Starting 2017 the Right Way with New Hat Styles!

Voodoo Hatter has never had trouble delivering an edge to the top hat world and this time around they have really pulled all stops.
These new Voodoo hats bring this style to life in reimagined ways to accessorize the way you ride, rock, and rebel!

Ashbury hats reinvents past styles with a fresh batch of neutral colors and fierce eye candy as well as adding new unique and standout looks!

American Outback Hats showing consistent strength in creating the perfect hats for durability, comfort, and the free spirited style of any adventurer!

Double G takes a step back from the sleek, refined cowboy look to deliver some new textures and a new style to keep you looking sharp and feeling good!

Keep your eye out for more new designs and styles, we have some very exciting hats in the works!

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GBK’S First Annual Naughty or Nice Giving Lounge

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Breeda Wool in a Summit

This year’s first annual GBK Naughty or Nice Gifting Lounge is going to be epic! American Hat Makers is excited to be able to attend this event and make a difference out in the community! For those who don’t know, GBK’s Celebrity Gifting Suites bring together high profile celebrities and product manufacturers and brands in order to generate awareness of charitable issues, and to give manufacturers international coverage of their products.

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Greer Grammer in a Cyclone

Individuals bid on the opportunity to attend a lounge with the celebrity of their choice, and have the opportunity to get their product into the hands of some of the most influential people around! It’s always a great opportunity to get to meet so many amazing people and to share the products we are so passionate about!

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Dolvett Quince

At American Hat Makers our mission is to provide our customers with distinctive, one-of-a-kind, artisan hats made by hand with the finest materials sourced and produced in the United States. Above and beyond the creation of superior products, we are dedicated to treating our customers and employees with compassion, integrity, and a commitment to bettering our community through service, philanthropy, and open-heartedness. Around the holiday season, we at American Hat Makers like to reflect on how blessed and fortunate we are, so we jumped at another chance to work with Gavin at GBK to make a positive impact in the community! His connections truly have what it takes to launch a company to the next level!
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Anastasia Baranova in an El Dorado.

Anastasia Baranova was born in Moscow, Russia, in what was then part of the Soviet Union. As a child, she began modeling in Moscow. In 1998, Baranova and her mother, Ata, moved from Russia to Minnesota in the United States, where she continued to model. In 2000, they moved to California, where Baranova began her acting career. Baranova began her acting career in 2002 with a small speaking role on the Disney Channel series Lizzie McGuire. She then won the lead role for the Discovery Kids/ NBC television series Scout’s Safari, playing the character Jennifer Lauer. To learn the English language, she used the Jumpstart CD-ROM series and took speech and singing classes. She is fluent in both Russian and English, and studied at Chapman University. In 2014, Baranova joined the cast of the Syfy post-apocalyptic horror-comedy-drama series Z Nation, playing the role of Addison “Addy” Carver.

 

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Gilles Marini in a Cyclone

  Gilles Marini is a french-american actor known for his roles in the film Sex and the City and in the television shows Brother and Sister and Switched at Birth. After working as a baker in his father’s bakery since he was eight years old and high school, he joined the French army and was stationed in Paris, where he served as a fireman in the Paris Fire Brigade. It was in Paris where Marini met Fred Goudon, a photographer who introduced him to the world of modeling. After fulfilling his military duties, he went to the United States to learn English while working as a model. He began his career as a model in his early twenties. One of his first jobs was a television commercial for Bud Light beer. He made his acting debut at the age of 29, in the 2005 horror flick Screech of the Decapitated.

 

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Jimmy Jean-Louis in a Cyclone

Jimmy Jean-Louis (born August 8, 1968) is a Haitian actor and model best known for his role as “the Haitian” on the NBC television series Heroes. Jean-Louis was born in Petionville, near Port-au-Prince, Haiti. He lived there until the age of twelve, when he moved to Paris with his family to pursue a modeling career, after moving he experienced a culture shock because of the rural to city lifestyle change. He enrolled in business courses, but quickly realized that his heart lay in performance, and studied at the Académie Internationale de la Danse. His parents returned to Haiti, but Jean-Louis and his brother remained in Paris. Around a decade later in 1991, producers discovered Jean-Louis during one of his dancing stints in a French club, who were impressed. They tapped him to appear in a Coca-Cola advertisement, the success of which prompted the Jean-Louis to spend several years modeling across Europe. He was very successful in London, working for such notables as Gianfranco Ferre and Valentino. Before finding success as a model, he was homeless at times in Paris. By the mid-’90s, he was gracing music videos by such stars as Mariah Carey, Seal, and George Michael, and appearing in low-budget “independent” films in Los Angeles.

 

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Krista Marie Yu in a Summit.

Krista Marie Yu was born on October 25, 1988 in Alameda, California, USA. She is an actress notable for her role as Molly on the ABC sitcom Dr. Ken. She has been a guest on television series that include The Thundermans, Agent Carter, Switched at Birth, The Middle, and Cougar Town. She has been featured in the major motion pictures The Darkness and Love the Coopers.

