Cowboy Hats and More

Without a doubt, the two actors who defined the Western film genre were John Wayne and Clint Eastwood.  Before these two hit the silver screen, the Western was only an idea in the backs of director’s minds.  John and Clint brought the Western to life with their portrayal of memorable characters in films like The Shootist and The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.  Though Clint Eastwood is still alive and has since acted in and directed a number of great films beyond his Western days, John Wayne stands immortalized in bronze at the John Wayne Airport and in the hearts of millions of Americans. 

The apparel that these two wore in their films, including the traditional western hat, cowboy boots, and leather jacket has been celebrated as a central part of American culture.  While you can argue that most of America’s was popularized in other countries before it was here, the Western aesthetic began in Spain, but was made famous by America. 

If you want to see what real cowboys wear, check out a rodeo. There you will see cowboy hats of every style and fashion. Most often you will see a Timeless Cattleman style (a cattleman crown with southwestern brim).  You may see a few like the Big Duke Bull Rider  (duke crown with a bull rider brim). You may even see a few ladies sporting a Cowgirl Cattleman (cattleman crown with a southwestern brim and a candy pink bound edge). 

The variety of hat styles, trims and colors will give you an idea of what’s possible & what might fit you… the real world view of what a hat looks like when it’s worn.  Remember each cowboy hat should match the wearer’s style, personality and facial features. People watching at a rodeo can give you some new ideas.

If what you like isn’t shown in a catalog, design your own custom hat. It’s easy and you can have it at your door in just 4-6 weeks.

Building your own cowboy or Western, fedora, or Outback (Aussie) hat is a special treat for someone who wears a hat often.  Cowboy Hats and More allows you to choose your style and color, give your head measurements, and choose the brim style, crown height, or fabric finish of the hat if applicable.  The inner hat band can also be personalized free of charge if you prefer.

A custom cowboy hat is the perfect way to get a hat that really fits you and suits your style and your needs.  Whether it is a dress hat you need or an everyday hat, Cowboy Hats and More can provide the perfect accent to your ensemble.

Since the19th century the cowboy hat has symbolized the American wild west. It has been a subject featured on big & small screens from the very beginning of movies & television. Tom Mix wore his cowboy hat on movie sets at the start of the 20th century. Born in 1880 in Mix, Pennsylvania, Tom grew up shortly after the creation of the first cowboy hat. His greatest achievements came portraying cowboys in western silent films like “Ranch Life in the Great Southwest.”

Leonard Franklin Slye first stepped on screen as Roy Rogers in 1928 in “Under the Western Stars.” Roy Rogers first became a regular part of American households on the radio waves. His radio show entertained the public for nine years before it moved to television’s small screen from 1951 to 1964. Roy Rogers and Dale Evans will always be remembered for “Happy Trails” and the many different cowboy hats that became synonymous with Roy.

Since then cowboy hat fans from the Lone Ranger to Tim McGraw have proudly worn their cowboy hats as a part of their daily routine.

You don’t have to be watching fiction to see cowboy hats on screen. Celebrities and politicians alike have made cowboy hats common attire. Presidents from Teddy Roosevelt and Herbert Hoover to Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush have all donned a cowboy hat in public appearances, both on & off camera.

All kinds of hats were seen in the west before the creation of the first cowboy hat in 1862. Depending on the occasion, a gentle (or not so gentle) man might be seen wearing anything from a top hat or derby to civil war headgear, tams or even a sailor hat. But once John Stetson created the first cowboy hat (then termed “The Boss of The Plains”) it became the preferred and most well known headwear of the west and ultimately an icon of Americana. In this case of cowboy hats, fashion followed function. On a westward trip in 1862, John Stetson is said to have amused his friends by showing them how to make cloth out of fur without weaving. He then took his ‘fur blanket’ and fashioned a huge hat with a wide brim as a joke.

Well, the joke turned out to be functional. In the wild west the weather could be terrible and cowpunchers across the plains worked in all of it. The wide brim of the cowboy hat turned out to be perfect for protecting the wearer from cold, rain and sun. In fact, in modern times, the American Academy of Dermatology has determined that all hats with brims of 2 3/8″ or larger meet their requirements of a total sun protection regimen to help prevent skin cancer and premature aging.

Early cowpokes found other uses for the large hats including fanning fires, fetching water in the the crown or sharing water with their most important traveling companion– their horse.

The new hat quickly became a western necessity. Shortly after the turn of the century, the cowboy hat began to be seen as infusing the wearer with a link to the wild west as well as an aura of recklessness & ruggedness. It still stands as a symbol of authority and elegance. Today it is the one item that can be worn in any corner of the world and receive immediate recognition.