Meet Ashley Gastil

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Gastil.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I actually kind of stumbled upon hat-making by accident, although I’ve always had a niche for all things handmade! I grew up in a household full of creativity. My mom always handmade our clothes and furniture, and I got a lot of my skills from that.

As far as hat making, I had gone to dinner one day with a new friend who had a really clean hat that I loved! I asked him about it and he said he had made it! He got into hat making when his cowgirl fiancé was spending thousands on cowboy hats. He thought it was something that he could make for her on his own and ended up succeeding. I asked him to show me (this was a few years ago during Covid) and I never looked back. Something about the process just made me fall in love. It literally starts as lifeless fibers until it’s hand-stretched over an antique hat block, hand-sanded, hand sewn. I get to use my creative freedom and pick the shape the design and the colors! As time went on, I had people approaching me asking if I could make them hats that were specific to their styles! I shape it to their head size and can do so in whatever custom color they want. When I continued to get orders, I figured why the hell not make a means from it, and I created my LLC, A.R. Hat Co!

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has been the bumpiest road ever! But worth it! I still work a full-time job so sometimes hat production can take longer than anticipated. Another problem with using these old-school techniques is no one does it anymore, therefore the tools alone are hard to find! Everything is done by machine now, even these old-school hat companies really aren’t “handmade” other than maybe someone using scissors to snip the thread after sewing. But for me, I use the same tools that were used in the 1800s, so you can imagine how finding them is quite the challenge. Most of my tools I’ve actually found in antique stores! The ones I haven’t been able to find I’ve had to have custom make for me by local wood carpenters. It can get pretty pricey! But nothing beats having that handmade hat in the end. You really can’t beat the quality, and it’s something that will last you for generations to come!

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I like to think that I have my own style but really a majority of my hats come from some sort of inspiration. As a custom hat maker, clients come to me with what they want in a hat and I am just there to bring it to life! I start with the color, whether they want a fur felt or a palm leaf straw hat. From there, I measure them or have them send me their measurements. We talk about style, shapes, and decorations for hat bands. The options are really endless! In between my custom orders, I make my own hats for my website and pop-ups in hopes someone will like them as much as I do! I think what sets me apart from other hats is the quality and the fact I can truly say mine are 100% handmade. You won’t find these hats in any box store!

Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Starting out for me was a lot of trial and error! Because I was missing a lot of the traditional hat-making tools, I had to really kind of makeshift my own. That and the tools that are sold by the few manufacturers there are can cost thousands! Lucky for me, I love antique shopping and had gotten super lucky finding a lot of tools I needed. They’re hundreds of years old but they still work like brand new! I also have been lucky enough to get by with what I have by trying out different techniques. I would say if you want to try it out be prepared for a little bit of frustration at first! You won’t find many learning tools online, so really if you can reach out to someone who has some experience I find that the best way to learn! Some hat makers won’t give up their “secrets” but I’ve personally always found joy in sharing such knowledge on a wonderful lost art! I’ve even had clients who want to make the hat side by side with me! I’ll bring them to my shop and show them each step and watch them do it on their own! They leave with a rad ass hat and can even say they made it themselves!

Pricing:

• $125+ for palm leaf
• $250+ for fur felts

Contact Info:

• Website: Arhatcollective.com
• Instagram: @ar_hatco
• Yelp: https://m.yelp.com/biz/ar-hat-collective-acton?utm_source=ishare
• Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ARHATCoCrafts