I stumbled upon Rat's Nest all by chance one day. I was actually in Plaza Midwood searching eagerly for cowboy getup gear when a shop-keep recommended I try this place over in NoDa. Unaware there even was such a place I was obviously eager to check it out and very surprised at what I found!
The Rat's Nest is loaded with used western wear. It's the first place I've seen of its kind. Used clothing and goods all in one specific genre. The owner travels the country in search of used boots, belt buckles, hats, shirts and more to bring back to the QC and stock his interesting store.
There is an endless selection of used boots from basic to intricately designed all for great prices. Belt buckles are well-worn classics representing Americana at its finest with silver and turquoise and branding such as Ford and Winchester to name just a small few. The hats are the real-deal. Starched to perfection and custom-sized to fit the head of some other guy who never wore it. Custom-sized becomes one-size-fits-all at this lone-star lore launderer.
The shop owner is a regular hipster himself. Sporting a simple western shirt and jeans he chills behind the counter with a PBR in hand, chatting up all the regulars. And the price tags, though confusing at first, are a simple yet perfect match: yellow paper triangles with holes swissed out of them at random. If my lifestyle was to dress like cowpoke all day every day this is where you'd find me. In the meantime, it's a great place to dress down for the next big themed event.