one of my favorite new places in london is bates, a century old hat maker right on jermyn street. i can't count how many times i have been in the neighborhood (buckingham palace, fornum & mason, the ritz), but never happened upon bates. it is a charming little store with piles upon piles of their famous caps. and as if the hat boxes and chandeliers weren't enough, the shop cat from the 1920's is stuffed, sitting in a glass box, wearing a top hat and smoking a cig. his name is binks and he is fabulous.
