For The Montana Territory Hat Company, handmaking traditional cowboy hats is a tribute to the rugged romance of the American West
“I love the way cowboys handle themselves. There is a quiet pride,” says Courtney Green, founder and Creative Director of The Montana Territory Hat Company in Bozeman, Montana. This artist and mother is also a proud cowgirl, making beautifully crafted custom cowboy hats that epitomise the American West.
“I grew up riding horses and drawing,” she says. “When I was little, you would find me hiding away with my sketch book, my fingers grey from shading with charcoal, or in the barn spending time with my horses.”
Courtney later worked in the fashion industry as a designer, product developer and buyer. “I loved it, but always knew I belonged in the Rocky Mountains. When I finally made it here to Montana, I wanted to create something more precise, more special and nostalgic – something I could really stand behind and believe in, which was only going to get better with age. I call it ‘Future Vintage’, in that the hats can be passed down through generations and accumulate stories along the way.”
Courtney’s brand is built with care and intention. “Like Goodwood, we are a heritage luxury brand with a story to tell, grounded in something real and timeless,” she says. The company is not about trends and fast fashion, and clearly not about planned obsolescence; rather, it is about the ideals embedded in the cowboy and the American West – the hard work and the romance, not to mention the beauty of the galloping horse and the landscape that inspires Courtney so much.
Made with high-quality felt, the cowboy hats are designed to last for generations. Customers can send Courtney an image of a skyline, horizon or scene that holds significance for them and have her precisely brand the outline on to the hat with an iron, a process that again reflects the traditions of the old West. “These hats represent the preservation of a place, a culture and a way of life,” she says. “Each hat is made entirely by hand one step at a time. There is an alchemy that exists in the tension between ruggedness and beauty, romance and resilience. I love product that feels like art – slow, deliberate and intentional.”
www.montanaterritory.com