Hats off to an American Fashion Icon

Andrea here, musing today about hats. Not just any hats, but one particular style that has transcended passing fads or whims to become a cultural icon in and of itself. I happened to stumble across a vintage photo of a group of cowboys from the 1880s the other day while researching a completely different topic, and and it made me pause to study the faces—and the hats!

The cowboy hat is recognized as the quintessentially American hat. (Though the baseball hat also ranks right up there, too!) It conjures up romantic mages of the Wild West (though the reality wasn't at all idyllic) with its wide open prairies, rugged individualism of the cowboys and spirit of adventure . . . and exudes a sense of independence and self-reliance. (No matter that it’s now often worn by celebrities, politicians, soccer moms and hipster-cool Wall Streeters who’ve never ever twirled a lariat or been on the back of a horse.)

So, I became curious about how the cowboy hat came into being. (As many of you now, I’m a research and history nerd who love learning little bits of arcane information.) So hold on to your hats as we take a quick gallop through the origins of America’s favorite hat!

There actually is an ah-ha moment! John Stetson joined his father’s hat-making business as a young man, but was diagnosed with tuberculosis and chose to quit his job in order to explore the American West as he wasn’t expected to live very long. He loved the ambiance of the fresh air and mountains . . . but he thought that the assortment of ratty-looking headgear—flea-bitten coonskin caps, battered British top hats and derbies—left something to be desired. So on his return to the east, he started own hat company in Philadelphia—John B. Stetson Hatters—and in 1865, created a model he called “Boss of the Plains,” designed specifically for the rigors of outdoor life in the American West.(Legend has it that he thought of the design while climbing Pike’s peak. It should also be noted that he was likely inspired by the wide-brimmed hats that were popular with cowpuchers from Mexico.)

It was a simple, utilitarian hat, with a flat, wide brim and rounded four-inch crown. A plain leather band circle the base of the crown, which helped keep the hat snug around the wearer’s head. It was soon winning kudos for its usefulness—the wide brim gave protection from the sun and also could serve as a fan in hot weather—or to fan a fire to life at night. In addition, the crown could be used as a water bucket for one’s horse. (As other models began to feature a larger crown, they came to be called ten-gallon hats . . .though that is quite an exaggeration of their capacity!)


As I began to look at various vintage photos of people wearing early cowboy hats, what struck me was how every one of them looked different and reflected the individuality of its owner. (Aren’t these old images fun! All are  courtesy of Wiki Commons.) It turns out the real beauty of a Stetson hat was its chameleon-like versatility. It was made of study felt which is incredibly durable, but also easy to tweak and shape. Some cowboys began rolling the brim up so as not to get in the way of throwing a lasso. Others added their own style by by putting a crease in the crown. (There are straw models too, which also can be molded to suit the wearer.)

I n fact, the art creasing the crown came to be a big deal. I’ve learned there are certain standard styles: the single crease, which goes down the center, the V-crease, where two side creases meet in the front, and the square crease, where the center of the crown is indented at all four corners. And then, of course, the individual can take it from there and create a unique look.

Stetson (which is still an iconic maker of cowboy hats today) was quickly imitated, and host of other “cowboy” brands came to market. But the essential look stayed the same, and has come down to us this day in much the same form. Another popular way to individualize a hat is to put a special band around the crown that reflects one’s style or interests. But however one chooses to decorate one’s hat, its essence remains unchanged.

One of my earliest childhood memories was of getting a cowboy hat and matching outfit for Christmas—including a really cool hobby horse! (As you can tell, I was rather excited about the gift.)

Now, things may have changed, but when I was growing up, I don’t think there was any American kid who didn’t at some point in their childhood get a cowboy hat.

What about you? Are you a cowboy hat aficionado? Did you have one as a kid? Do you have one now—and do you wear it around town? Do you think they are cool? Please share!

