What do X markings mean in straw and felt hats?
Historically, X markings were only used in felt hats, and essentially indicated a manufacturer’s opinion of the blend of fur used in forming the hat bodies. The more wild fur is included in the fur blend used to make the body, the higher the X marking for that hat. Generally speaking 2X was the lowest and 100X was the highest. Since there is no industry standard for X quality markings, the assignment of X markings is very subjective. Today X markings are a marketing gimmick. You can’t compare a Milano Hat with any other hat on the basis of the X mark alone. At Milano Hat Company, we consider the type and width of the fiber, as well as the trim package, in assigning our straw hat X markings. On our felt hats, our X markings are determined by the various fur blends we use to make the raw body and also the trim packaged used to finish the hat.