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Cerina Vincent in a limited edition Double G hat.

Cerina Vincent is an American actress and writer best known for playing Maya the Yellow Galaxy Ranger in the television series Power Rangers Lost Galaxy, as well as her film appearances in Not Another Teen Movie, Cabin Fever, It Waits, and Everybody Wants to Be Italian. She has written three books with Jodi Lipper, and writes a regular column for The Huffington Post.

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This year’s event is going to be held at OUE Skyspace LA inside the U.S Bank tower and we’re beyond excited to see the beautiful view of Los Angeles and enjoy the holiday season!

 

Facebook: American Hat Makers

Twitter: @americanhatter

Instagram: @americanhatmakers

Click to Bid and help raise money!

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Do you believe in MAGIC? American Hat Makers does!

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Do you believe in MAGIC?

I’m not referring to the David Copperfield kind (although this kind does appear in Las Vegas!)

Nor I am I referring to the pulling a rabbit out of a hat kind (although this kind does involve hats!)

No, I am referring to the amazing, one-of-a-kind fashion tradeshow that takes place in Las Vegas twice a year. With over 60,000 (yes, that is correct: sixty THOUSAND) industry insiders in attendance, MAGIC is the marketplace for all things fashion forward.

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If this is the place to be then you know American Hat Makers is there! We are proud to be a part of this huge marketplace for the past several years. It’s one of our favorite places to be! (Well, they all are, but don’t let the secret out!)

MAGIC is truly like nothing else and American Hat Makers is thrilled to be exhibiting in “The Collective” marketplace again this year.

What is “The Collective” you ask? well, according to MAGIConline:

THE COLLECTIVE is the culture of men’s fashion. This platform showcases everything from classic collections to lifestyle-driven and licensed apparel for men and young men. By uniting this community under one roof next to PROJECT, THE COLLECTIVE gives buyers unparalleled access to the rapidly growing men’s and young men’s market.

Come by THE COLLECTIVE and find us:   August 15-17, booth #30038.

This year we will be proudly showcasing both our new hats and our perennial bestsellers as well as celebrating our new Outdoor and Heritage catalogs!

 

If you’re in Vegas August 15- 17 we’d love to see you – or you can follow the magic on our Facebook page or  Instagram or Twitter!

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Written by Jessica Johnson exclusively for American Hat Makers

Introducing our New Line: Freedom Hats

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Let Freedom Ring!

All of us at American Hat Makers are excited to announce our newest line of hand-crafted, top-of-the-line hats:

Freedom Hats

Freedom Hats are the ultimate in durable, luxurious, one-of-a-kind outdoor hats. And, like all of our hats, they are suitable for all of your adventures – from kayaking to golfing, horseback riding to gardening, hiking to rock climbing and anything else you do!

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Made from the same high-quality, 100% sourced and produced in the USA materials as all of our American Hat Makers hats, Freedom Hats offers you an exceptional deal on limited run hats.

Our vision for Freedom Hats is to produce hats that live up to our high American Hat Maker quality standards while offering exceptional value to you. We do this by producing hats based on the availability of exclusive materials – which are then used to produce a limited run.

With this model we are able to offer these unique hats to you at an amazing price. 

If you are interested in taking advantage of this unprecedented opportunity to buy from American Hat Makers act fast! Each season our line of Freedom Hats will change based on the availability of materials. While we require you to place an order for a minimum of 12 hats in the same style keep in mind this is not a pre-pack – you get to choose the colors and sizes of your hats! 

Don’t forget, each and every hat from our Freedom Hat line is produced, by hand, in our Watsonville shop. Each hat adheres to our high-quality standards and is backed by our exclusive unconditional lifetime guarantee: 

We guarantee our hats for a lifetime against defects in materials and workmanship.

We include our sizing system with your order. This allows your hat to be adjusted to three different sizes. Should you need a different size than this allows, we will gladly exchange your hat for a perfect fit. Simply return the hat in the original box with a note as to what you need, and we will send you the appropriate replacement. By the same token, if the color of the hat is not what you expected we will exchange for another of our standard colors at no extra charge.

Our 100% Satisfaction Guarantee speaks for itself. Should the hat not meet up to any of your expectations, simply return the hat to us for a full refund (less shipping costs)……no questions asked.

We are proud to introduce you to Freedom Hats and look forward to offering you another way to enjoy all the benefits of our high-quality, handcrafted hats at an amazing cost savings!

Contact us NOW at 1-800-NICE-HAT to get in on this incredible new opportunity! 

