Alex Tilley: An Endurable Legacy

An intimate authorized biography of an iconic object, Tilley hats, and the entrepreneur who founded this company some forty years ago.

Alex Tilley is a Canadian business icon whose self-proclaimed persnickiness for quality earned him a huge and loyal following in a very competitive world. Alex Tilley founded Tilley Endurables and devoted his business strategy to finding a niche for top-quality travel and outdoor clothing. He became internationally famous for the crown of his creations: a Canadian-made cotton hat sold with a lifetime guarantee. Alex Tilley: An Endurable Legacy is the story of one mans headstrong pursuit of excellence.

Alex struggled in school, hindered by a brain injury and learning disability. He was fired from several jobs and had no particular passion to drive him forward. His first business venture went bankrupt. Yet he persisted and in his forties, finally enjoyed moderate success in the art rental business. He invented his Tilley hat as a hobby, never thinking that it would turn him into a hugely successful entrepreneur and manufacturer.