Orthodox Jewish entrepreneurs expand fedora hat business to Hollywood

In 2017, serial entrepreneurs and brothers Levi Chayo and Yossi Chayo started Bellissimo Hats in Crown Heights - a venture that aimed to provide well-made felt fedoras to Orthodox Jewish men in their Hasidic community.

News 12 Staff

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Nov 14, 2021, 11:39 PM

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Updated 1,135 days ago

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In 2017, serial entrepreneurs and brothers Levi Chayo and Yossi Chayo started Bellissimo Hats in Crown Heights - a venture that aimed to provide well-made felt fedoras to Orthodox Jewish men in their Hasidic community.

The owners of Bellissimo Hats come from a Jewish sect called Chabad and part of the attire is a black fedora.

The brothers have both worn one since the day they turned 13 years old.

Since its founding, the store has brought together different communities of the brothers' Crown Heights neighborhood.

The saw a need for their business when, "the quality on your average black hat was going down and the prices were going up."

They started their business from the ground up, by selling on the street - carrying samples in every size.

They would measure people and then make them a custom hat, which was something new to the community.

What started as a hat shop for traditional fedoras in the Orthodox Jewish community has expanded into haute couture for Hollywood.

They now have a store in Crown Heights, but it was their social media accounts that attracted the attention of celebrities.

Professional athletes, actors, producers and more can be found owning the fresh-felted and sometime feathered lids made in their Montreal factory.

Their glossy modern store on Kingston Avenue serves the community, but the web provides many options, including 3D views and new technological features on the way.

Their unique designs and customizable features can be found worn on big stars like Jamie Foxx, Snoop Dogg, Mario Lopez, Cedric the Entertainer, among others.