In December 1886, Manuel Azevedo Rua, a former wine producer from the north of Portugal, decided to open this traditional made-to-order hat shop. Thanks to a loan and some advice from his uncle, a priest – ‘always practice a fixed price’ – the store is still going strong, selling handmade hats for all occasions. Top, high, bowler or traditional, even hats for priests, any style goes.
For decades it dictated fashion among ladies and, above all; gentlemen, who displayed their coconut and top hats in the cafés’ gatherings. The business, however, would only truly reach the female population in 1988, when the founder’s grandson and great-grandson took over the business, restoring the space and entering in contact with suppliers from several countries, in an attempt to update and modernize the hat business.
Nowadays, Chapelaria Azevedo Rua is in its fifth generation and perhaps that is the secret of its success, as it has been passed down from generation to generation, with a member of the founder’s lineage always in charge of the business.
Probably, not even Manuel Aquino de Azevedo Rua would have imagined that the hat shop he founded in 1886 would reach the present day, but none of this would be possible without the love and dedication from the owners, as well as for its loyal customers.
Praça Dom Pedro IV 73, Lisboa, Portugal
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Monday to Friday from 9:30am - 7pm
Saturday from 10am - 7pm
