Denim always fits.
A hat maker and founder of Marquez Clásico, Gilberto Marquez grew up in Anaheim, California, shaped by two cultures and one constant: hats. Between his father’s lowrider lifestyle and his mother’s Southwestern flair, Gilberto inherited a deep appreciation for craft, culture, and the way something as simple as a hat could shape identity.
In his early twenties, Gilberto bartended and traveled for work in the mezcal world, often under a brim in the agave fields. While in Oaxaca, he visited a rooftop workshop packed with antique tools, rusted blocks, and a pile of discarded cowboy hats. Gilberto saw their potential and took ten home.
Together with his wife Cinthya, he began deconstructing, remaking, and eventually designing custom pieces of their own. Now his process blends old-world technique with thoughtful updates: cotton ribbon in place of synthetic blends, salvaged denim layered beneath the brim or threaded through a hatband. It’s a nod to quality and to the past.
I like the classics.
To this day, Gilberto’s philosophy is grounded in tradition. Part of that comes from what he wears. Early on, he noticed how a mentor made denim his everyday uniform, and he adopted the practice. Gilberto finds denim reliable, classic, and appropriate, whether meeting a Grammy Award-winning musician or molding a crown. “You never know who’s going to walk into the shop,” he says. “Denim always fits.”
Gilberto’s style reflects the same values that guide his craft: intention, quality, and story. Even his most-loved pieces are steeped in narrative. His favorite denim jacket, a chore coat from the ’60s, features a cinch back and painter’s sleeves. It’s been screen printed by an Oaxacan artist, worn through countless days in the studio, and still fits like a glove. “It’s cool seeing it’s lasted already,” he says. “And I hope it lasts longer with me.”
Gilberto’s aesthetic is lined with Western influences, whether he’s in street or formal wear. He often references the silhouettes of Mexico’s Golden Age of film – La Época de Oro del Cine Mexicano – a time when artists, actors, and musicians wore high-waisted trousers, cropped jackets, and wide-brimmed hats with a sense of ease. That era’s class and confidence continue to inspire how he dresses and designs. “I tend to like vintage and vintage-style companies because of their durability. And with that, I tend to use a lot of denim.”
Gilberto gravitates toward denim not just for its look, but for its resilience. “I’m not a careful walker,” he jokes. “I need clothes that can take a beating.” His wardrobe has to work as hard as he does, and denim delivers.
That everyday wear-and-tear is part of what makes the material special to him. Gilberto remembers his dad throwing jeans in the wash without a second thought, no freezing, no special care, just clean and ready to go. “They were always a little stiff,” he says, “but they lasted forever.” It’s a lesson he carries forward: buy quality and make it last.
For Gilberto, sustainability is about longevity. “My grandpa used to say, ‘Lo barato sale caro,’ cheap things end up being more expensive.” That ethos shapes everything from the hats he makes to the way he shops. He passes pieces along to family or friends and is excited to recycle through Cotton’s Blue Jeans Go Green program. “Whether it’s a hat or a pair of jeans, I want it to last a hundred years,” he says. “That’s the kind of style I believe in.”
