tight. The number in centimetres is your hat size; if you are between two sizes, choose the larger. A felt hat should sit securely without pressing, about a finger's width above the ears. Felt adapts slightly to your head over the first weeks of wear.