Our track record

In 2021, Leidos – managing agent, delivery partner and prime contractor to the UK’s Ministry of Defence – awarded a major cap and hat making contract to Try & Lilly. It means that we now supply nearly all the specialist ceremonial and parade headwear required by the Army, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force and specialist military bodies.

Our expertise is in designing and manufacturing hats to exacting specifications, and under this prestigious contract we are making headwear in over 100 different styles. And, when our client needs new pieces designed, Try & Lilly’s designers and craftspeople are able to step forward and innovate, producing striking new specialist parade headwear.

Some highlights include ceremonial bandsmen helmets for the Royal Marines, shakos for the Rifles and Rifles officers, and the Royal Marines female officer band cap.

The world’s leading airline turned 100 years old in 2019 and celebrated with a new uniform. This meant the company needed freshly designed, comfortable headwear for its staff and cabin crew. Dimensions Corporatewear approached Try & Lilly with the brief.

Working with drawings supplied by British Airways, we applied our design expertise, technical knowledge and manufacturing experience and created samples for the customer to approve before proceeding to fulfil the contract.

It was important that the 100-year anniversary headwear was comfortable and wearable, but it also had to be cost effective to manufacture on the production line. Some of the initial trim samples British Airways considered were cost prohibitive but our procurement team found alternatives that achieved the same appearance at lower prices.

Fabrikk is an innovative brand from Leeds driven by great design, unique materials and quality manufacturing. Its founder, Kate Pearson, came to us with a concept for vegan hats made from renewable materials.

To meet this requirement, we are using a leather substitute made from cork bark. The material is available in a range of colours and textures, can be cut and stitched, and is easy to clean and weatherproof for the consumer.

Using our archive of patterns, we revived a 1960s train hat and adapted it for fashion forward consumers to become Fabrikk’s Love Train hat. Since then, we’ve added Beret, Baker Boy, Baseball Cap and Flat Cap styles to this client’s line of attractive, cruelty-free hats.

The Royal Canadian Navy set us one of our toughest challenges yet.

The Navy wanted a unique, rich gold raising attached to the peak of its new officer cap, and gave us specific dimensions to work to. The size and shape of the embroidery had never been done before, and to meet the exacting standard required called on all our technical skills and an innovative new approach. Comfort was a crucial factor as well, and we aimed to incorporate our AIROLIGHT™ headband  into the design.

The cap was completely redesigned at Try & Lilly, manufactured and delivered to the Royal Canadian Navy according to the contract.