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December 11-17, 2003
naked city
Hats On, Again
 The cat in the hat returns: After 32 years with Dietz Hats, Oscar Pierce continues the legacy with his own shop, South Street Hats. Photo By: Michael T. Regan |
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A local stalwart is reincarnated by one of its longtime employees.
For 85 years, Dietz Hats was Philadelphias pre-eminent destination for stylish chapeaus. Last summer, after selling millions of hats to as many customers, it seemed as if the South Street fixture had closed its doors for good. Then, three months later, a former Christian bookstore, vacant for over a year, became home to South Street Hats. While the name is new, the sprit and soul of Dietz Hats runs all through the joint.
“We opened officially on Nov. 1,” says Oscar Pierce, the new store’s owner. “Our timing couldn’t have been better. That’s when the cold weather starts and people buy hats. And the fact that our location is only five doors down from where Dietz’s was is working out great, too. People don’t even realize it’s a new store. They think we’ve just remodeled.”
Before opening South Street Hats, Pierce worked at Dietz Hats for 32 years. Last summer, Fred Dietz, the last in a long line of family owners, became gravely ill and one of his daughters unexpectedly decided to shut down the business.
“She called me at home at the end of July and said, “Oscar, I’m closing the store today,'” Pierce recalls. “That was the first I’d heard anything about it. There was no warning at all. That same day, she came down and emptied the store out. Took the entire inventory. Everything. So, I had to start all over from scratch. When I first walked into this store I had only one hat — and I was wearing it.”
Strutting through South Street Hats sporting a sharp porkpie, Pierce greets friends old and new as he surveys his merchandise. The walls are lined with headwear in all shapes, sizes and colors. Mellow jazz is piped in. And, without fail, every 10 minutes Pierce fields at least five phone calls.
“Business has been real good,” he says. “That’s been a blessing.”
For 15 years, Pierce worked at Dietz with buddy Mike Johnson. Since 1997, the two had been running the entire operation in the owner’s absence. Three weeks after the store closed, Johnson suffered a massive stroke. To this day, he has not been to South Street Hats.
“It’s a sad thing. He’s such a young guy,” Pierce says. “But his son, Alex, helps out on weekends. It’s good to have him around. He’s a good kid.”
Pierce, 45, grew up on South Street. He has warm memories of the Dietz Hats of yore.
“Dietz used to have a shop at 15th and South sts., right near the Royal Theatre,” he recalls. “I was born and raised on that street, so I was always hanging around the store. At night, I would gaze in the window and look at all the hats. You’re not going to believe this, but I fantasized about working in that store one day.”
Pierce says that when he was 13, Dietz hired him to do part-time work after school. He would sweep the store and help out with other odd jobs.
“One day, I was sweeping and it got real busy,” he says. “And [Dietz] put me on the [selling] floor. He told me to follow his lead — and so I did.”
Pierce recalls Fred Dietz as “smooth, cool and honest. He was always polite to customers and he didn’t just sell a hat to sell a hat. He made sure it was the right hat for that person. He always wanted the customer to be satisfied.”
Pierce’s respect and fondness for his mentor are manifested in his own place. He says running the shop takes up a lot of his time and he never works fewer than 12 hours a day. The always fashionable, often one-of-a-kind hats he sells are reasonably priced, ranging from $3 to $300. Along with standards like Borsalinos and Selentinos, he offers Biltmores, Stetsons, Dobbs, Kangols and custom-made Sconis. Every day, a new order is delivered.
“I got back up pretty quickly,” Pierce says. “I had an awful lot of help from the community. Neighbors, friends and other merchants all helped me out. They painted for free, gave me free carpeting, showcases, shelves and arms to hold the hats. It was incredible. That happened to me over and over again.”
Not surprisingly, many of Dietz’s former customers are now South Street Hats regulars. Back in the day, the shop gained a reputation as a neighborhood hangout. Now, in similar style, South Street Hats is always abuzz.
“Our customers range from criminals to clergy,” Pierce says, laughing. “A lot of cops come through here, too — and they’re more than welcome. People say this place is like a barbershop: Lots of cats come by just to kick it. The UPS guys, the postman and lots of musicians are always stopping through here. Everybody comes and everybody’s welcome. It’s great to be back in business.”
South Street Hats, 810 South St., 215-829-1600.
