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TAMPA, Fla. – Inside a small workshop in Ybor City<\/a>, classic hat making is getting a Florida <\/a>makeover.<\/p>\n At \u2019Til Death Hat Co., owner\u00a0Ash Dudney\u00a0takes traditional custom hat styles and adds a distinctly local twist.<\/p>\n Local perspective:<\/p>\n That includes using materials sourced right here in Florida \u2014like\u00a0skins from invasive species\u00a0\u2014 and designing hats with creative features such as\u00a0built-in cigar holders, a nod to Tampa\u2019s <\/a>historic cigar culture.<\/p>\n Each hat is shaped, styled and detailed by hand.<\/p>\n READ: Tampa artist pursuing full-time mural painting<\/a><\/p>\n The result is a wearable piece of craftsmanship that blends western tradition with Tampa history.<\/p>\n The backstory:<\/p>\n Customers visiting the shop begin with a one-on-one consultation with Dudney to design a hat that reflects their personal style.<\/p>\n From there, the process becomes part craft and part collaboration.<\/p>\n READ: Man breaks into Parrish home, attacks woman in garage<\/a><\/p>\n Brims are steamed and shaped by hand. Crowns are molded and structured. Custom details are added \u2014 including branding marks, burned artwork, feathers, vintage bands and Florida-inspired materials.<\/p>\n Some hats incorporate leather or skins from invasive species, giving them a rugged Florida character while also highlighting wildlife that\u2019s commonly found across the state.<\/p>\n Others feature custom cigar holders built directly into the design, a subtle tribute to\u00a0Ybor City\u2019s cigar-making heritage.<\/p>\n Because every hat is made individually,\u00a0no two are the same.<\/p>\n Dig deeper:<\/p>\n Custom hat-making is a centuries-old craft, but it\u2019s a rare one in Florida.<\/p>\n According to Dudney, \u2019Til Death Hat Co. is currently\u00a0the only brick-and-mortar shop in the state dedicated to fully custom hat-making.<\/p>\n While many hat makers operate online or through pop-ups, Dudney\u2019s Ybor City shop allows customers to sit down in person and be part of the process \u2014 watching their hat take shape step by step.<\/p>\n The experience has helped turn the small shop into a destination for people looking for something unique and handmade.<\/p>\n What’s next:<\/p>\n Dudney continues to offer custom fittings by appointment, allowing customers to collaborate directly in designing their hats.<\/p>\n For many visitors, the experience isn\u2019t just about fashion, it\u2019s about walking away with something that reflects both their personality and a piece of Tampa culture.<\/p>\n \u2019Til Death Hat Co. is located at\u00a01702 N. Nebraska Ave. in Ybor City.<\/p>\n Custom hats are available\u00a0by appointment, where customers can work one-on-one with Dudney\u00a0to design their own fit, style and details.<\/p>\n You can learn more or book a fitting here<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Source: Information for this story was gathered from an interview with the owner of \u2019Til Death Hat Co.<\/p>\n Made in Tampa Bay<\/a>Ybor City<\/a>Business<\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"TAMPA, Fla. – Inside a small workshop in Ybor City, classic hat making is getting a Florida makeover.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":191391,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[558,47,629,7104,115,405,135,137,136,628,10364],"class_list":["post-191390","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tampa","tag-business","tag-fl","tag-hillsborough","tag-made-in-tampa-bay","tag-news","tag-series","tag-tampa","tag-tampa-headlines","tag-tampa-news","tag-us","tag-ybor-city"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/191390","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=191390"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/191390\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/191391"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=191390"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=191390"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=191390"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/vlcsnap-2026-03-12-10h50m50s128.png\")
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