Shorty's Cowboy Hattery in Oklahoma City: Custom-Fitted Western Hats and Repair
Shorty's Cowboy Hattery is a specialist hat shop in Oklahoma City that stocks, fits, and customizes cowboy hats for working ranchers, rodeo competitors, and casual wearers. The business operates as a single-location retailer focused entirely on western headwear, with in-house blocking, steaming, and alteration services. It serves a market where hat fit and quality matter enough that customers drive across the city rather than settle for mall department store options.
What Shorty's Cowboy Hattery actually is
Shorty's is a made-to-measure and ready-stock operation combined. The shop carries pre-formed hats in felt and straw from major western hat manufacturers, holds inventory in multiple sizes and colors, and also takes custom orders for hats built to individual head shape and preference. Unlike online retailers or general western wear stores, Shorty's blocks and steams hats on-site, meaning a customer can walk in with a hat that has lost shape from storage or heavy wear and leave with it restored the same day.
Stock, services, and pricing
The shop carries both Stetson and Resistol hats, the two dominant brands in working western wear. Felt hats (worn fall through spring in Oklahoma) typically range from $120 to $300 depending on quality tier; premium Stetson models run higher. Straw hats (summer wear) cost $80 to $150. Custom blocking for an existing hat costs $35 to $50 and takes one to three days. A full reshape and cleaning runs $60 to $80. Sizing is free; the staff measures head circumference and takes a profile of head shape to recommend models that won't require extensive fitting. Confirm current pricing by phone before visiting, as material costs shift seasonally.
The shop also repairs sweatbands, re-stitches loose linings, and can adjust hat pitch (the angle of the brim) to match a customer's preferred tilt. These services keep hats functional for years, which appeals to working riders and ranchers who treat a quality hat as equipment rather than fashion.
How it compares to other Oklahoma City hat options
Department stores like Dillard's at Quail Springs or Penn Square carry some cowboy hats from Stetson's lower-priced lines, typically in the $100 to $150 range. Selection is limited to best-sellers, sizing expertise is absent, and on-site services do not exist. General western wear retailers like Boot Barn stock a broader hat range than department stores, with better staff knowledge and similar price points, but Boot Barn is also a multi-location chain with limited custom work. Shorty's justifies a trip when someone needs exact sizing, a hat blocked to a specific shape, or repair work that requires hand-finishing. It suits people who already know their head size or whose hat preferences are specific enough that trying on is worth the stop.
Who it suits and who it does not suit
Shorty's is built for repeat customers and people who treat hats as lasting pieces of equipment. A rancher with a daily riding routine, a rodeo competitor, or someone who has worn the same hat brand for years will find knowledgeable staff and the specific inventory or custom options they need. A customer who wants to browse a general western wear selection, try on multiple casual brands, or grab a hat as a souvenir probably fits better at Boot Barn, where choice and walk-in convenience exceed specialized fitting.
What the first visit involves
Walk in with your head size if you know it, or plan for staff to measure. If you are buying ready-stock, fitting takes 10 to 15 minutes: the staff steams the hat to soften it, shapes it slightly to your head, and lets you wear it to check feel and look in a mirror. If you want custom work, the staff notes your preferences (felt vs. straw, crown height, brim width, color) and can order a blank to be blocked in-house. If you bring in a hat for reshaping, drop-off time is noted and you can usually pick it up within three days.
Hours, parking, and logistics
Shorty's operates Monday through Saturday, with hours typically 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., though these may shift seasonally (verify before a long drive). Street or lot parking is available on-site. The shop is small, single-counter operation, so it can have only one or two staff members present. Call ahead if you need custom blocking or have a specific hat size in mind, especially during spring and fall when western wear demand peaks.
Shorty's holds a place in Oklahoma City's retail landscape because it answers a question that chain stores cannot: where do you get a cowboy hat that actually fits your head and will last a decade of regular wear.
