Custom Western wear items – ranging from boots and hats to suits and chaps – are adored by wide swaths of Oklahomans who dress well and work hard. Different from off-the-rack wares, custom-made offerings offer longevity, versatility, authenticity and the perfect fit – a savvy investment to be sure. But some say it’s the relationship between the maker and the buyer that’s the most valuable.
“I have worked hard to build not only a product and a brand that speaks for itself, but a relationship with each and every one of my customers,” says Lavonna “Shorty” Koger of Shorty’s Caboy Hattery in Oklahoma City.
When Koger’s father passed away, her brother sent his hats off to be cleaned and restored so he could wear them himself – but they came back ruined. After that, he told his sister that because she cleaned and shaped hats in a Western store already, she should start her own business.
So Koger took her brother’s advice and started Shorty’s in 1990. After running the business for some time, she thought surely she could build a hat – and that’s where it all started.
Each one of Shorty’s custom hats goes through a methodical creation process, starting with measuring the patron’s head, followed by choosing hat colors, picking fabric quality, selecting brim crease and crown shape, and adding extra styles to curate personal flair.
Each station is manned by one of Shorty’s skilled and trained staff members, and all hats are finished by hand. But for Koger, there was a learning curve, and success didn’t happen overnight.
“I asked a lot of questions and sought help from others in the industry, but being a woman, there weren’t many who wanted to help me,” she shares. “Believe me, there were a lot of mistakes made because I didn’t have the internet as a tool.”
So, what makes custom western wear a luxury? From Koger’s point of view, mass produced hats are built to a generic size with standard blocks, so they often don’t fit just right or feel as comfortable. Luxury, on the other hand, means truly great fitting and well-made wares that last for generations.
“A good fitting hat should be snug, but not too tight,” she shares. “When the fit is just right, there really isn’t anything more comfortable.”
The luxury of custom western wear is its focus on quality craftsmanship, premium materials, and personalized design and fit, along with artisanal techniques that require significant skill and attention to detail. Unlike mass-produced pieces, each custom item reflects the individual who will wear it, from the fit and materials to the smallest design details. That attention to personalization not only creates a more comfortable garment or accessory, but one with a sense of character and individuality.
Everyone deserves a little luxury. Custom hats are not only for ranchers, cowboys and rodeo riders, but for business professionals, owners of mom-and-pop shops in town or the everyday person who’s looking for quality and personalized comfort. For those who value craftsmanship and pieces made to last, custom western wear offers something increasingly rare: the opportunity to invest in something made specifically for you. In the end, the appeal goes beyond a perfect fit. It’s about owning something thoughtfully made, built to last and uniquely your own.
