Conner Hats — once sold under the name Cov-Ver — is a maker of authentic Australian outback, straw, and felt hats, with a family history that stretches back more than fifty years.
The story starts with BC Hats, founded in the late 1960s when Bill Conner (hence “BC”) settled in Byron Bay, Australia and began producing quality Aussie outback-style hats. The name was first attached to one simple classic: the Stockman — said to be Australia's first all-leather hat with a shapeable brim.
Bill's son, Will Conner, later extended the family business — distributing BC Hats in the United States and designing his own line under the Cov-Ver name.
“I was deciding what to call my own hat brand and add these to my BC Hat distribution. I considered our family name, Conner, but I wasn't sure I could create as good a hat as my dad, and at the time I didn't want the pressure of living up to the family name. I decided on Cov-Ver Hats, which turned out very well.” — Will Conner
In time, confident that his hats could carry the family name, Will rebranded Cov-Ver as Conner Hats — same craftsmanship and attention to detail, now under the Conner name. The line has long been known for crushable wool-felt outbacks, shapeable western felts, and wide-brim sewn-braid straw hats — all built in the rugged, practical spirit that made BC Hats famous.
