Trent Towers has you covered at Burleigh Street hat store
To walk into Trent Towers’ namesake store on West Burleigh Street is to walk out knowing everything there is to know about hats — from brand names to fabric blends to styles. “This is a fedora. You see it’s got the pinch in the front, but it’s wide,” explains Towers, owner of Trent Towers’ Hats & Caps, 7143 W. Burleigh St. “A teardrop is pointed. That’s a pork pie. It’s flat at the top. This is a center dent. It has no pinch in the front . ... And these are called stingy brims because the brims are not wide. “They’re all different styles and names.” Towers’ knowledge of all things hats comes from years of not only being an aficionado of the headwear, but owning one of a few remaining stores specializing in designer hats and caps in the Milwaukee area. In business for nearly 14 years, Towers, 63, credits his success to three things — selling high-quality products, providing good customer service and running a classy shop — something he said people can’t get online or even in some department stores.
In the Chicago steppin’ scene, Towers said most men sported Dobbs or Stetson fedoras.
When Towers moved to Milwaukee, he vended at local events for a while until he decided to open a brick-and-mortar shop. In 2010, Towers opened his eponymous store, selling men’s suits and accessories, including a limited selection of hats. But customers coming into his shop always complimented the hat section.
“That’s when I went strictly all hats,” Towers said.
That was a year later.
Success came from furnishing hats not only in size, brand and style but also color. Towers takes time to make sure the fit and the style are right. Unlike on the internet, he said, customers can touch, see and try on the product.
“All hats don’t fit the same,” Towers said. “We are going to make sure that everything fits you before you leave.”
After all, it’s the hat that makes the person.
“It’s got to look good to that person who is trying it on,” Towers said. “When you put a hat on, folks will come to you and say, ‘You rockin’ that hat.’”
Towers’ wife, Laurie, agreed. She echoed an adage Towers’ grandmother always told him.
“When you have a hat on your head, that makes you a fine dressed man,” said Laurie Towers, who along with her husbands are both Dobbs fans.