Troy O'Shea is a hat maker currently based in Brisbane, Australia. We got acquainted with Troy's hats a few years ago when he was still living in Sydney. We had seen them on friends or on social media and at first glance you could tell the caps were super well made and of a really high quality. Over the years we developed a friendship with Troy and saw his brand develop and grow into what it is today. The team at 108Warehouse all love his work and all personally own some caps from Troy.
It was super exciting to do this collaboration together and we thought it was a perfect addition to our Spring 2026 Release. As part of the collaboration we have 2 styles of caps, the Weebill (short bill) and Shoebill (standard bill). All caps are handmade by Troy.
- Edwin Widjaja (⅓ of 108Warehouse)
Troy on his vintage Singer machine
Hey Troy, firstly thank you for taking time out of your day for this interview
T: No worries at all. I'm very thankful and happy to be doing this.
For anyone who doesn't know of you, could you let them know a little about yourself, and the work that you do?
T: Well, I'm 42 years old and currently living in Brisbane, Australia with my wife and two young children. I spent a large portion of my life living in Sydney and also spent a few years living in Japan. I think those years living in Japan somewhat inspired what I'm doing now, which is cap making. I make handmade caps that are heavily inspired by designs from the past, using period correct machinery which I've collected throughout the years.
It's sick to see you not only make them by hand, but also source and use machinery from different eras. How did you first get started? And was there something that really drew you into hat making?
T: I started back in 2015 after a trip to the US. During this trip I purchased a handmade cycling cap in San Francisco, as I was heavily into road cycling at the time. Me stumbling across the bike shop and then finding the cap felt very serendipitous. I remember being really impressed with the workmanship and thinking to myself that I ought to give it a go myself on my return home. Within a couple of weeks of being back in Sydney I'd booked myself into a short sewing course and purchased a domestic machine. The rest is history I guess haha.
Pretty sick to hear how one of your existing passions led you to discover a whole new interest. You have a very unique take on caps. Most of your caps can be pinpointed to a specific time period. How important is it to you to recreate the way things were actually made back then, rather than just the look?
T: It's very important to me and honestly I can't really pinpoint why, it's just how my mind works. I think that in order to recreate something 'authentically' it should be created using the same (or as close to) techniques, materials, processes and machinery that it was originally made on. This thought is what sent me down the rabbit hole of sourcing period correct machinery and learning as much as I could about the cap making process as it were back then.
Tell us about some of these vintage machines, how many do you work with now, and how'd you first start collecting them?
T: I currently have seven vintage sewing machines. I predominantly use four of those to produce my caps. Two are embroidery machines from the early 1950's and the other is a Merrow patch edging machine. All machines are pre-1960's and have taken about nine years to source in total. Most machines were purchased from retired seamstresses. My oldest working machine is from 1890 and is a Singer eyelet machine. It produces oversized, stitched eyelets that could be found on baseball caps throughout the early 1900's, and is a beauty to sew with. My first vintage industrial machine was a black Singer 96-10 which I found on gumtree for $100. The lovely family even delivered it to me. This is still my main machine I use today.
Singer Eyelet Machine from 1890
It's pretty insane that a 130+ year old machine is still in your daily use. So when you're trying to get something period correct, where does the period correct research come from, old catalogues, actual vintage pieces, something else?
T: all of the above. Owning an original piece will always be the most valuable source for research in my eyes, and I've been lucky enough to own a couple. I've also been taught a lot by other cap collectors, specifically baseball cap collectors in the US who have many more years experience and knowledge of caps from all eras. I've been very fortunate to have connected with some very knowledgeable people.
Haha makes sense, so I'm guessing you must have a pretty large vintage cap collection? Any piece in your own collection that means the most to you?
T: Yes, I do collect vintage caps. I have way too many. I have so many that are special to me in one way or another, but a couple of special ones are an early 1940's Goldsmith made ball cap, and a mid/late 1940's USAAF Squadron cap from WW2. Those two are really beautiful pieces. I also have a number of New Era, KM Pro and Wilson made ball caps spanning from the 1950's-70's which are all great and I still wear.
I think the way in which those particular caps were manufactured is what draws me to them. Manufacturing was very different back then. Clothing was essentially handmade, and there was a level of skill involved in operating the machinery used to make it. I also believe that people took a lot of pride in their work, and this is evident in the garments that were made. I have a couple of caps from the 1930's and 1940's, and the craftsmanship needed to produce these, with the machinery they had is quite amazing in my eyes. I've always wanted to recreate this in my own work.
Has there been a favourite project or cap that you've made that you could tell us about?
T: hmm, there's been so many great projects and collaborations I've had the pleasure of working on, it's a little difficult choosing. I think working with Patagonia Australia has been a highlight for me, as they're a brand I've loved and supported for many years. I repurposed returned and damaged rain jackets into Spoonbill style caps, which is a style I personally love. I really enjoyed that project.
Troy O'Shea x Patagonia Australia
I remember that, it looked awesome. How about as a Brand, was there a moment or event that really stands out to you from the journey so far?
T: I think what stands out most are the people, stores and brands that I've connected with throughout my brands journey. I've honestly been so fortunate to have met, worked and collaborated with some very special people through the years. I've been able to make lifelong friendships and relationships doing what I love, which is something I feel very grateful for. People who took a chance on stocking my caps in their well established stores early in my journey deserve a particular shoutout, like Lee from Corlection store and Incu (there are many more - I'm grateful to all of you).
That is very special, thank you for sharing that. Just before we wrap everything up, can you tell us a little bit about the caps you have made for us?
T: absolutely. These caps were inspired by Outdoor brand caps from the 90's and early 2000's. There are two separate styles, the Weebill which has a shorter style visor, and the Shoebill which has a more standard full length visor. Both are five panel designs and feature a soft cotton twill sweatband and nylon adjustable strap. For the fabric I've used some early-mid 20th century lightweight Japanese Indigo dyed cotton which will age beautifully with wears and washes. I'm really proud of this little collection and even more excited to be collaborating with you guys. I've loved what you've been doing for a while now, and feel very lucky to be a part of it in some way. Thank you for the opportunity.
Thank you Troy, we loved working with you and have also been a huge fan of yours for a while. We're also so thankful that you made the process so smooth and fun. Anything you want to shout out or put people onto, anything to look out for from you or future projects you're excited about?
T: just wanted to say a big thank you to all who have supported me through the years. I greatly appreciate it. I'm excited to get back down to Sydney at some stage in the near future. Maybe for a possible pop-up…
Where can people follow you / check out what you're doing?
T: I'm not the best with social media, but you can follow me on instagram @troyosheahandmade for everything new I'm working on.
Sweet, thanks so much for your time and keen to see you next time you're in Sydney.
We're also planning a future pop up with Troy at 108Warehouse the next time he's in Sydney so be on the lookout for that.
Interview and Forward by Edwin Widjaja
Thank you to Troy O'Shea
Pictures from Troy O'Shea and 108Warehouse
108Warehouse x Troy O'Shea