Belly up to a hat bar for a memorable, personal hat-making experience.
In a traditional Western wardrobe, a hat speaks to a person’s style, personality, and, in some cases, occupation and geography. As hats work their way into mainstream fashion boutiques, the boundaries have blurred, and the sky is the limit on colors, shapes and accessories. From a sophisticated fedora for a special occasion to a wide-brimmed straw for sun protection, there is a functional and fashionable hat for everyone.
Hat bars are energetic, interactive boutique-like stores where customers can create a hat to express their individual style story. They offer curated, personalized shopping experiences that make customers feel valued and pampered. Over the last five years, hat bars have exploded into fashion boutiques, stand-alone shops and mobile units. They cater to curious customers fascinated by accessorizing and customizing and foster community, artistry and social settings.
To learn more about this rising fashion niche, we visited with Brittany Cobb, owner and founder of Flea Style; and Shantelle Girard, owner and founder of Rancher Hat Bar. Both innovative, women-owned companies have hat bars in several locations throughout the United States and continue to expand with the growing demand.
Flea Style: Vintage Vogue
For Cobb, style is “collecting things that speak to you and tell a story.” That notion is reflected in her passion for hats and all things vintage, which she developed at a young age perusing the aisles of flea markets and antique malls with her interior decorator mother.
In 2009, she launched The Dallas Flea, a quarterly pop-up market that traveled to different venues throughout Texas. She later rebranded her business as Flea Style and opened her first storefront in Dallas, Texas, in 2018. Since then, she has expanded her retail presence to nine locations in Texas; Nashville, Tenn.; and Louisville, Ky. As she opens new stores, she has incorporated eateries and hat bars to enhance her customers’ shopping experiences. Hat bars are a natural fit for Cobb because she’s always donned a hat.
“I have a skin condition called melasma, so I wear hats to shade my face and protect my skin,” she explains. “I would buy hats and decorate them to keep them interesting. People started noticing my hats and asking me to decorate hats for them.”
She dedicated a small section to a hat bar in her first store. Although she didn’t sell hats, people brought their own in for her to decorate. During Covid, Cobb focused on adding hat bars to her stores. Her second store, located in Frisco, Texas, included a large hat bar with a variety of hats hanging on the wall and one-of-a-kind vintage add-ons she had collected in her travels.
“I opened that hat bar in January of 2021—on National Hat Day—and that same day Stetson offered me my own hat line. I designed my first hat, ‘The Brittany,’ with a wide, flat brim, and that’s how I started exploring custom hats.”
Flea Style exclusively sold The Brittany for a while, but Cobb eventually developed a hat line under the Flea Style label. The line offers several different hat styles, including a sassy short-brimmed, protective wide-brimmed and classic cattleman in various colors. Prices range from $158 to $178, depending on add-ons.
“We try to stay at a reasonable price point and be cognizant of the cost once a customer starts adding things to the hat,” she says. “At the end of the day, we’re really about the styling.”
In 2023, Cobb took Flea Style on the road in a 20-foot mobile unit with a hat bar. Flea Style hat stylists travel anywhere—whether in the mobile unit or another form of transportation—to offer hat bar experiences at special events, such as weddings, birthday parties and corporate functions.
“The mobile unit is designed to feel like one of our retail stores, but on a smaller scale,” she says. “We have rows of hats and thousands of accessories. There’s an awning and bar with bar stools outside for people to belly up and make their hats. It’s been fun to bring the experience on the road for people who can’t visit a store.”
Another option is virtual hat styling, where a stylist meets with a customer online and goes through the process.
Customers who visit a Flea Style store can pull up a stool, order a complimentary beverage, and design a hat with a professional hat stylist. The stylist guides the customer through the selection process, considering color, shape, size and budget. Then the fun begins.
“We grab a tray and walk the customer through all accessories,” says Cobb. “We listen to them and can coach them on how to use certain accessories or what might blend beautifully together, but it’s really all about the customer selecting what speaks to them and tells their unique story.”
For a finishing touch, initials, sentimental dates, song lyrics or other marks can be branded into a hat. The whole process takes at least 20 minutes for an individual, or longer for groups or people who want to savor the experience. If someone isn’t interested in a hat, Flea Style also customizes leather goods and ballcaps. You can learn more about the business at fleastyle.com.
