William Shakespeare once said, “He wears his faith but as the fashion of his hat.” Confidence, faith, fashion, pride, a statement, an ensemble, a finishing touch, and even our soul. Because of this intimate relationship between mankind and hat, it’s easy to see how a cowboy hat can say so much about a person – individually telling a story about our character or life.
Being so vital and important to us in so many ways from the ranch to the arena to everyday life, without our cowboy hat we don’t feel whole. Every cowboy hat has a story. Each one speaks of its owner’s experience, showing through with little to hide. The shape, the color, the band, the fit, the way it’s worn on our heads, our hats are a very personalized piece of attire, as well as a, generalized identity of the cowboy or cowgirl.
From blood, rips and tears, stains, bar fights, buck-offs, sun damage, fading, stomping on, and other ranch and arena damage, the necessity companion expresses the adventures endured while perched atop your head.
Historians say the origins of the first cowboy hat were in Mongolia, where horseback riding was a way of life. The idea moved to Europe and transitioned into the Spanish sombrero which was then brought to Mexico. When Americans wearing the slouch hat of the Southern planters arrived in Texas, they combined it with the sombrero and a wide brimmed high crowned cowboy hat was born.
John B. Stetson established his company, Stetson Hats in 1865. When Stetson began traveling west from Philadelphia after the Civil War, he created a high crowned, small brimmed cowboy style hat out of rabbit and beaver fur. When he returned east he made more and shipped samples to western stores, called “The Boss of the Plains.” In the late 19th, early 20th centuries, notable Stetson wearers were among the names of Colonel William F. Cody “Buffalo Bill,” Calamity Jane, Will Rogers, and Annie Oakley.
The cowboy hat has been infused into our culture, and has become widely regarded for its functionality and aesthetic value. The cowboy hat continues and will always be an American icon. So tell me, what does your cowboy hat say about you?
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