Comments

[Katja]

This is one of the areas, where growing up in Germany seems to make a real difference.
Yes, cowboys were important, after all there were the cowboys of the Ponderosa, the Shiloh ranch etc. on TV. And we did love them.
But generally, me and most of the children I played with were on the Indian's side. We had a teepee, we were squaws and warriors and we were the good ones. The cowboys were the bad ones, if one needed an enemy.
This is probably due to the books by Karl May (and the subsequent movies). Winnetou was our hero, and his white friend Old Shatterhand was certainly not a Cowboy.
And there are a lot of other books (childrens, young adults) that took the side of the American Natives (that I still call Indianer, because as I said: It is basically a honorific).
Mercedes Lackey gets that aspect of people being far more interested in Indians than Cowboys very well in her latest "The silver bullets of Annie Oakley"

[theo]

I still have my dad's Stetson from the 30's along with a pair of his cowboy boots. The hat hangs on my hall tree and the boots sit below it. I don't think I'll ever be able to let it go. The silver band is long gone and the hat is dirty as all get out but he wore it in many a rodeo and many a movie and it's a part of him I just can't part with. I don't know where my Stetson is now. I did have a few as I grew up because of course, I grew out of them but they're long gone now and unless you live on a ranch these days, you don't see women wearing them anymore. It was a huge part of my life growing up though and I'll always cherish the memories every time I pass that little display :)

[Katja]

Lovely story, theo

[Andrea Penrose]

Katja, my mother was Swiss, so she grew reading Karl May too, and was always quite ambivalent about the cowboys being portrayed as the "good guys." So thankfully I had my views influenced by that. And thankfully society has now come acknowledge the horrors that were done to the indigenous peoples of the continent.

[Andrea Penrose]

What a lovely story, Theo! And what a treasure it is to have the hat and boots. I can well imagine the smiles and wonderful memories they trigger when you see them.

[Mary Jo Putney]

What a great post, Andrea! Stetsons are something I've never thought of, but yes, iconic. And more attractive than baseball caps. *G*

[Mary T]

I did have a cowboy hat as a child. It looked much like the one you are wearing in your picture. I believe it was red, but my horsy was a broomstick with a horses head attached. But I did gallop across the plains (or my living room as it was better known) with Hopalong Cassidy many a time. We did use our imagination a lot more in those days.

Loved learning the history. Great post!

[Andrea Penrose]

LOL! And more practical in protecting the wearer from sun and foul weather.

[Andrea Penrose]

Thanks, Mary! Yes, having a simple hat and broomstick horse inspired kids o make up their own stories, which I really believe is a Good Thing. Creativity is so important. I worry that today's kids are a little too passive, what with all the stimulus doing the storytelling them.

[Vicki L]

I do have a Stetson now which replaced my previous Brown cowboy type hat. I live in Georgia (US) and in the winter, it is my winter hat. Love that wide brim because it does indeed keep snow, rain, sleet and sun out of your face and off my glasses.

Also love that it being felt it is really warm which keeps me warmer. But...I only wear it in the summer when it is raining because it is TOO hot for 90 degree summer weather. I then wear a straw hat.

The other nice thing about felt Stetson's...rain and snow helps it regain its old perky shape.

I know it isn't too manly or fashionable to have a chin string but I have to have one so I can tighten the hat so it will stay on when the wind is blowing. If a hat fits too snuggly on my head it will give me a headache.

Just as an FYI....some dogs don't like to see a person wearing that kind of hat and have a hissy fit. When I walk at the park near by, it will start certain dogs to growling and barking. But if I take the hat off, they are fine.

[Kareni]

Katja, my father, who was Dutch, spoke very fondly of the books of Karl May.

My book group last year read Ivan Doig's Last Bus to Wisdom. It was a fun read, and books by Karl May feature strongly.

[Kareni]

Thanks for a fun and informative post, Andrea.

