Cowboy Hats and More

While most people think cowboys originated in the United States, in truth, cowboys originated elsewhere but were popularized in America.  Cowboys are of Spanish descent, and the first cowboys were herders and rangers who rode across the rolling plains of Spain with their trusty horses and cowboy felt hats.  The need to drive vast herds of cattle came to the U.S. with the westward expansion, and soon cowboys were popularized in the Southwestern United States.  While there were not as many cowboys by the 1900s, the cowboy became an idol of America and the western world. 

Cowboys were made even more popular with the coming of actors like Clint Eastwood and John Wayne, who popularized the Western movie.  Nowadays, Westerns are still quite a popular genre, with movies like 3:10 to Yuma (remake) and Appaloosa generating media buzz and significant revenues.  All this started with the classic cowboy model with their rugged appeal and spirit. 

No cowboy would be caught dead without their trusty cowboy hat, and the cowboy hat is what identifies each cowboy as unique.  Cowboy hats come in thousands of different styles, and with a unique hat, you’re sure to be recognized as an original and not just an imitator.  Custom cowboy hats are quite popular, and available from a number of places both online and in retail establishments.  When it comes to custom Western hats (one of the most popular styles) you can adjust the color, brim style, brim size, brim edge, trim, hat band, and even add a strap or make the hat look more weathered.  With these options, it’s easy to create a unique look.

You might even find yourself able to recognize a cowboy from afar by their hat alone.  Even modern cowboys will find enjoyment in personalizing their own custom Western hat; you’ll be the hit of the party, dance, or even rodeo!

Let’s have a party! That’s what I always say at least. I love planning parties, especially when they’re for my children. My youngest son has a birthday coming up next month and I plan on giving him the best party that’s been had since the times of the Wild West. Yep, it’s going to be a cowboy theme.My son is going to love the party.

He and everyone else there will be dressed up like cowboys and cowgirls. All I need to do is order some old west hats online, buy a cake and prepare some grub - and I am set.

Here are some great ideas for a Cowboy Christmas focused party. Imagine sentimental country Christmas songs playing in the background:

1.  Check out cookbooks for some delicious Tex-Mex holiday appetizers or meals. Ribs for Christmas, why not?
2. Dance to Boot Scootin’ Boogie or other fun line dancing song
3. Decorate the tree in cowboy hat and boot ornaments–the kids can even make them!
4. Use cowboy boots as a buffet table centerpiece –fill them with dried flowers and thistle stalks, tie them with a ribbon and attach a cow bell.
5. An even better centerpiece is a cowboy hat lined with clean tissue paper and filled with walnuts and fruit (oranges, apples, grapes) — A Winchester crown might work well by providing stability and comfortable capacity.

There’s a cowboy hat style for every occasion. Sometimes you want to get dressed up and go out on the town.  For that you’ve got your finest, best quality cowboy hat. But then, there are times that you just need to get out and get the job done or go out and play hard. For those times a crushable cowboy hat is best.

Crushable wool cowboy hats have the same western styling that you are familiar with,  but they are more casual and designed for more relaxed environments. Made of wool instead of felt, they can be twisted or sat upon and still return to their original shape. Crushable cowboy hats are less expensive and yet are still durable. While they wont last forever, they will last a long time.

Who says cowboys have gone out of style?  Heck there’s thousands of cowboys attending rodeos, riding bulls, and roping calves all over the country.  Though it might be rare to see a cowboy walking around in an urban metropolis, the traditional cowboy values and culture are still preserved in rural locations around the United States.  Cowboys represent a certain freedom, ruggedness, and defiance that characterized the westward expansion and the pioneer values that made America one great country. 

If you’re interested in dressing like a cowboy for a special occasion, or just to experience some of what the real cowboys felt, there are several outfitters that sell cowboy clothing. 
The traditional cowboy outfit consists of the cowboy hat (of course), chaps, boots and spurs, and a handkerchief draped around the neck to protect against dust.

Banish the thought that real cowboys only wear one hat. For real cowboys, their hat is part of who they are … their image. It reflects their rugged, independent spirit and adds that something extra that makes them, in my opinion, well .. irresistible.A real cowboy has a cowboy hat for every occasion and weather condition.

As you know, cowboy hats are distinguished by wide brims and high, distinctly-shaped crowns. Straw, fur, and wool felt cowboy hats are the most common. Straw, aside from being cheaper, is the best hat for during hot weather. However, age and long wear might cause it to become brittle. For durability, fur felt hats of either beaver or rabbit are best.

