Today we’d like to introduce you to Dalton And Aylin Rhode.
Hi Dalton and Aylin, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Dalton started his hat journey about 6 years ago. Although we knew it wouldn’t be a longterm setup, we renovated our garage into a mini studio where clients could come get fitted and hang out. In February of 2025, a good friend of ours told us about a small 560 sq ft building that had recently became available, it was a historic standalone brick and mortar with brick walls, exposed rafters and concrete floors. It was everything we could have dreamt of. Then the build out process began. Between painting and sourcing vintage fixtures, we were also in the process of designing a new interior hat liner and ended up acquiring a vintage chainstitch machine from the 1950s. Aylin started her chainstitch journey in May of 2025, it started with hat liners and has now expanded into offering custom banners, jackets, and onsite chainstitch activations. Thats when we rebranded into a joint venture and opened the doors to Rhode & Sons in August of 2025.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
With learning any new skill, there are many learning curves. The hat trade alone is a well guarded profession. Few are willing to teach or share knowledge on where to acquire the skills/materials to get started. My first 5 years were full of trial and error and tons of investments trying to figure out what techniques/tools gave the desired product I was after. It wasn’t until 2 years ago that I felt like my skill level had developed to a point where I found consistency.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We are a mom and pop shop, specializing in premium bespoke western/dress hats and custom chainstitch embroidery. Our focus is on honing and applying traditional techniques into our crafts, We are not trying to reinvent the wheel but make things like they used to. Slowing down production, handling each of our pieces one at a time and creating true heirloom goods that will be cherished by our customers and their families for generations. Our store is rounded out by carrying brands such as Mister Freedom and Indigofera along with curated handmade and vintage southwestern jewelry.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
All worthwhile things take some amount of risk. We sold our home and stepped away from a successful retail career with great benefits to open our shop. Although leaving behind all stability was not an easy thing to do especially with 3 young children, we believe in the work we do and know that all good things come with time. Each month has brought its surprises, both good and bad. The eb and flow of owning and operating a small business can be nerve wrecking but we treat each day as a new opportunity to learn, interact and put our best foot forward.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.rhodeandsons.com
- Instagram: @RhodeandSons
