A beloved East Bay hat store is hanging up its last cap after 50 years in business.
The Berkeley Hat Company will close its 2510 Telegraph Ave. storefront on Jan. 31, 2026. The shop, located just four blocks south of UC Berkeley, is known for hosting the largest selection of hats for men and women in the Bay Area.
Founder and owner Carol Lipnick, 77, said the decision to close has been on her mind for years. The Oakland resident looks forward to “writing a new chapter” in her life by spending more time with her four grandchildren, traveling the world and enjoying her other hobbies.
“The store has been extremely good to me and the customers have been wonderful … I’m very glad to be a part of it,” Lipnick said.
To celebrate the store’s longstanding legacy, all new and old hats are on sale from now until the closing date. Store hours are Tuesday to Saturday from 10:30am to 6pm, and Sunday from noon to 4pm.
Lipnick, formerly a registered nurse, was introduced to the world of hats through her late husband, Ed Dougherty. A New York native, Lipnick moved to Berkeley in the ’70s, where she met Dougherty. Dougherty was intrigued with importing and learning about Panama hats, a type of tightly woven straw hat made from Toquilla Palm. He recruited Lipnick to decorate each one. “The stack [of hats] went all the way up to the ceiling,” she said.
Soon they were selling the Panamas for $8 each at local fairs and festivals. Encouraged by the feedback and sensing a promising market for selling hats, the couple opened their first brick-and-mortar store on University Avenue in 1978. Two years later they moved to Telegraph.
For decades, the two supplied locals with all sorts of quirky caps. Each wall in the store is lined with endless selections: vintage-styled ones, designer products made for famous events like the Kentucky Derby, snapback baseball caps, berets and even hats fitted with ostrich, peacock or pheasant feathers.
The company offers an online shopping option as well, where customers can browse through photos and descriptions of several iconic hats. These include their signature Panama hats, Irish caps made from wool tweed, and sleeker ones ideal for fancy tea parties or weddings.
“People really call me the ‘Hat Lady’ all the time, and I respond to it,” Lipnick said.
Berkeley Hat Company has even supplied the Cal Marching Band’s signature straw boaters. Before Spirit Halloween stores existed, locals lined up outside the hat company to buy costumes. In addition to hats, accessories like boas, masks, facepaint and costume jewelry were available. At one point, the hat company served as the exclusive East Bay ticket outlet for the Burning Man festival.
Throughout the company’s 50-year run, staff witnessed locals and celebrities alike flow through its doors.
In 2009, the company hosted a public appearance by designer Luke Song—best-known for creating Aretha Franklin’s hat during her performance at President Obama’s first inauguration. In 2011, the hat was inducted into the Smithsonian Museum.
More recently in May, Grammy-nominated artist Kenny Lattimore dropped by the store to purchase a hat, according to the store’s Instagram page. Angus Cloud, HBO’s former Euphoria star and an Oakland native who passed away in 2023, also paid a visit to the hat company in 2022.
Lipnick said she and Dougherty enjoyed getting to meet so many people over the years.
“I really feel like I put a hat on everyone in Berkeley,” she said.
Dougherty passed away in 2017, and Lipnick continued to work in the storefront six days a week. She considered selling the store to a new owner, but had difficulty finding someone to do so. “It’s a full-time job,” she said, “People are looking for things that are easier.”
Lipnick hopes locals take advantage of the ongoing sale. Any leftover items will be donated or resold to organizations.
“I really want to thank Berkeley for allowing me to have a successful business all these years,” Lipnick said. “I’ve really appreciated it, and it’s been really fun.”
