If you are visiting Austin and love hats, these are the spots for you!
Custom shaped and decorated hats are so hot right now. You’d be missing out if you don’t visit at least a couple of these places.
When you are visiting Austin, you probably have some items to check off your list: Eating too much Texas Barbecue; diving head first into Barton Springs; and buying a new hat. If your looking for the custom-made variety, we have you covered.
Here are our favorites. The added bonus? They are all walking distance from one another!
1. Maufrais
1512 S. Congress Ave Instagram: @maufrais.austin
L to R: Hats waiting for owners; a feather bar; hat fitting and design bar with coffee from Little Brother
Maufrais is bustling with activity every weekend. Find the hat bar at the center of the store and get started designing. They have a ton of accoutrements to choose from, laid out on several tables. The entire process takes 25 minutes to 1 hour. Luckily, local icon, Little Brother, offers kolaches and coffee in store! Tipping is appreciated.
What we love: As event planners ourselves, we love that they host private events in their back room where everyone gets to shape a hat. They also will come to your offsite! Book your own event here.
2. Goorin Bros.
1323 S. Congress Ave Instagram: @goorinbros
Originally created in Pittsburgh, PA in 1895, Goorin hats were sold off the back of a cart. The first shop opened up in San Francisco in 1949 and found a home in Austin this past decade. Largely known for their stylish fedoras, Goorin has a popular line of trucker hats called The Farm that depict various farm creatures on the front. They have a plethora of decorations to adorn your reinvented head wear, like Tarot cards, feathers, and trim.
What they told us: They have so many scraps from past designs that they are happy to use those to customize your look free of charge.
3. Allens Boots
1522 S. Congress Ave Instagram: @allensboots
As you walk down Congress Ave. at Elizabeth St., you’ll be hit with the dazzling smell of large amounts of leather and the cool promise of air conditioning. Though Allen’s is known for their boots, if you walk towards that hot neon sign, you’ll find their custom hat department. This place is for the cool cowgirl as they specialize in Stetons and Resistols. Perfect for pairing with a Lone Star, or a better, local brew.
What we like: The expansive space, hot neon signs, and massive selection make this an eclectic place to cool down on hot summer days.
4. TROVADOR Customs
1700 S. Congress Ave Instagram: @trovadorcustoms
Every single hat has a story to tell. They mean that literally at Trovador, where they’ll dive deep into your personal journey to custom design a hat that uniquely tells your life story.
They use the highest quality felts and custom dyes to create a piece of wearable art that is truly breathtaking.
Hot tip: If you wanna wear one of the custom hats while your visiting Austin, get started early. Custom designs take at least 4 weeks to complete.
What we love: Proceeds from every hat purchased go towards donating custom hats for people battling cancer and undergoing chemotherapy. You can even nominate someone to be a recipient.
Beware: Check out the fully functional electric guitar setup but DO NOT play. This is for display purposes only.
Take your story to the next level.
Now that we’ve given you some excellent options to cover your head, it’s time to go live your story. We have an excellent guide to some of the most Instagram-able spots in Austin! Enjoy!
