The FAQs

 Hi lovely! My name is Elleni, I make your hat, pack your order, answer your emails, work the socials - it's just little old me! Always love to hear from you, but see below questions I'm asked a lot, so there's a good chance I can answer your query here for you: 

 

Where are you based?

Based in sunny Brisbane, Australia ☀️ my time zone is AEST so please keep in mind I may be in an opposite time zone to you. If I don't reply after a little bit, I'm probably blissfully asleep! 

 

How do I contact you?

Please email me at hello@ellenithelabel.com 

Especially if it's in regards to an order, please don't DM on socials but email and for a quick answer make sure to include your name and or order number. 

I don't have notifications for socials turned on so I will see an email much faster, and unfortunately may not ever see a comment or DM. Although I try to be as active as possible on socials and do my very best, I will often lose or never see your contact there. 

I know my socials and stories seem very personal so it can feel like you're reaching straight out to me, but I'm the only one doing anything so you're always reaching out straight to me! 

 

Where can I shop?

Here! Elleni the Label is available at ellenithelabel.com and on Etsy. I personally do prefer you shop here on my site as it's much faster and easier to get your order out. Etsy also takes a big portion of each sale and I'm not a huge fan of the platform and their ethos.

BUT I understand some prefer to shop via third party and although you are very safe on my site (powered by shopify) - I am more than happy for you to shop on Etsy should you prefer - that's why she's there! 

 

Will X come back into stock?

Maybe! I don't often have a solid yes or no response should you ask. I have a certain number of designs that I will try to always keep in stock but everything else I will re-release in drops if they're wanted by enough people. There's no concrete timeline or guarantee for anything because it's completely dependent on when I have time but I am very vocal on the socials so you can always keep up to date that way.

You're always welcome to let me know if there's one you want to see back, because if it's wanted by a lot of people I can make sure to do a drop or bring it back next year in a holiday drop. But I won't make just one if one person wants it back, more so if there's demand!

Specifically for Holiday collections - they are limited edition and made for those holidays and once sales die down or we move onto a new holiday collection I'll stop making and let the existing stock sell out.

It's essential I do this as it's the only way I can keep making new, exciting pieces! Not to mention there's over 100 styles listed at any one time and I make them all!

If there's a particularly popular design I will (very rarely) keep it on as a staple style or try bring it back each year - but if there's a seasonal style you want, it's best to get it during that holiday season because there's no guarantee I will make it again!

Once a holiday collection launches no more styles will be added to it as I'm then busy making sure I can keep the released designs in stock but always tell me if there's something you want back and if it's in hot demand I'll do my darnedest to bring it back another time!

 

Do you do customs / Can you do X in another colour?

 No - I don't offer custom orders or alterations on existing designs. Elleni the Label is just me (Elleni) so I just don't have the time available or resources to make one off custom pieces or alter for individual customers.

But of course I always love to know which designs you're loving/ want to see more of/ what you'd like. If a lot of people ask for something, I'll do it - and with a special Elleni flair! 

An elaboration if you're interested in the details:

Alteration wise: if I do it for one person, to be fair, I have to offer it to everyone and then you'd never see a new design from me again!

Each of my designs also take days (sometimes longer) to sample and perfect so a custom order's price would be a lot higher than the pieces I sell. Not to mention I'd be out of action on maintaining stock levels for everyone else & as a small business I only have a finite amount of materials. Ordering a small amount of a fabric for the one order, for instance, isn't generally viable from wholesalers and if it is, the price is much higher!

In addition to all this - my favourite part of my business is coming up with ideas and creating new designs! I have always considered myself a designer before anything else so I wouldn't want my business to turn into one where I don't get to do my favourite part!

I'm also the type of human who is pretty anxious and cares about everything a little too much so from a personal level I'd be having panic attacks as I send off custom pieces and would be devastated if you didn't like it! So all round doesn't work for me and my little business, and would likely be more than you're looking to spend. 

 

Have you considered X will you ever make X?

Honestly, probably ! 😂 A tiny fraction of my ideas and even what I want to make, make it to release but there's heaps that goes into choosing what is pushed to the final stage - from what will be wanted by the most people, to what's most economic and sustainable to make to the price they will have to be depending on time put into it and it goes on!

I'm also just the one person sewing in my house so sometimes I don't have the money or resources to pull off certain things - but I always am pushing to get there! (And like I've said, if a bunch of people want something, I'll make an Elleni-fied one!)

 

Loving totally new styles of hats and want more?

I'm always working on something new and love releasing totally new styles but keep in mind when I do it will initially be in small quantities to test the waters.

If they're loved, I can then look into being able to keep them more readily available but it's not a super fast process. It takes a while to perfect the design & a very hefty upfront cost so it's not something that can be done Willy nilly (especially being just one person wandering through this world confused and not rich) but that's always the goal so I'll always be trying and keep you updated.

 

Do you do kids sizes / will you do kids sizes?

I don't offer kids sizes. Every so often I have a batch of berets that are accidentally smaller so if you see kids sizes it's usually a super limited amount from that.