Rancher Hat Bar: Western High Style
Shantelle Girard was raised in Scottsdale, Ariz., surrounded by turquoise, bold colors, flashy fashion, and Old West and Southwestern influences. She infuses many of those aesthetics into her seven Rancher Hat Bar locations.
“My family was into Western, and my grandparents were turquoise miners and jewelry makers,” she says. “I try to bring color and new life to Western traditions while respecting our roots.”
Girard’s entrepreneurial spirit led her to start a mobile cocktail bar for special events. On the side, she custom-made hats at her kitchen table. Both hustles led to her transforming a vintage camper trailer into a mobile hat bar in January of 2023.
A few months later, Girard launched her first store in Folsom, Calif., followed by two in her hometown of Scottsdale, Ariz., one in Denver, Colo., and two in Texas (Dallas and Waco). This spring, she opened her seventh location in Nashville, Tenn. Each store combines Rancher’s brand and aesthetic with the city’s unique vibe. For example, her Nashville location will have neon signs, musical elements and a stage. One of her Scottsdale locations is a fun, vibrant setting that attracts bachelorette parties. Though she no longer has the mobile unit, her crew travels to at least 20 locations nationwide monthly to make hats at special events.
At the heart of Rancher is Girard’s philosophy of creating a memorable customer experience and offering an array of options and price points so “everyone can leave with a hat.” Bolo, charm and ballcap bars add to the experience. The Dallas location features a line of Rancher Co. apparel.
Customers who enter a Rancher Hat Bar feel the bright, uplifting space and reverberating country music. They’re greeted by a hat tender who serves them snacks and beverages and helps them select a hat from the more than 100 options on the wall, which range in quality, color, size, and style. Once they’ve chosen a hat and add-ons, the hat tenders work their artistry.
“We can shape a hat into any [crown and brim] style you want,” she says. “Our hat tenders are all about creating a fun experience. They get to know the customers and engage with them. I want people to remember their hat-making experience at Rancher and take home a hat they love that will last for generations.”
Trends Girard notices at Rancher include colored hats, especially blue tones and teal. Punchy, open and teardrop crowns are popular with the Western crowd, as well as wide brims. Burning and branding hats are fun ways to finish a hat and add personal touches. Hats range in price from $20 to more than $150, plus add-ons. Girard prioritizes finding a hat that the customer loves that works for their budget.
“We always make sure to make a customer the most beautiful hat possible within their price range,” she says.
Girard’s mission to create an unforgettable experience coupled with unique hats has attracted customers from all walks of life and worldwide. Rancher has made custom hats for top rodeo athletes and celebrities, including Miranda Lambert. She has many repeat customers, some of whom travel to every location to make hats that become collectible works of art in their homes or heirlooms. Customers also have the option to order finished hats online or through virtual appointments.
“Your hat reflects your story; it’s a reflection of you,” says Girard. “We recommend bringing anything special to you to put on the hat. We’ve shared some special moments with customers. One customer brought in horsehair from a horse she had lost, and we braided it into a hat band. Another customer added a piece of her mother’s wedding dress to a hat. We care so much about our customers and bond with them for an experience we hope they never forget.”
Maximize Your Hat-Making Experience at a Hat Bar
1. Gather friends and family. While hat bars enjoy working with solo customers, inviting friends, family and co-workers creates a memorable social experience.
2. Make a reservation. Most hat bars can accommodate walk-in customers, but hat bar owners recommend making a reservation to ensure a spot and a short wait. This is especially important for large groups.
3. Keep an open mind. Hat-bar purchases are mostly planned, but occasionally customers come in on impulse. Either way, keep an open mind when selecting a hat, color and add-ons.
4. Bring in sentimental pieces. Hat bars offer all kinds of accessories for adorning a hat, but heirlooms or unique personal pieces add a new dimension to creating a hat that speaks your story. Items could include brooches, matchbooks, scarves, tie bars, feathers and hat bands.
This article about hat bars appeared in the Summer 2025 issue of Western Life Today magazine. Click here to subscribe!
