History of the Cowboy Hat

The cowboy hat is a defining piece of attire for farm and ranch workers in the western and southern United States, Canada and northern Mexico, for country-western singers, and for athletes in the North American rodeo circuit. It is recognized around the world as part of Old West cowboy lore.

The concept of a broad-brimmed hat with a high crown worn by a rider on horseback came primarily from the tradition of the Mexican vaquero. However, the cowboy hat as known today has many antecedents to its design, including Mexican hats such as the sombrero and galan, the various designs of wide-brimmed hat worn by farmers and stockmen in the eastern United States, as well as the design used by the United States Cavalry.

The shape of a cowboy hat once depended very much on the region from which it originated. At one time a person could tell where a working cowboy was from simply looking at the crease in his hat. John B. Stetson is credited with designing and marketing the first "cowboy" hat in the USA, which he called the "Boss of the Plains."

In the early days, the cowboy hat was valued for being functional, with the wide brim protecting working cowboys from the sun and rain. It could be used to signal others, fan a campfire, or pull water out of a stream. Today, while the hats can still serve these purposes, most people wear them for aesthetic value as a part of Western lifestyle. A cowboy hat even appears on the flag of Calgary, Alberta, where "white hat ceremonies" are held by the civic government to welcome visiting dignitaries - the traditional gift from the city's mayor to foreign guests is a white cowboy hat.

Today, classic designs are available in muted colors such as black and various shades of beige, brown and gray, notably a warm light gray known as "silver belly". Styles for men and women are virtually identical, though women's cowboy hats are available in a much wider variety of colors, including bright, vivid shades

This artical is from http://www.westernwear.co.uk

Measure Your Hat Size

Use a soft measuring tape or a piece of string (not elasticized or stretchy).

Place the tape measure or string on your forehead and measure the circumference about 1/2 inch or so above your ears, about where your hat would sit. If you have another hat that shows the size, you can use that information also.


Check the length of the tape measure or string to determine your size. (if using a string, hold it up against a ruler)


Use the size charts on the product pages to find your perfect fit. e.g. If your measurement comes to 22 inches or 56cm, then you would choose a Medium hat. Remember if you fall in between sizes, choose the next biggest size. If this is the case please send us a note requesting FREE inner size tape. We can send this along with your hat incase it is just a little too big.

Western hats keep their shape best when stored properly

Keep the front, back and underside of the hat from resting on a surface any way you can.

One way is to roll up a bath towel or sweatshirt in to a large, tight ball. Stuff this up into the hat leaving enough underneath that the hat sits up off the shelf. This keeps pressure off the brim of the hat and will keep the hat nicely shaped.

Or, if the hat has a firm crown, just turn it upside down and store it on its crown.

And never leave your hat on the dashboard of your truck. The heat and humidity will do irreparable damage.