It's definitely something I'd love to do but at the moment it's not a viable option. To do it properly it would be ideal to have a few kids sizes, and in all colours which means it would be an even bigger project than my current entire beret business.

I would need to ensure everything is as safe as possible for different ages, find children for fit and catalogue models etc.

It would also be a massive upfront cost to get it off the ground, and the cost of making them individually would be the same as the adult sizes so the berets themselves for you to buy wouldn't be any cheaper. In general there are less people wanting to invest in a handmade piece for a child where it might get dirty or be grown out of rather than themselves.

So the short the answer is I would love to, but am not able until my business is bigger than it is now!

 

The berets are probably too small for my head! / sizing questions

In my experience they *probably* aren't! (But you know your head best of course) There is so much stretch in a beret, particularly when they are 100% wool. They will stretch naturally to mould to your head the more you wear it but there are ways to get some quick stretch too:

Steaming or ironing helps get some more room out of one in a gentle way. Using the heat then popping on your head to stretch a bit (being careful of your little head of course) will give it a delicate stretch.

For a more intense stretch check my sizing highlight on Instagram, there's a vid linked in each product description. Or if you're in Brisbane, pop by my next market and I can give one a stretch for you in person. 

Disclaimer: Check the product description of your particular design as depending on the materials used and where they are you'll have to be careful of using certain techniques.

You're also welcome to reach out to me if you're worried, some styles are easier to stretch than others so I can let you know which and can give one a stretch myself before packaging. 

All other hats have a circumference measurement without any stretch. The Gumdrops and Straw Hats can be made smaller via a gathering system on the inside. The Heart Hats don't have this, but I do offer all Heart Hats with the option to add ribbon ties for no extra cost should you like them to be secured. 

What packaging does my hat come in?

When you order 1 or 2 berets they will come in 1 Beret Pouch - a frosted PVC pouch with sliding zipper. 3 or more berets will instead come in a free tote bag! Tote bags and beret pouches are also available for purchase via my website shop.

In an effort to be as sustainable as possible I try to limit my plastic use so have opted for a reusable PVC pouch with the option to purchase more should you like. The additional purchase price primarily covers shipping cost as the weight and therefore price significantly rises with each included. (Unfortunately!)   

Heart Hats, Gumdrop Hats and Straw Hats will come in their own drawstring dust bag. 

 

How long is your processing time?

Unless otherwise stated in the product description, or unless I accidentally sell more stock than I have made overnight before I can adjust stock amounts - then everything listed is premade, so there is no wait on it being made.

I will make two trips a week to the Post Office to send orders so although I may pack your order and send you the tracking right away, there may be a couple days before it gets scanned.

If you have shopped with me before, previously I had shipments picked up everyday with Sendle, but I am currently trialing sending with Australia Post for better post service but with them I will need to be dropping the shipments off myself, which I'm unable to do everyday. Currently trialing Tuesday and Thursday as post days but TBD on what will work best. Will keep you updated! 

 

What is my tracking number?

Every shipment is tracked - your tracking number is sent automatically when I fulfil the order to the email address you check out with. Check your spam folder if you never see it come through as sometimes these kinds of emails like to hide! If ordering on Etsy it will also show on your Etsy order page.

Where is my shipment?

You are always welcome to reach out to me, I have become an expert at yelling at postal companies but you can generally see just as much as I can see. 

Your tracking number is sent when your shipment notification is.

PLEASE NOTE: 

As of 2024 I am now sending all shipments (both domestic and international) with Australia Post so the below shipping info will only apply if your shipment was sent with Sendle. I am trialing Aus Post in the hunt for a better shipping option so this may change depending on how we go. Currently learning the ins and outs of Aus Post processes so I don't have much info to include here until I can collate it but you can also always reach out to Australia Post directly with any questions, and can also track your shipment here. 

 

 

International economy is sent with Sendle and can be tracked from HERE

Once your shipment arrives in the destination country Sendle hands to whatever is your government owned / local postal service (ie. for USA : USPS for UK: Royal Mail). Once it is in your country you'll notice a second tracking number is generated and listed under the 'Local Tracking reference' title on your Sendle tracking page. This number can be used with your local postal service and you can track as you would any domestic service, including quoting this number should you like to get in touch with your local postal company regarding it. (Note: I can't contact USPS/ Royal Mail etc from Australia so you'll  have to do that from your end if needed).

 DHL is generally approx. 5 business days to most countries.

As of 2024 I am not sending with Sendle but am yet to confirm Aus Post shipping estimates to post. Aus Post Estimates will be posted here shortly

Sendle estimates:

(These are subject to change but at the time of writing this FAQ:)

USA: 14-27 business days

Canada: 14-29 business days

UK: 10-24 business days

Ireland: 16-30 business days

New Zealand: 10-23 business days

France: 12-25 business days

Germany: 13-28 business days

Netherlands: 16-30 business days

South Africa: 16-30 business days

UAE: 16-30 business days

Japan: 12-30 business days

South Korea: 5-23 business days

Taiwan: 12-30 business days 

 

This is just a selection of countries to give you a bit of an idea, you're more than welcome to get in touch and I can tell you the current estimate for your country. I always say to leave about a month to be safe for most places.

