Growing up, it was impossible to pass a hat store without my mother pulling me inside and making us try on every single hat. It would start out with a search from something sensible, eventually devolving, some 20 minutes later, into a montage of lace veils, lavender satin pill boxes, slouchy red berets adorned with ostrich feathers, and fits of hysterical laughter. Our hat sessions were magic, and are—I’m sure—a big part of why I still rock one at any chance I get. There still seems to be a reverence to the act of trying on hats, like you’re momentarily stepping into another persona. Back then, it felt like I was somehow someone entirely different, and anything was possible as this new person. Now…it still feels a bit like a game of work-suitable dress up. So imagine my (nay, our COLLECTIVE) excitement when we discovered SLC’s newest hat shop, Gigi Pip.
Talk about a feather in your cap...
Created and curated by lifelong hat wearer Ginger Parish, Gigi Pip’s flagship store is located downtown, opposite Pioneer Park. As smitten as we are with the wares they sell here, we’re equally enchanted with the light-filled space in which they sit. The shop is brimming (ha!) with beautiful hats, from cute and colorful beanies to sleek and sophisticated Panamas in muted tones (the wools for the wide-brimmed pieces come from Australia and the hatbands are each Italian leather, so you know each is crafted with care and top-notch materials). Gigi Pip also carries cool fanny packs, scarves, and mittens, so you’ll be stylishly covered throughout all of our salty seasons.
Gigi Pip | 361 W 400 S, SLC | Instagram
To find out more about what makes this place tick, we checked in with Brittney, the stand-up gal in charge of online marketing and media...
There’s a lot going on out there in the world—what inspires Gigi Pip? Gigi Pip is inspired by the women who wear many hats, which is all of us! Ginger has always loved wearing hats and often found herself shopping the men's section for hats. She found it hard to find a one stop shop for women's hats, so she created her own!
Who are Gigi Pip’s wares for? Is there a certain hat “type”? We design for every woman! Everyone's invited to this party!
From the lovely locals to the well-designed spaces and places, we’re obsessed with SLC. What does Gigi Pip love about this glorious spot we call home? We love that Salt Lake City has a love for small businesses; creating, supporting, celebrating. There's such a great entrepreneurial spirit in the heart of this city that we admire. We have found that our customers are so ready to embrace Gigi Pip as a lifestyle, they're excited about our mission and stand for the heart behind our brand. Anyone that comes through our doors leaves as a friend!
Anything being cooked up right now that we need to know about? We are launching a campaign to celebrate the women who inspire us by sharing their stories. These women are local, every day women, but they each have a story to tell. This campaign is for them, for all of us, to celebrate the hats we wear. It's our way of tipping our hats to women everywhere. When you walk into our store you'll feel welcome and hopefully inspired to fully embrace the hats you wear.
