December 13 — Vintage hat shop in downtown Sumner is a blast from the past

Brainpan Hat Shop offers fedoras, nostalgic atmosphere

Roxanne Cooke / of the Herald

In Stacey Phelps’ new hat shop, he can be seen steaming fedoras, listening to boogie-woogie music and encouraging his customers to try on hats. Old black-and-white photographs of men in fedoras adorn the walls.

Phelps, 45, considers himself a nostalgic kind of guy.

“I’ve always enjoyed hats,” he said.

Brainpan Hat Shop, located on Cherry Avenue in Sumner, opened Dec. 1. Phelps sells vintage-style hats: Bailey, Dobbs, Akubra, Stetson and Kangol brand items fill his small shop. He also offers custom-made hats and can special order other types.

His spring inventory will include more straw-based hats. Prices range from $19 to $150, depending on the hat.

The Sumner native admits he inherited his love of vintage hats from his grandfather, who passed away nearly 20 years ago. Phelps keeps one of his grandfather’s old hats in the shop and has a framed photograph of him – wearing a hat, of course.

“He was the one guy I always remember having a hat on,” Phelps said.

Phelps’ 21-year-old son, Kyle, also loves hats — he posed for a Brainpan ad poster that sits framed inside the shop. He’s dressed in a fedora and a suit.

“I guess I just take after him,” he said of his father.

The poster reads “Some trips feels like an eternity… Don’t forget your hat.”

That’s the attitude Phelps hopes becomes more commonplace. More and more celebrities and musicians are turning vintage hats into a trend, and Phelps hopes it sticks.

“I would like to see more people wearing hats,” he said.

It does take confidence to wear a fedora, Phelps said. Most people are more comfortable in baseball caps. But it helps to take baby steps, starting with the vintage hats that resemble baseball caps.

Although the store’s slogan is “Crowns for the common man,” the hats look great on women, too, Phelps said. Still, it’s nice for men to have accessories.

Because Sumner stores are typically “destination” shops, Phelps said he feels his hat shop fits in well. Business has been a bit slow so far, but Phelps thinks people are warming up to his shop. He’ll begin advertising this week.

“It takes some time,” he said. “I’m learning as I go. I enjoy it, I enjoy the hats, but it’s a learning curve.”

He hopes his enthusiasm for his hats will make up for his relative inexperience in retail, though, he said. He formerly worked for funeral homes in Puyallup, Sumner and Kent.

Plus, he knows it’s hard to find hat shops – and ordering online isn’t quite the same.

Just like clothing or shoes, it’s best to be able to try a hat on before buying, he said.

Phelps wears a hat almost every day.

“My hair is fleeting,” he joked.