Located in the iconic L&L Market, American Paint Hat is the place to live out all your hatted dreams.
Offering a custom design experience, the store allows customers to work alongside experts who walk them through the creative process from start to finish: pick the perfect shape, color, accessories, and more. Founders Jennifer Wayne, one-third of Runaway June and granddaughter of the legendary John Wayne; Tyler Minor, a fashion stylist and designer; and Tara Joseph, co-founder of Big Plan Holdings, wanted to bring a hands-on approach to the western-style hats that have become synonymous with Nashville’s fashion and culture. It was Wayne who initially saw the opportunity for a custom cap experience.
“I had been to stores where you could buy hats and change out the bands,” she says. “I thought, ‘How amazing would it be if we took it to another level and added everything you could dream of to decorate a hat and created a store completely dedicated to the experience?’ And Nashville is the perfect place for it.”
She brought the idea to Minor, who called upon Joseph, and the rest is custom hat history. Joseph’s husband and business partner, Josh Joseph, found the perfect location at L&L. Surrounded by some of Nashville’s signature shops and restaurants, the open-air space is beautifully outfitted with all the trappings a hatmaker in training might need—chapeaus of every color, silk scarves and leather bands to further personalize each piece, and vintage pins and broaches to create a truly one-of-a-kind hat. At American Paint Hat, buying a hat isn’t just a transaction, it’s an experience. It’s a place that encourages locals and tourists alike to use their creativity and design a custom look that feels like an extension of their own personalities. Families can come in and create generational memories, and friends (hey, bachelorettes) can gather to create their dream hats while sipping Wayne’s family libations, Duke Spirits.
In fact, the legendary western star’s spirit is all around American Paint.
“I grew up watching my grandfather wear cowboy hats on the big screen and it was so cool because it was a brand,” Wayne says. “To me the cowboy hat symbolized the pioneer and everything that came with it—strength, character, skill. The cowboy hat was an attitude.”
At American Paint Hat, customers can bottle that attitude and wear it home. And no two customers will do it the same way.
“Art is so subjective, and this gives everyone a chance to create something that speaks to them,” says Joseph. “American Paint Hat really gears itself to everyone.” And when she says everyone, she means it. As Joseph points out, you don’t have to be a skilled artist to make a gorgeous hat. “Even people that aren’t creative come in and love creating. Others love watching the hats come to life,” she says. “I love seeing them come up and say, ‘I’m not creative’ or ‘I’m terrible at art’ and then create a hat. I always say to people, ‘You know exactly what you like. Just relax and enjoy.’”
For Wayne, watching those newly initiated hatmakers leave with a beautiful souvenir of their Nashville experience is what makes American Paint Hat special.
“It’s so fun to see people have the experience [alone or] with friends and family. They are creating memories and actually have a piece to take home from that experience,” Wayne says. “The most rewarding thing is seeing how happy people are when their hat is finished. It’s just magic.”
(American Paint Hat, 3820 Charlotte Ave., Ste. 129; americanpainthat.com)