My undergraduate degree is from Stetson University which was named for John B. Stetson. I believe he donated a large amount of money in its early years. The cafe was the Hat Rack and the sports teams were called The Hatters.

[Katja]

I shall have to look that up. Thanks for the tip

[Christina Courtenay]

Wonderful post, Andrea, I love the old photos and how individual the hats all are! And the photo of you in your cowboy outfit is just fabulous - you've even got the boots! Brilliant! As a child, I used to watch the TV programme High Chaparral and wanted to marry a cowboy, specificially Billy Blue of that series :-)

[Kareni]

@Katja, I found it an enjoyable read and hope you do, too.

[Andrea Penrose]

Vicki, your hat sounds both stylish and practical! The heavy felt really seems to be the perfect material, being warm, study and able to hold its shape after bad weather. Stetson clearly knew his craft when he invented the hat!

[Andrea Penrose]

Oh, how fun, Kareni! Yes, I read that Stetson had a university named after him. He was a very generous philanthropist, and supported a lot of worthy causes, so sounds like a very admirable person. Hats off to him!

[Andrea Penrose]

Thanks, Christina! I just the individuality of the hats, too. That's what really caught my eye.

LOL on the crush on Billy Blue! Now maybe if you got a cowboy hat . . .

[Anne H]

I enjoyed the history & the photos. I always thought the cowboy hat derived from Mexican headgear. I'd never heard of Stetson.
As children, my brothers and I had cowboy sets like yours, though my mother took away the caps from the pistols because they drove our cats & her up the wall. We also had costumes for Indians, including bows & arrows, so we could decide which we wished to be.
As an adult, I do not like wearing hats, but my daughter, her father & one of her uncles do, & have stetsons that they wear. I do wear a straw hat in summer to keep the sun out of my eyes & neck.

[Annette N]

Thank you so much for the terrific post....but actually...the pictures are what blew me away. I live in Austin TX. Cowboy hats are worn by business people. Men look rather dashing in suits and boots and a cowboy hat.

I have never had a cowboy hat nor a pair of boots.

Andrea, after seeing your wonderful picture, I know that you were the perfect example of a cute blonde cowgirl.

The thing that fascinated me in the old pictures, everyone seemed to make the same hat into their individual statement headgear.

And finally, Andrea, you are right, being a cowboy was not a fun job. And it is still very hard work. Being a working cowhand is physically challenging even today. And in the old days it was a dangerous way to make a living.

Thanks again for this terrific post. And I appreciate the fact you are a researcher. When you research, we get great posts.

Hope everyone is well and safe and happy.

[Michelle H]

Yes, I had a cowboy outfit when I was little and even a hobby horse my grandfather made for me. So cute.

I really enjoyed this post with the history of Stetson and cowboy hats. Growing up in the Midwest Stetson is such a recognizable iconic name. The sixth photo above of the four cowboys is so fun to look at, every hat shaped different yet they all look like comrades. And cocky. I'm sure in order to survive that life you needed to be cocky.

When I was growing up westerns were huge on TV so we were immersed in the Hollywood version. Cowboys good, Indians bad. It wasn't until I was an adult and other styles of movies were introduced that were more realistic and historically accurate. So, westerns no longer interest me and realizing I may be missing out on some great writing I just can't bring myself to delve into that.

A couple of years before the pandemic made it so hard to travel we were visiting our son and his (now wife) girlfriend in Portland, Oregon. I kept seeing women with the best wool felt, wide brimmed fedoras, and I wanted one so badly. They do not look like cowboy hats but they look more like hats I've seen South American native women wear. I may still acquire one. But I'm loathe to get hat head, my hair just doesn't bounce back (wimpy thin hair.) And it's so windy here, it's nearly 12mo out of the year. Ack.

[Michelle H]

Oh, and yes, you cutie you, in that outfit. :D

[Karin]

Wonderful photos! They are very cool looking hats. Alas, my brother-not me, got the cowboy hat, along with the cap pistol.