Morreton History

A French Hatmaking Name, 1863–1976

Historical records document an earlier and separate French hat company bearing the Morreton name. It was founded in 1863 by Jean-Antoine Morreton in Chazelles-sur-Lyon, a town near Lyon that became one of France’s most important centers of traditional hatmaking.

Originally established as Mortons-Viricelle and later known as Établissements Morreton, the company specialized in fine felt hat bodies and finished hats made from rabbit, hare, and beaver fur. Its long-haired and velvet-finished felts became especially valued in British and American markets.

In 1880, the company expanded into women’s headwear. Jean-Antoine Morreton established a dedicated dye workshop inside the factory, allowing the company to produce felt hat bodies in a wide range of colors. This technical development helped Morreton become an important supplier to the women’s millinery trade.

Following Jean-Antoine’s death in 1907, his sons Dominique and Francis continued the business and opened a straw-hat workshop in 1908. Production was interrupted during the First World War but resumed in 1918. In 1923, the company was reorganized as Société Morreton and received recognition at several international exhibitions.

By 1938, the Morreton factory covered approximately 2.5 hectares, employed around 350 workers, and produced as many as 3,000 hats per day. Under the next generation of family leadership, the company modernized its equipment and continued refining its expertise in specialty felt finishes.

After the Second World War, Morreton expanded strongly into international markets. Exports increased from approximately 12 percent of production in 1946 to 50 percent by 1950. At its height, the factory employed approximately 450 people.

As everyday fashion changed during the 1950s and 1960s, traditional formal hats became less common. Morreton responded with shorter-brimmed designs, including the Tyrolean-style hat, which was more comfortable to wear while driving. This helped increase production significantly between 1960 and 1963.

In 1966, Morreton joined the French hatmakers Fléchet, France, and Fournand-Beyron to form the Société Industrielle Chapelière. Despite this consolidation, changing consumer habits and the decline of traditional European hatmaking led to the company’s closure in 1976.

Today, examples of historic Morreton hats, advertisements, tools, and manufacturing materials are preserved as part of France’s hatmaking heritage.

Historical Clarification: The present-day MORRETON brand is independently owned and operated by Epoch Fashion Accessory Corp. It is not represented as the legal or corporate successor to the former French company described above. This history is presented to document the place of the Morreton name in French hatmaking history.