LOUISVILLE, Ky. — For the past 11 years, two Kentucky friends have been wearing many hats. They want everyone to feel comfortable at Churchill Downs, and that’s why they started their business, The Hat Girls.

Kate Smith and Rachel Bell, also known as the “Hat Girls,” are Louisville-based milliners.

They started by making their own headwear after feeling they needed to improve their personal Derby hat game.

“We thought we looked great then. Now looking back, it’s kind of funny to see what we’ve done and far how far we’ve come,” Smith said. “We’re both pretty much self-taught, so it’s cool to see how we’ve evolved over the years.”

Now, their hats fill their brick–and-mortar store wall to wall. They say they make about 1,300 hats and fascinators a year now. 

It has their store resembling a candy store, but for hats. 

“It started out: we couldn’t afford the hats we wanted, so we started creating our own and people starting commenting on them, like they do to most people at the Derby,” Bell said.

The two Louisville natives are now trying to lead the way around the track—with their own Derby-attire creations.  

“So the fact that I’m now part of the biggest part of the Derby, obviously for some people it’s the horses it’s amazing,” Bell said. 

Their mission is to make their customers feel comfortable on one of Kentucky’s biggest days of the year. 

“We just want them to feel confident and beautiful and not restricted by your attire and headwear,” Smith said. 

Bell says no hat is too extravagant for Derby day. 

“You’re never going to be the craziest one at the track,” she said. “There’s so many things you’re going to see that you’re never going to be the number one standout, so making people aware of that will really put them into their comfort zone.”