Lock & Co. Hatters is the world's oldest hat shop and one of the oldest family-owned businesses in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1676 by Robert Davis, a merchant who imported coffee, chocolate and tobacco in his shops on St James's Street in London.
The shop moved to its current location at 6 St James's Street in 1765, when James Lock, the grandson of Davis and a hatter's apprentice, married Mary Davis, the daughter of his former master. Lock & Co. has a long and illustrious history of serving lords, leaders and celebrities, such as Admiral Lord Nelson, Beau Brummell, Winston Churchill, Charlie Chaplin and Audrey Hepburn . The shop is also famous for creating iconic hats, such as the Coke hat (also known as the bowler), the bicorne (worn by Nelson), the fedora (popularised by Indiana Jones) and the trilby (worn by Frank Sinatra). Lock & Co. is a Royal warrant holder and still uses traditional methods and materials to craft its hats.