These of course don't include any potential delays within different postal systems in different countries and are always subject to change. 

Also keep in mind that these estimates increase during the holiday season. 

Please know I will never guarantee something will arrive in time or at a certain time. Shipping is always approximate and once it leaves my hands I have zero control over it. But I always send everything ASAP and do everything in my power to help but that's unfortunately often not very much power.

With all that being said, shipping is more often that not pretty smooth! I send hundreds of shipments all over the world and am very contactable. 

 

What your refund / exchanges policy?

No refunds or exchanges are accepted. Of course if there's something wrong with your order, always get in touch. I want you to be as happy as possible with your purchase and on occasion shipping mishaps can occur and can be discussed on a case by case basis.

As a general rule though all purchases are final. A small business can't sustain having a return option especially with the cost of shipping - and especially from Australia.

But your purchase is infused with so much love and care that I'm sure you'll love it!

 

Do you wholesale?

I am currently closed for wholesale. I did for a few years, so you may have seen my pieces around the world but unfortunately due to my work being very handmade, the insane inflation, the fuel crisis and ripple effect of the pandemic it's no longer cost effective for me to wholesale. Hopefully I can again in the future.

You're still more than welcome to get in touch -  I always love an artistic concept, a local business or if you'd be interested in a large order.

Even if I can't, I still always appreciate your reaching out!

 

Do you work influencers?

I do on occasion but increasingly less. Since my business is so small and the pieces are handmade I have a really small marketing budget (you can tell from me having to model everything!) so working with influencers or people of notoriety on a gifting basis is something I do very occasionally and with the right fit.

You're more than welcome to reach out - I totally respect your creativity and hustle but because it's just me and I do get a lot of requests I can't always reply, and can't work with everyone - but always love to know you're loving my work and love seeing your fab work!

Please also note that not all my pieces are available for gifting. I like to work with people who genuinely love the hats and like to use a piece you genuinely love but sometimes if the design is limited edition, too expensive to make or ship or for whatever reason I can't sustain getting a lot of orders of that design then it doesn't work for me to gift that piece.

Working with people has to be the right fit for both of us and in an increasingly de-influenced world I find I don't get much traffic unless it's a specific fit. Not to say I don't love your work, it's just how it is! I'm also a massive advocate for artists being paid for their work, and I can't preach that without also applying it to myself. But like I said, you're welcome to reach out! 

 

Can I have without the label/ logo?

No. I totally respect a personal preference of no logos. I myself am not a huge fan of a central logo in fashion but I am not comfortable sending something I've designed and handmade into the world without my logo!

The logo is my name and is actually my handwriting so I think of it more as an artist signing their artwork.

It is embroidered in the same spot on the rim of every beret and generally the same spot but can differ on other hats.

I won't sell a design without it, this is not a personal attack on you or your preference, it is just my preference. And hey, if a big business won't remove their logo - why should I?

 

Can I have a discount?

Nope! I appreciate the balls you have asking, but I price everything with very little wiggle room so as to keep pieces as accessible as possible whilst also being handmade. I know we can't buy houses in this economy but this also applies to me so unfortunately I can't help. Definitely keeping asking those big businesses though, milk every dime baby.

 

Do you make vegan / wool free hats?

The only hats that are not wool are the straw hats but some of those do have wool felt detailing too.

The berets and gumdrops are both 100% wool. The heart hats are a wool blend.

I have genuinely spent years and thousands of my personal dollars looking for a vegan alternative for the berets but I have been unable to find anything that comes close to matching the quality I really value in my hats.

I've tried different materials, have bought samples and had samples specially made by dozens of manufacturers and the quality and touch is always - pretty horrendous. And same goes for the felt I would use for the detailing.

I'd like to also preface this by saying I always burn tested every sample I got and if they felt slightly nice it was usually because there were wool fibres present and I was being lied to. And if there's anything I will absolutely not do, it's lie to you about something being vegan (which is very prevalent in fashion) and I will not sell a low quality product. 

It absolutely could be that I just haven't found the magic formula, and I hope I find it one day.

But as just one person I invested a lot of my personal time and money into finding an answer with no return & I basically just ran out of the ability to look any further. But my little peepers are always keeping an eye out, I just don't have the resources to chase it any further.

The alternative materials are all also very bad for the environment to produce, so it’s all around a bit of a no win situation. Very much want them to be accessible to all but unfortunately there’s only so much I can do. The bigger I get, the more resources I have, the more I’ll try!

 

Where did you get X?

I love fashion and particularly adore a small business so you will see me style my hats with lots of gorge pieces. I more often than not tag where I get things - particularly in posts specific to one look. Check the tagged accounts or check the caption. If it's a post where I show multiple looks I may not tag as there's too much to but there should be an individual look post either already posted or that will be posted shortly with that info!

Keep in mind I keep things forever and am a serial repeat wearer of the same pieces so they're sometimes no longer for sale sorry darl. But I will always try tell you!!