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Photographer: Neil Simmons

Stylist: Ruby Roxanne Agresta

Models: Greg Flowers, Heather Bonds and Nicole Hatsedakis Happee

Catalog Design: Nikki Wolf

Blog Post Written by: Jessica Johnson

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Get to Know Garth Watrous – the Businessman

Garth Watrous grew up in the hat making world watching his dad, Gary, create one-of-a-kind artisan hats in his workshop. Later, Garth would join his dad at art fairs and festivals as Gary made a name for his skilled handiwork and artistry and began to build the Head ’N Home Hats brand.

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Surely influenced by his early exposure to entrepreneurship, Garth went on to earn his business degree from San Diego State University. He came home to Watsonville and became a proud partner of American Hat Makers with his father in 2005.

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In the decade since Garth has been – as he likes to say –  “at the rudder” of the company business has doubled…twice! But don’t think that Garth is satisfied with that, because you would be wrong. Garth says his goal for the American Hat Makers is “to be the #1 hat company in the world.”

That, he says, will come through cultivating the best from the dedicated and talented team at American Hat Makers; making solid, authentic industry connections; and by bringing greater exposure to the exceptional and unique line of products designed and manufactured at their Watsonville, California facility.

 

“We are already the #1 cut and sew hat maker,” he explains, “and that sets us apart from the competition.”

There are other things that set American Hat Makers apart from the competition as well, and one of them is their outstanding level of customer service. Each hat sold comes with an unconditional lifetime guarantee. “Our customer service is second to none, and on top of that, our marketing team is incredible!” Garth says. “To be the best you have to play in all areas.”

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Speaking of playing in all areas, Garth doesn’t just talk the talk, he walks the walk. Garth spends a good deal of time nurturing business relationships through his positions as Vice-President of the Board of Directors of The Headwear Association and as a member of the American Made Matters Board of Directors. In addition, American Hat Makers is expanding it’s global presence with growing sales worldwide. Garth shares that the Asian market is growing rapidly – especially Tibet!

With Garth’s  visionary, dynamic business sense and an unparalleled team at his side, there is no doubt that American Hat Makers will continue to grow in innovation, production and global recognition.

 

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Getting to Know Garth (Garth Watrous of American Hat Makers, that is!)

It’s not unusual for a company to have a list of core values. What is unusual is for one of those to be “be happy and weird.

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Then again, thanks to Garth Watrous, American Hat Makers isn’t your usual company. From “Keep It Weird Wednesdays” to a rousing game of line ball at lunch, the Watrous family is dedicated to promoting a sense of fun and family in the workplace.

 

the team 2015 crazy hat day

 

Son of founder Gary Watrous, Garth Watrous has taken a hands on, interactive approach to managing the team at American Hat Makers since he became partner in 2005. “We’ve always made incredibly good hats,” Garth said. “So I decided to focus on company culture, promoting teamwork and connection and sharing fun and laughter with the team.”

 

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Garth is dedicated to hiring incredible people who really want to find a home and grow with American Hat Makers. To help team members thrive  – inside and outside of work hours – Garth focuses on mentoring, training and authentically connecting with each and every person at American Hat Makers. “Connection has always been important in my life,” he explained. “If we notice someone is struggling,  or we see fear or uncertainty growing among the team,  we address it. It is important to maintain open communication with our entire team.”

If nothing else, Garth wants everyone at the company to feel like they are appreciated, valued and trusted to make good choices for themselves and the business. Garth is not afraid of change and he wants to engender that spirit of innovation and fearlessness into the culture at American Hat Makers. When he first became partner he instituted a practice where anyone could make a decision that impacted the company up to $50. Since then, he has increased the limit to $500 with nothing but positive results. “When you are hired you are encouraged to try new things and we trust you to make independent decisions,” he said. “I believe this makes our team feel more connected, more confident and more fulfilled in their work environment.”

Ultimately, Garth is driven by a strong desire to stay true to his personal beliefs. Fortunately for the team at American Hat Makers, primary among them is to treat everyone kindly and, as he puts it, “to love them up.”

We hope you feel that love when you wear a hat from American Hat Makers.

 

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Garth Joins Board of Headwear Association

Our own Garth Watrous, VP of American Hat Makers and Head’n Home in Freedom, joined the Board of the Headwear Association – the oldest, largest and most prestigious hat organization in the nation.

At the 106th Annual Awards Dinner on April 24, Watrous and his wife, Hannah Watrous, joined the other most influential hat makers in the country to celebrate the accomplishments of the hat industry for the year.

This is an honor for Watrous because, “It’s an opportunity to get like minded individuals together to advance the wearing of hats of all kinds. It’s one of the longest standing organizations in a America.”

“We have always felt we were a leader in the headwear business but truly did not have the exposure needed to advance our business to the next level. Now being on the board I believe brings exposure to the beautiful hats we make.”

Watrous was asked to join the board because of his young and energetic entrepreneurial mindset. He doubled Head’n Home’s business twice over the last 5 years.

Highlights of the night also included Chapel Hats receiving Retailer of the Year. Chapel Hats is one of Head’n Home’s largest retailers — selling their hats in every one of their stores.

View all our American Made Hats here.