Hats from Finnish Furrier at Patricia Shoppe

Patricia Shoppe of Egg Harbor is excited to host its only trunk show of the winter this Thanksgiving weekend. “And it’s truly our most unique of the year,” says owner Erin Bosman. “This show came to fruition while chatting with a good customer about their love for handmade hats. This customer was excited to join Patricia Shoppe with her 92-year-old friend Tapio Tulisaari, a Finnish furrier, who creates fur hat, earmuffs and headbands.”

Tulisaari was born Dec. 18, 1922, in a rural farm community in Finland, in a sauna. Unable to continue farm work after being injured in World War II he joined his brother-in-law in a fox farm business in 1945. He found the business intriguing and adapted quickly to learning the fur business, launching a career that would cover multiple continents over a 70-year period. In 1957 he came to work in Wisconsin and eventually settled there, with his lovely bride, Berit; together they launched their own business and raised three children, in Mequon, Wis.

To this day, Tulisaari continues to keep himself occupied in the fur business, sewing hats, earmuffs, headbands, vests and other accessories. Always using the best materials, his accessories include fox, coyote, raccoon and mink.

Patricia Shoppe will host a trunk show of some of Tulisaari’s fur hats and accessories from Nov. 25 – 30. Patricia Shoppe is located at 7681 Hwy 42 at the south end of Egg Harbor. They are open daily 10 am to 5 pm, and closed Thanksgiving Day.