By Sailor Hill
Silverton is now home to a creative and ambitious couple of hatmakers in the Historic Wellman Building downtown.
Sean and Jessica McClellan are born artists, passionate about fashion, craftsmanship, and above all: hat making. They recently opened their first storefront, Flyin High Hat Co., where they create and customize western-style hats.
“We’ve taken an idea of having a standard cowboy hat-esque shop and being able to fully customize it and make it to your liking with a Pacific Northwest touch,” said Sean.
The couple spent much of their childhood steeped in “cowboy culture,” with Jessica attending rodeos and Sean helping ranchers during summers in the Steens mountains.
“It was such a warm, inviting, and true mixing pot community and the hats were always part of it,” said Jessica.
The McClellans started customizing hats in 2021 as they traveled in their van, traversing the country’s highways and byways and infusing each creation with inspiration from their journeys.
When they stumbled upon the stunning corner property in the Historic Wellman Building, they knew where Flyin High Hat Company would finally take root. The allure of its downtown location, poised to attract not only locals from Silverton but also passersby, coupled with the expansive windows offering a captivating view, sealed the deal for the entrepreneurial couple.
Their storefront had a soft opening Feb. 8 and they will host an official opening First Friday, April 5, 5 – 7 p.m.
The couple primarily makes custom hats to order, but additionally offers replication, restoration, reshaping, and cleaning services.
When customers walk into the shop, they have the choice between a beaver, rabbit, beaver/rabbit hybrid, or nutria felt base. Once they have chosen a felt, color, and style of their liking, the hat is fit to their exact head shape. It is then “fired”, where a torch is set to the felt to remove excess fuzz from the surface, stiffen the material, and achieve a smooth finish. Finally, customers can choose embellishments to add like feathers, Pendleton wool, beads, arrowheads, and more.
“The idea is to offer as much choice as we can within the customization,” Sean said. “We’re providing a really intimate experience. It’s going to last generations.”
The couple partners with suppliers in s Oregon, New Mexico, and North Dakota, and also works with western indigenous tribes.
“Everything is as local as we can make it,” Jessica said. “They may be out of state… but we have met them and established a relationship… to let them know our story and what we’re doing with theirs,” Sean added.
The store has received a welcoming response from both customers and local business owners.
“It’s overwhelming, the positive reception from everybody,” Jessica said. “They understand our vision.”
“Maker’s Row” is what the young couple called the strip on First Street where they are located. Among other local craftsman businesses, like Silverton Art and Frame, Primo Barbershop, Julie’s Flower Boutique, and At Easel Art, they feel a strong sense of support.
Scott Bruno and Molly Moreland, owners of Silverton Art & Frame, told Our Town, “[The McClellans] are a great addition to the neighborhood as far as artisan craftsmen… they take their craft very seriously.”
“[They] are super friendly and we talk about maybe ‘collabing’ and doing some sort of art project with hats,” Michelle Isaksen, owner of At Easel Art said.
To ensure they will be in Silverton for the long run, the McClellans offer a “quality-based product, customer service, correct pricing, and make [customers] feel that they are getting value out of what we’re giving them,” Sean said. “We’re small, we’re here to grow.”
Flyin High Hat Company
Opening celebration April 5, 5 – 7 p.m.
101 N First St., Silverton
Open Thursday-Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Sunday 11 – 3 p.m.; Monday by appointment
971-409-2749
