Double D Ranch has topped off its fashion empire with a new collaborative hat collection.
Five years after teaming up with Lane to design its eponymous boot collection, the beloved designer label Double D Ranch has entered a second collaborative partnership. Greeley Hat Works introduced an exclusive Double D Ranch hat collection this past March, and as of earlier this summer the debut designs have officially hit store shelves. It means good news for all of the loyal DDR fashionistas: You can now deck out entirely in Double D, from head to toe.
“Adding a hat license for years has been a desire of ours,” says Double D Ranch cofounder and designer Cheryl McMullen. When McMullen’s nephew introduced her to Greeley owner Trent Johnson at Denver WESA Market, she knew it was a partnership worth pursuing. “Trent’s personality and design aesthetic mixed with the quality of their craftsmanship were additional reasons it was a perfect match.”
Crown shape and brim width varies among the seven hats in the debut collection. Some feature Old Pawn-inspired silver adornments; others, feathers and beads; others, original artwork. Some are adaptations of vintage pieces from the apparel line, while others are all-new. But all speak directly to the designer’s heart and DDR family roots. “Code of the West [shown left, $737] was drawn from a hat similar to my daddy’s that I began doodling and scribbling on long ago,” McMullen says. “Anything part of our core collection originates from our DNA.”
At top, first row (left to right): Frontier Trapper hat in Sahara tan ($737), Old Pawn hat in black ($638), Les Gauchos Bolero hat in Buckskin beige ($594). Second row: Thomasina hat in silver belly ($572), Old Pawn in sand ($638), Frontier Trapper hat in Whiskey brown ($737).
HOLLY'S PICKS
My favorite has to be the Sky Chief — and not just because fedoras tend to work best for me when it comes to hats (at about 5-foot-even, I'm often overwhelmed by wide brims). I love that, like me, this hat is little bit urbanite and a little bit cowgirl. A fedora always feels right at home in (C&I's hometown of) Dallas, but the Sky Chief's beadwork and feathers also add a touch of Western glam. Comes in sand and black ($572).
For when dressing in true cowgirl splendor, I like Les Gauchos Bolero best. I'm a sucker for a stamped concho, be it on a belt or a bracelet or a hatband, and this is the most versatile design of the bunch — you can wear it with just about anything. Yet, at the same time, it isn't your run-of-the-mill cowgirl felt. Along with superb quality, Spanish influence makes it unique, and a bit edgy depending how you style it. I love that this hat is both understated and outstanding. Comes in buckskin and black with genuine leather hatband ($594).
Adapted from the print feature in the Summer 2016 issue of C&I's sister publication,Western & English Today, a business-to-business magazine. To read the issue and find out more about W&E, visit the website. Click here to read about how Double D Ranch celebrated their 25th anniversary in fashion last year.
