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FRESNO, Calif. — Keryn Nicholson never thought she would hear her name on national television, let alone for a hobby that she turned into a business.
Nicholson runs Nicholson Hat Co., an unassuming hat-making shop tucked away in Fresno’s Tower District that has such high-profile clients it was featured on Good Morning America in 2022.
Many may dream of being entrepreneurs at some point in their lives — leaving the 9-to-5 jobs and being our own boss, or building something nobody else has before.
For Nicholson, it didn’t take too much thinking outside the box – the hatbox, specifically – to find her way into that world. It simply took putting an idea to work when nothing else was enough.
Trial and error: the start of her business
Nicholson started learning the hat-making process in her small apartment kitchen, initially using a clunky tabletop steamer to repurpose old vintage hats. She consulted with numerous experienced hat makers, researching hat history for months before attempting to make her own.
She built up her business bit by bit, she says, using the money from selling one hat to buy equipment for the next. And she said that every poor quality hat she produced pushed her to keep trying more.
“For the first two to four years or so, it was really just, I would sell a hat and then I would buy a hat block,” Nicholson said.
Finally, in 2018, Nicholson Hat Co. was born.
“I just knew it was what I was meant to do and that I would be okay. I never really had a plan. I didn’t write anything down. I just sort of went off of feel,” Nicholson said.
Since starting her business, Nicholson has run everything from design to delivery. Early on, she balanced hat-making with another job and only chose to go full-time making hats after the profits from her hat company surpassed her other income.
Eventually, her not-so-planned business plan had put her on the map. The national spotlight even helped her land a deal to make a hat for some mega-popular musicians: folk singer Jewel and, most recently, rapper Post Malone.
“I got connected with Post Malone’s stylist and she basically gave the green light,” she said.
And after exchanging a few emails with Malone’s stylist Catherine Hahn, including his measurements and style preferences, Nicholson said the hat was finished, boxed and on its way.
The tiny hat shop on Van Ness Avenue is where the magic happens. Inside, it’s just Nicholson, an iron, sewing machine and steamer, and her sander and other wooden tools.
Nicholson’s specialties are fedoras and cowboy hats – showpieces of black and tan with wide brims and embellishments like beads, ribbon, and braided leather.
Each hat she makes is custom, using specific head measurements and materials sourced in the U.S - including sheepskin sweatbands, silk liners, high-quality delivery boxes and vintage ribbon.
“You can always tell when something was made by hand because there’s going to be just tiny little elements that aren’t picture perfect,” Nicholson said.
She’s made hats for her neighbors, farmers, and, being in California’s heartland, for packers working in the High Sierra.
“It means a lot to me, and especially in a part of California where, obviously, agriculture and ranching is such a huge industry and part of our valley and what makes us us,” she said.
Even with the attention she’s gotten for this niche business, Nicholson has dreams to expand, with a bigger workspace or even an apprentice.
Popularity of western hats continues to grow
Custom hat makers like Nicholson are part of a growing industry. The global cowboy hat market was valued at $1.2 billion in 2024 and is expected to grow to $1.4 billion by 2033, according to research by Business Research Insights, with North America leading the demand.
As well as being practical for those working outdoors and in the sun, western wear also remains popular during music festivals and rodeos. In the United States, major brands like Resistol, American Hat Company and Stetson dominate the scene.
A Texas company called HatCo produces more than 3,000 western hats daily, making them the largest western hat maker in the world.
Despite the presence of these mass producers, there is still room for smaller, handcrafted brands. Some market forecasters project the cowboy hat market could grow as much as 4% each year 2031, reflecting an increase in demand from buyers.
In this landscape, hat makers like Nicholson are taking up a meaningful place by focusing on individuality and craftsmanship.
She may only produce a few hats at a time, in a shop that contains no big machines or assembly lines. It’s just one woman, a trusty set of hat-making tools – and lots of personal ambition.
A long journey to achieve a dream
Keryn Nicholson didn’t set out to become a hat maker. It was the outcome of a long process of experimentation. She initially studied food science and nutrition dietetics at Fresno State.
“After college, I joined the Peace Corps and I went to Ethiopia…Then I decided I needed a master’s degree so then I went and studied nonprofit management and non government organizations,” Nicholson said.
But none of that felt like the right fit. She knew she wanted to work for herself, work in a respected trade, and create something with her hands. Then, her dad gifted her something special.
“My dad gave me his old Stetson open road hat. I was always trying to fix it because it was way too big for me,” she remembers.
It was a sign. Fixing the hat sparked a fascination with the craft, leading her to buy old vintage hats, take them apart, and figure out how to put them back together so she could one day start making her own.
After Nicholson expressed her newfound desire to work for herself in the art of hat-making, she was delighted to find that even her mother — who typically encouraged more academic pursuits — thought it was a good idea.
With the support from her parents, she ran with it, making sure her name was front and center.
“I want to make the Nicholson name mean something,” she said. “That was always really important to me.”
To date, Nicholson says she’s sold more than 500 custom hats. And as much as hat-making is an art, it’s also a trade and business.
“The custom hat business isn’t…for the faint hearted,” Nicholson said. “I think you have to take it really seriously in order to be taken seriously.”
