The Endurable Alex Tilley is the authorized biography of a Canadian business icon whose self-proclaimed "persnicketiness" for quality earned him a devout following. A quirky and complex personality, Alex founded Tilley Endurables, producing 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. The Endurable Alex Tilley is the story of one man's headstrong pursuit of excellence.

It wasn't always easy. Hindered by a brain injury and learning disability, Alex struggled in school and was fired from several jobs. His first business venture was a spectacular failure but when he later returned to entrepreneurship in desperation, Alex enjoyed moderate success in art rentals.

It wasn't until Alex was in his forties that his fruitless search for the ideal sailing hat inspired his own invention, the now-famous Tilley Hat. His hobby went haywire when others wanted one too. He kept creating new clothing and Hats and never looked back.

Success was mired with challenges: a costly failed expansion that threatened bankruptcy, a protracted lawsuit with a business partner, and a few ups and downs with four wives. He found his market as travellers, adventurers, the Canadian and American armed forces, Sir Edmund Hillary, and even royalty embraced his products, which he often referred to as his "children."

The Endurable Alex Tilley is an in-depth biography about the man and his business—so intertwined that a court of law deemed they could not be separated.

340 pages