The piece of Western wear most recognized is the cowboy hat. The cowboy hat didn’t always have a round, curved brim and pinched crown. Back in 1865, John B. Stetson created a hat known as the “Boss of the Plains.” This hat was rather plain and ordinary in design. Its brim was round and flat, and its crown was rounded. However, its fabric was quite different at that time. The hat’s fabric was the fur of a rabbit, beaver or small animal. Due to its durability, the “Boss of the Plains” was very popular with the working Westerner. In time, the Stetson hat changed its shape to be in the form known today as the cowboy hat. Its wide brim is curved up, a rope holds the sides out of the way, and its high crown now is pinched.
In today’s world, the cowboy hat is a traditional item of the West. It is worn by cowboys, cowgirls, movie stars, musicians, and rodeo athletes.
A Cowboy Hat is Functional
One of the functions of today’s cowboy hat’s large brim is to provide the wearer with sunshade for the face, shoulders, and neck. The large brim of the hat also protects the wearer from the rain or snow of the weather. If the wearer of the cowboy hat turns his or her hat into the wind, the hat will also provide protection from the wind of a storm or blowing dust. When playing poker, the wearer of a cowboy hat can hide his or her eyes. A cowboy hat made of straw will keep you cool on hot summer days, and one made of heavy felt will keep you warm on a cold winter day.
Have you ever heard of the ten-gallon hat? Sure, you have. The inference of that saying is that the cowboy hat can be used for storage. In the old days, cowboys stored pictures, cash, poems, and toothpicks in their hats.
Tips for Purchasing a Cowboy Hat
- 1: If you’re going to wear the hat in the fall or winter, purchase a felt hat. You might consider one made of wool felt, or one made of fine furs such as rabbit or beaver felt.
- 2: If you’re going to wear the hat in the spring or summer, purchase a straw hat. Straw hats can be made with lightweight straw, straw from palm leaves, or some straw hats may be hand woven and lacquered.
- 3: You can find a clue to the material quality of the hat. Look inside the hat for numbers next to the X. The number indicates the quality. The better the quality; the higher the number.
- 4: For the size of your hat, you should measure from above your eyebrows and around your head going just above your ears. The store you purchase the hat from should then covert the inches you measured to your hat size. To see a video demonstrating how to measure your head for a cowboy hat, click here.
- 5: A proper fit of a hat should sit from your forehead to the back of your head. Make sure it is snug and not too tight. If a hat fits you too tightly, you may develop a headache.
