The longest serving employee at Hats Plus is Edwin Urrutia, 38. He has been with the store since 1990, with the exception of a break that lasted a couple years. When you spend that much time with hats, you’re bound to learn a lot about maintaining them.

“Edwin is our resident handy man with hats,” store manager Tod Canon said. “If there’s any way to fix them, he can.”

Edwin is our resident hat whisperer, and capable of many common repairs and cleanings. He is pictured here wearing a Borsalino.

In his early days with the shop, Edwin said they used to send hats out for heavy-duty cleanings and reblockings.

“Sometimes the cleaner didn’t do it right,” Edwin said. That’s when he started to learn the art of cleaning and fixing hats.

“I like to be a perfectionist to get things the way they’re supposed to be,” Edwin explained.

The shop still offers a light cleaning service for hats, and Edwin is frequently the go-to guy to help clean a hat, reshape a brim, do a light brushing or sanding and even on lucky occasions remove a stain.

“We charge about $10 to $15 to do a basic cleaning,” Edwin said, before elaborating. “There are limitations, and we have to see it first.”

Edwin also has a knack for matching the right customer to the perfect hat.

“If there’s a hat in the store for someone, he’ll find it,” Tod said.

Over the years, Edwin also has worked with many legendary Chicago sports figures. He once fixed a Panama hat for White Sox star Minnie Minoso. Minoso was so impressed he promised to bring Edwin back an autographed ball. Edwin had the day off when Minoso returned, and Minoso refused to leave the ball with anyone else for fear it would get stolen. So Minoso came back a few days later to personally deliver the ball to Edwin.

“He’s a great person,” Edwin said of Minoso. “Down to earth, has no problem talking to you.”

Edwin also sold hats to Bulls’ superstars and Hall-of-Famers Michael Jordan and Scotty Pippen.

“Jordan is a great person, too,” Edwin recalled. “He’ll talk to you.”

Edwin remembered Jordan stocking up on berets and Kangol hats.

Just a handful of the other celebrities he has sold hats to: Luke Longley, Harry Caray and Mike Wallace.

Outside of the shop, Edwin also has a fascinating life. His parents are immigrants from Guatemala. Edwin is part of his family’s first generation of children born and raised in the U.S.

He is bilingual and has traveled extensively to Guatemala.

He also is very popular with our Spanish-speaking customers.

Edwin has a lot of hobbies, too.

“I play pool every once and a while,” he said. “I’m not very good, but I have fun.”

He also dances salsa and meringue.

Reading and going to the movies are other fun pastimes. His favorite films include “The Maltese Falcon,” “Casablanca,” “Indiana Jones” and spaghetti Westerns starring Clint Eastwood.

As an Indiana Jones fan, it is no surprise that his favorite hat is the Stetson Temple. Beyond the movies, he likes the wide-brim 1940s’ styling.

“It reminds me of my grandfather, which is why I like it the most,” he said.