HooDoo Headwear Brings Hat Shop to Oak Park

George Dunlop first got into fashion out of college, when he sold clothing in Oak Park. And after a career that’s involved dressing TV stars and interior design, he’s changing hats again, quite literally.

He’s opening HooDoo Headwear in Oak Park this week at 111 N. Marion St. The official opening date isn’t set, but we’ll update this space when it is.

After Dunlop retired, he decided to buy a hat. It was homburg felt hat, and he loved how he looked and felt in it, so he bought another hat and has been wearing headwear ever since.

About six years ago, he retired. And it was then that he decided to buy a hat. He loved the experience, bought another later that year and has been wearing hats ever since. He remembers getting compliments on the street while wearing it.

“There’s a certain sophistication and elegance in wearing a hat,” he said. “It changes you. It’s kind of a magical experience.”  

The popularity of hats is what Dunlop sees as part of a cycle that’s come back around today. But hats are timeless, he said, pointing out that everyone from Al Capone to Johnny Depp have worn the styles of hats he carries.

“In the ‘40s and ‘50s everybody wore hats. Then the hippies came around and killed that,” he said, laughing. “Now I see a lot more people wearing them.”

The store offers a wide variety of hats—Dunlop says he’s starting with 2,000—and could eventually add other accessories such as belts. There are long-time hat brands such as Dobbs and Borsalino, and celebrity lines from the likes of Carlos Santana and Kenny Chesney.

Dunlop certainly has a passion for hats, and he said he wants people to find what fits them best, too. He’ll help find what brim size you need, how tall the top should be and other deciding factors that can make a good hat.