- Kemo Sabe in Jackson, Wyoming, customizes high-end Western hats that cost up to $895.
- Rihanna, Shania Twain, and other celebrities have dished out for the luxurious ranch hats.
- I went behind the scenes to see how the hats are shaped, stylized, and branded for custom looks.
“Oh man, it’s my husky out there crying, sorry,” a woman said as she stepped into Kemo Sabe, a luxury Western apparel store in Jackson, Wyoming. “I’m going to have to buy a hat in here. This is so cool.”
“Oh, we can certainly help with that,” said Kristen Carelas, a sales floor supervisor who molds and customizes hats for customers.
Kemo Sabe started in Aspen, Colorado, in 1990 and has since become well known for its high-end Western hats. Celebrities and icons, from Rihanna to Shania Twain and the Kardashians, have all been spotted wearing Kemo Sabe hats.
If you look at the brand’s website, you’ll find hats ranging from $225 to $895. Custom additions like bands to wrap around the hats can bring the price up into the thousands. The most expensive band on the company’s website costs $3,500.
The store has seven locations in Colorado, Montana, Texas, Utah, and Jackson, Wyoming.
I recently visited the Jackson location and got a behind-the-scenes look at how its employees like Carelas customize the hats and create a one-of-a-kind statement accessory for each customer.
The store epitomized the American West
The walls were made of rustic bricks and wooden planks in various colors.
Countless ranch hats sprawled across one wall while cowboy boots lined the other.
The store also sold shiny buckles, vintage jewelry, clothing, knives, and winter accessories like fur-lined leather gloves.
Upstairs, there was a speakeasy serving cocktails.
Hat customization takes place behind the counter at the front of the store
This seemed like a sensible spot for the artistic workspace since it was the only part of the store with natural light.
Carelas said customization is included in the price of a hat, but some of the decor comes at an additional price.
“Customizations such as a few feathers and branding come at no additional cost, but the bands will cost a wide variety,” a representative of Kemo Sabe told BI, adding that they have “hand-dyed silk and leather cording for $10, or handmade leather, sterling silver, semi-precious stones, and diamond hat band options” starting at $95.
“A hat is not only protecting you from the elements — it’s representing your personality. You’ve got to have some fun with it,” Carelas, who has been molding and styling hats at Kemo Sabe for just over a year, said.
Carelas started the customization process by selecting a hat off the wall
Carelas said selecting the hat is typically the longest part of the process.
“It is an investment. So we want to get it right,” she said. “We have tons of different options. We have more in the back, and we’ll bring out every single option.”
The store carries two brands of hats — Stetson and Kemo Sabe. Although Stetson makes hats that cost thousands of dollars, Kemo Sabe only sells less expensive Stetson hats that are pre-molded. The Kemo Sabe hats they sell are more expensive.
“We hand-mold every single one,” Carelas said of the Kemo Sabe hats, adding that they start flat upon selection, and the employees shape them in-house to the customer’s liking.
“From fedora style to cowboy Western, every person is so different,” she said. “So we like to give them a huge range.”
At Kemo Sabe, customers cannot touch the hats on the wall. Instead, Carelas uses long, thick sticks to grab the hats customers are interested in purchasing.
Once she selected a hat, it was time to steam
Carelas selected a flat-brimmed hat and pulled a steamer out of the cabinet below the counter in the workstation.
She pressed the brim into the mouth of the steamer as clouds of steam surrounded her.
“This helps open up the fibers so that we can shape it, mold it, and give it a little curl,” she said.
Between rounds of steaming each section of the brim, Carelas folded the softened hat into a Western cowboy shape.
Next, she added decorative details
When styling for a client, Carelas said she asks the customer where they plan to wear the hat before accessorizing.
“It could be for a special occasion like a bridal party. It could be for going to concerts or even just for everyday wear,” she said. “That’s when we find out what they are looking for out of the hat.”
For example, some want a glitzy, bedazzled hat, while others prefer a rustic vibe.
“I wrap tons of different options to show them what possibilities their hat can become,” she said.
Adding flair to a hat is all about layering
Since she was designing for my tour rather than a customer, Carelas made a hat to her liking. She selected a black, flat-brimmed hat to create an edgy, Taylor Swift-inspired look for attending concerts.
Carelas first stitched a black silk band around the rim.
“I’m trying to get it placed to where I want it to be for my other layers,” she said.
Next, she added layers of beads and jewels.
“For a concert, I recommend making a showstopper. We have to add pizazz,” Carelas said. “And then, of course, Taylor always adds some sparkle and flair. So we have to add diamonds.”
Lastly, Carelas added a small meteorite knife and a Porcupine quill for a touch of edginess.
The final step is branding
Carelas selected another hat and took me to the branding station, where there were dozens of tiny metal symbols, images, and letters to burn onto the hat.
Branding a hat doesn’t cost extra, and there’s no limit to how much you can add. Carelas said Kemo Sabe is known for its branding — and some people tend to go all out.
“The other day, I had a guy who wanted to brand everything he’s hunted,” she said.
I watched Carelas brand a hat letter by letter to say “Live a Little.”
“This is my favorite part because it reminds me of tattooing,” she said, adding that she tattoos as a side gig.
She attached the letter to a metal rod and torched it before carefully stamping the hat.
“So you start slow and work your way up,” she said. “You have to find that right little sweet spot. It can get nerve-racking, but I find it so peaceful.”
Some customers request entire sentences or phrases to be branded onto their hats.
“I did a wedding anniversary hat not too long ago,” she said. “The husband wanted to surprise his wife with the first verse of their song.”
She said being a part of special moments in people’s lives makes her job feel less like work.
“You never know who you get to style, and that makes it so much more enjoyable,” she said. “It’s never boring.”
When she finished styling and branding the hats, I began to understand why people pay so much for them.
They’re built to last a lifetime — and with the range of customizations included in the price, customers leave with a hat you won’t spot on anyone else’s head.
