Terms and conditions

Welcome to Duchess – hat hire for the bold, the beautiful, and the brilliantly dressed. Please read the following Terms & Conditions carefully before booking. By hiring a hat through our website or in-studio, you agree to the terms set out below.

Royal Ascot Special Terms

Hire Period

Hat hire during Royal Ascot is for one day only.

You may collect your hat the evening before your wear day and return it the morning after.

If this timing doesn’t work for you, this must be arranged with us in advance, as each hat may be hired multiple times during Ascot week.

Payment & Refundable Deposit

To reserve your hat, the hire fee must be paid in full.

When collecting your hat, a refundable security deposit equal to 2x the hire fee is required. This deposit will be refunded once the hat is returned:

  • on time
  • in the same condition
  • with the internal protective tape still in place

During Royal Ascot, a late fee of £100 per day applies for late returns.

Once payment has been made, your reservation cannot be changed.

Keeping the Hat

If you fall completely in love and decide you’d like to keep your hat (we understand), please let us know first.

Usually, the hire fee + refundable deposit covers most of the retail price, but in some cases there may be a little extra to pay depending on the hat.

Please do not simply keep the hat without letting us know—if someone else has reserved it, it creates serious problems for everyone involved.

Please ask first.

Payment Details

If you are ready to reserve, please use the bank details below.

(If you do not have a UK bank account, let us know and we can create a payment link for you.)

Starling Bank
Name: Sahar Millinery Ltd
Account Number: 47118115
Sort Code: 60-83-71
Business Account

Please use your name as the payment reference and let us know once payment has been made so we can confirm your booking and ensure no one else hires the hat for those dates.

Damage, Loss & Responsibility

We get it—things happen. But while you’re the temporary Duchess, the hat is your royal responsibility.

Minor Wear & Tear

We’ll always assess fairly. Minor deductions may be taken from your deposit depending on the condition of the hat upon return.

Each hat is fitted with an internal protective tape to prevent makeup transfer and for hygiene purposes—please keep this attached.

Significant Damage, Loss or Theft

Significant damage, loss, theft, or irreparable damage may result in a full or partial deduction of your deposit, or the full replacement value of the hat being charged.

This will depend on whether the hat can be repaired, restored, or replaced.

Please Do Not

  • attempt to clean or repair the hat yourself
  • get the hat wet
  • use steam near the hat
  • remove the internal protective tape

We have trusted professional milliners for repairs and cleaning.

Photography & Press

We love seeing you wearing your Duchess moment.

By hiring from Duchess, you agree that we may request permission to use photographs of you wearing our hats for social media, press, and marketing purposes.

Of course, you can opt out at any time—just let us know

 

General Terms (outside of Royal Ascot)

1. About Us

Duchess is a hat hire service offering luxury hats for special occasions including weddings, Royal Ascot, garden parties, and more. Hats are hired either online or in person from our London studio.

2. Hire Period

The standard hire period is 1 day (not including the day you collect your hat or the day you return - in other words, the hire extends a total of 3 days, inclusive of collection and return days). Extended hire may be available (fees apply). Your hat must be returned by the agreed date or a late fee will apply (taken off the deposit).

3. Pricing & Payments

You’ll pay the full hire fee upfront, which includes:

  • The rental fee

  • A refundable security deposit 

Your deposit will be returned in full once the hat is returned on time, in its original condition.

4. Cancellations & Refunds

  • More than 30 days' notice: Full refund minus a £10 admin fee.

  • 14 days' notice: 50% refund of the hire fee.

  • Less than 7 days' notice: No refund.

5. Damage, Loss, & Responsibility

We get it—things happen. But while you’re the temporary Duchess, the hat is your royal responsibility.

  • Minor wear and tear - we'll assess and be fair in how much deduction we take from the deposit. Each hat is fitted with a tape on the inside to catch face make up so please keep that on, it's also for hygiene. 

  • Significant damage, loss, or theft will result in a full or partial deduction from your deposit or full replacement value. We will assess if the hat can be 

Please don’t try to clean or repair the hat yourself—we’ve got trusted milliners for that. Do no get your hat wet at all or use steam. 

6. Returns

Hats must be returned on the agreed date, either:

  • In person at the studio (please try dropping at reception in the first instance, and if not 2nd floor studios)

  • By post (tracked & insured, proof of postage required)

Late returns result in late fees or loss of deposit.

7. Fit & Styling

Not sure if a hat suits you? We offer:

  • Studio try-ons (by appointment)

  • Styling advice via email or video call

Most hats are 'one size fits all' unless specified in the description, so please read the descriptions. 

8. Photography & Press

We love seeing you rock our hats! By hiring from Duchess, you agree that we may use photos of you in our hats (with permission) for social media and marketing. You can opt out at any time—just let us know.

9. Privacy Policy

Your data is safe with us. We only collect what we need to process your order and never share your info without your consent. See our Privacy Policy for full details.

10. Contact

Questions? Concerns? Need a last-minute feather fix?

Email: hire@duchesshathire.com
Studio: Central London (by appointment only)

Duchess – for a day, or as long as the paparazzi are watching.