Up Your Hat Game – From Traditional and Timeless to Fashion Forward

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310 – October, 2017

By Erica Greathouse

Horse show fashion is anything but static. Exhibitors express themselves through their outfits of choice, carefully prepared and put together for the show arena. The cowboy hat has always been a traditional part of Western attire; but, these days the lids seen in the show pen are anything but “old hat.” In fact, we’re seeing bolder colors, embroidered leatherwork, sparkles, stitching, and other unique touches that elevate this traditional staple. We sat down with three top hat designers and asked them to put on their “thinking caps” in order to teach us about the process that goes into picking the perfect hat.

HATS OFF TO OUR EXPERTS:

Shorty’s Caboy Hattery
Lavonna “Shorty” Koger
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Koger has been involved in the rodeo scene since she was 14 and began her business in 1990. Through hard work, determination, excellent customer service, and quality products, Shorty’s Caboy Hattery has become a name associated with winners in the horse show world, rodeo pen, and with country music stars. They are known for their expert work and ability to create custom pieces that turn heads.

Kendalls Hats · Brook Parrish
Pavo, Georgia

Kendalls Western Hats is a family owned and run business. Their hats can be seen in the winner’s circle of major events all over the country, and they’re known for their vast inventory of high-quality hats. With a diverse selection, combined with their knowledge of the horse show industry, they’re able to achieve winning looks for a variety of disciplines.

Greeley Hat Works · Trent Johnson
Greeley, Colorado

Since 1909, Greeley Hat Works has been creating and renovating fine quality headwear. They supply just about any kind of hat you can imagine, from traditional working cowboy hats to fashion forward, cutting-edge hats. One feature all of their hats have in common is that they’re built one at a time, by hand, and out of high quality and long-lasting materials. With a Greeley Hat Works Hat, you’re only limited by your imagination. They operate by the motto: “There are enough headaches in life; don’t let your hat be one of them.”

Click here to read the complete article
310 – October, 2017