By Michael Church
DALLAS, June 23 (Reuters) - Nothing says Texas like a cowboy hat and, as World Cup fans have flocked to the Lone Star state, one Dallas-based bespoke milliner has sought to meet the very specific headwear demands of his new-found international customers.
Along a quiet suburban street on the fringes of the city, Nicholas Fields sits in his front room workshop surrounded by the tools of his trade; assorted wooden hat blocks line the shelves as fur pelts lie draped over chairs and tables.
On the walls hang an array of Fields' creations, an eclectic collection of styles and designs that go far beyond the traditional Stetson more readily associated with rodeos, ranches and the typical cowboy aesthetic.
"Hat culture in Dallas is huge and Texas is huge," Fields said. "Everywhere you go, you're gonna see people in cowboy hats, different type of hats.
"Any formal or social event, there's gonna be somebody sporting their best and brightest in terms of their hats."
Away from the tourist stores providing ready-made versions of the traditional headwear for fans from around the world, Fields is taking the creation of the humble hat to another level.
Through his American Haberdashery brand, the self-taught artisan is looking to satisfy demand for unique styles in the high-end market and the arrival of the World Cup on his doorstep has opened up a new and unexpected avenue of opportunity.
Fields has made headwear for customers supporting co-hosts Mexico and Canada with further orders received from the Netherlands and Japan as the on-field action rumbles on across North America.
"We started getting them about two to three weeks before it started and we keep getting more and more interest and as we put them on social media and people see them, I'm sure it'll continue," Fields said of the World Cup orders he has received.
"So it's good to see people represent their country and I've taken a few jabs for not having a USA hat, but I didn't come up with the idea. It's just something that kind of came together naturally. So one to come!"
HAT PRICES START AT $700
Prices for one of Fields' creations start at $700 and hats can take six weeks or more to be made from concept to finished article, depending on the complexity of the design and the availability of the materials.
Fields operates in a niche market, creating fewer than 100 hats per year for an exclusive clientele and was motivated to begin his business by an inability to find headwear on the shelves that matched his own style or sizing requirements.
He maintains a high level of discretion about his customers -- he refuses to divulge their identities -- and is keen to remain a niche provider of a high-quality product.
"I want to keep the production low so we can keep producing the same quality and not get drained of the creative ability," he said.
"Because if we try to make 300 hats and we get more people in here, you're gonna lose control of the creative process.
"I'm not really into that. So we're cool if there's surges and pullbacks, that's fine, but I don't think I wanna get to the point where we move out to some building and we're doing like 1,000 or 3,000 a year."
And while Fields offers a unique look to his clients, he has no desire to move into the novelty market.
"It really needs to represent what the customer wanted without looking like goofy, because I don't want to make a goofy hat for someone in the stands," he said.
"You can get that on Amazon. I want something that is more long-lasting and that representation without looking like cartoonish or like a little bit silly.
"I want people to feel like stylish and like they got something that someone else doesn't have that's unique to them."
(Reporting by Michael Church, Editing by Ed Osmond)