Straw and hats of light color are fashionable, but must be worn only in the summer or dry seasons. This is because they are airy, breathable, and  their light colors absorb less heat. The season for dark colored and felt hat is during the colder months. Aside from protecting the head against the bitter weather, these hats also absorb more heat, thereby keeping the cowboy warm. Though no clear reason is given why, white hats are no-no after the celebration of Labor day. You might just be branded as a fashion flop if you do so.

Real cowboys have hats to fit every need … rougher more durable hats for outdoor work, more high quality hats for church Sundays, fancy trim for Saturday night and classic black hats for Monday morning.

If you think that you can put on any cowboy hat and it will do, you might be surprised at the many styles and variety of brims and crowns available. You need to match the hat to your face as well as your style … More on that subject later.

The term cowboy, according to Webster’s Dictionary, is “a hired hand, especially in the western United States, who tends cattle and performs many duties on horse back.” There are still many cowboys living and working in the United States these days, although they may occasionally trade their horse for a pickup truck or a 4-wheeler. Most of these cowboys still live by the same codes and standards as the cowboys of the Old West.

Tradition means a lot to cowboys … the old ways, proper etiquette. There’s a proper way to handle every situation and proper attire for every occasion.  What’s right, stays right.  And that goes for cowboy hats as well. A cattleman’s pride never changes and the traditional Cattleman crown with a Southwestern brim remains a staple in every true cowboy’ hat rack.

The original cowboys were Civil War soldiers who had no home to return to and started drifting to the west. The West was wide-open territory and these men only owned what they could carry on horseback. Ranchers would hire them to tend to their herds and to round up the wild and loose cattle on the range. When it was time to sell the beef these “cowboys” would round up the herds and drive them to the markets many miles away.

Although the era of the cattle drives only lasted about 30 years, the cowboys who herded those cattle made a huge impression on American History and have been the center of much folklore. The American Hero that we call “cowboy” has less to do with Wranglers, boots, and hats and more to do with a passion for life and for living it to the fullest. We see the “cowboy” as someone who was free to roam the wide open spaces of the Western Prairie with no boundaries or fences to stop him.

Those are the qualities that we hang on to as Americans today. Perhaps that’s why western fashions never go out of style and we still love to listen to country western music. It’s why we collect and cherish the relics and fashions of the days of the cowboy’s west.

However, you don’t need to don a pair of Wranglers and own a cowboy hat or a pair of cowboy boots to live like a cowboy. You don’t even have to listen to country western music.

Living like a cowboy is to always wear the “white hat”, to have that same passion for life and live your life to the fullest. That is the legacy that the cowboys have given us.

Article originally appeared in EZine Articles

Q: What’s a good price for a cowboy hat?

A: What quality level do you want?

Cowboy hats are available in a wide range of prices. As with many items, the quality of the hat generally determines the price. Cowboy hat prices can range from $20 - $4,000. There really is an affordable cowboy hat for everyone!

The material used for hat making often drives the price of the hat. Do you want straw, raffia, wool or the traditional felt?  People usually think of the traditional felt (the fur of animals such as beaver, rabbit etc) cowboy hat first.  The proportion of  beaver fur vs. the rabbit fur in the felt, determines the cost of the felt. The “X” inside the crown of  the hat indicates the quality of the fur that went into it. The greater the “X” the greater the quality (10X hats are of greater quality than 5X hats).  The cost of a standard felt hat can range from $70-$700. The 100% beaver fur hat price starts from $850. The recent rise in the cost of felt cowboy hats is due to scarcity of quality fur.

Cowboy hats feature variations in the crown shapes and brim sizes, which can be reflected in the prices. You can buy a standard hat off-the-shelf or you can design your own custom hat. The choice is yours. Designing your own custom cowboy hat is more affordable than you think. Branded cowboy hats usually maintain high quality. Beaver Brands allows you to combine high quality, custom design and affordability.

Economic cowboy hats are available in material such as straw, raffia, palm leaf etc. While most straw hats are cheaper, designer straw hats worth hundreds of dollars are also available.

A well loved and worn hat will inevitably become stained at some point (even a well made 20X cowboy hat). The key is to treat it kindly and act swiftly to remove the damage. The starting point is, of course, regular maintenance.  Invest in a good soft brush (never stiff — it will tear the fabric) and use it regularly to dust your hat. A dark colored brush works best for dark hats and a light brush on lighter hued hats.

If you prefer, you can use a damp towel with a slight nap to do the same job — rub in circular counter-clockwise motion to remove foreign particles.

A makeup sponge (or any small-pored sponge) works well for stubborn stains.  In a pinch even foam rubber can be used.  The often overlooked advantage of foam rubber is that it is slightly sticky and adheres well to surface soil. Art-gum erasers work well for the same reason … just remember to rub in a counter clockwise motion to the grain.

Staw hats can be kept clean and good looking with a few regular passes of a standard whisk broom.