A Kentucky Derby Hat Story

There are few occasions where a spectacular hat feels quite as at home as it does at the Kentucky Derby.

Back in 2019, my friend and customer Tina shared a story with me about her love of Derby hats, family memories, and the Dusty’s Original she had chosen for a Kentucky Derby party of her own. I loved her story then, and I still love what it says about the way a hat can carry memories from one generation to another.

Tina’s fascination with hats started long before she owned one of mine. Her great-grandmother, Tilda, had a collection ranging from quiet and elegant to the kind that demanded attention. Tina kept those hats for years and came to think of them as little works of art.

That history was part of what made the idea of dressing for the Kentucky Derby so appealing to her. She had never attended the Derby itself, but she had long imagined the outfit, the party—and especially the hat.

Eventually, she found hers.

“The hat is a Dusty’s Original and it is fabulous.”

Tina’s hat was created with a peach sash and turkey feathers on an English top hat. Most importantly, it made her feel, in her words, “10 feet tall and bulletproof.”

I don’t think I could ask for a better description of what the right hat can do.

The Kentucky Derby may give us a wonderful excuse to wear something extravagant, but the best hats become more than something worn for a single event. They become part of our own stories—just as Tina remembered the hats belonging to her great-grandmother.

That’s one of the things I’ve always loved about creating one-of-a-kind pieces. A hat can begin as materials, color, feathers and an idea, but once it belongs to someone, a whole new story begins.

And if there’s ever an occasion to wear the hat that makes you feel ten feet tall, Derby Day certainly qualifies.

— Dusty