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{{short description|Large hat associated with cowboys}}
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{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2023}}
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The '''cowboy hat''' is a high-crowned, wide-brimmed ] best known as the defining piece of attire for the ] ]. Also known as "Tejano" hats. Influenced by 19th century Mexican culture, today it is worn by many people, and is particularly associated with ] workers in the western and southern United States, western ] and northern ], with ] and ranchero singers in Mexico, and for participants in the North American ] circuit. It is recognized around the world as part of ] lore. The shape of a cowboy hat's crown and brim are often modified by the wearer for fashion and to protect against ]. The '''cowboy hat''' is a high-crowned, wide-] ] best known as the defining piece of attire for the ]n ]. Today it is worn by many people, and is particularly associated with ] workers in the western, midwestern, and southern ], western ] and northern ], with many ], ] and ]{{efn|Sertanejo is a Brazilian musical rhythm associated with rural areas in the ] that originated from ] music. Due to ] musicians of this musical rhythm sought to adopt and imitate the fashion used by ]n singers and by actors of western films, even if the rhythm developed independently, with no connection to Mexican Regional music or to American and Canadian Country music. Sertanejo, in a metaphorical way, emerged through convergent evolution.{{cn|date=August 2024}} }} performers, and with participants in the North American ] circuit. It is recognized around the world as part of traditional ] apparel.


The cowboy hat as known today has many antecedents to its design, including Mexican hats such as the ], the various designs of wide-brimmed hat worn by farmers and stockmen in the ], as well as the designs used by the ].
It is an item of apparel that can be worn in any corner of the world, and receive immediate recognition as part of North American cowboy culture.<ref name="Reynolds8">Reynolds and Rand, p. 8.</ref>


The first western model was the open-crowned "]," and after that came the front-creased Carlsbad, destined to become “the” cowboy style.<ref name="Foster106">Foster-Harris, p. 106.</ref> The high-crowned, wide-brimmed, soft-felt western hats that followed are intimately associated with the cowboy image.<ref name="Snyder5">Snyder, p. 5.</ref> The first western model was the open-crowned "]", and after that came the front-creased Carlsbad, destined to become the most prominent cowboy style.{{sfn|Foster-Harris|2007|p=106}} The high-crowned, wide-brimmed, soft-felt western hats that followed are intimately associated with the cowboy image.{{sfn|Snyder|1997|p=5}}


==Design== ==History==
]
]Modern cowboy hats are made of fur-based ], ] or, less often, ]. They are sold with a tall, rounded crown and a wide flat ]. They have a simple sweat band on the inside to stabilize the fit of the head, and usually a small decorative hat band on the outside of the crown. Hats are customized by creasing the crown and rolling the brim. Often a more decorative hat band is added. In some places, "stampede strings" or "wind strings" are also attached.<ref name="Christian">Christian, needs page #</ref> Hats can be manufactured in virtually any color, but are most often seen in shades of beige, brown and black. Beginning in the 1940s, ] colors were introduced, seen often on hats worn by movie cowboys and rodeo riders.<ref name="Snyder27">Snyder, p. 27.</ref> "Today's cowboy hat has remained basically unchanged in construction and design since the first one was created in 1865 by J.B. ]."<ref name="Reynolds8"/>


Cowboy hats, like the ] of Mexico, were designed in response to the demands of the physical environment. The concept of a broad-brimmed hat with a high crown for wear by ] can be seen as far back as the ] of the 13th century.{{sfn|Cartwright|2019|loc="The classic Mongol hat was conical{{nbsp}}..."}} Hats with tall crowns provide insulation, and wide brims provide shade. Hot and sunny climates inspire such tall-crowned, wide-brimmed designs,{{sfn|Bender|1994|p=}} and hats with one or both of these features have evolved time and again in history and across cultures, as, for example, the Greek ] of two millennia ago, or the various traditional ] widespread in different regions of Asia.{{sfn|Sacks|2005}}{{sfn|Peralta|2012}}{{sfn|China National Silk Museum|n.d.}}
== History ==


It is not clear when the cowboy hat received its name. However, European-Americans in the Western United States originally had no standard headwear. People moving West wore many styles of hat, including ]s, ], Civil War headgear such as cavalry and ]s, and ]s.{{sfn|Carlson|1998|loc=at: (unpaginated) }}
]
], their turned-up-the-ears brims prevent them from being as easily knocked off during ] use.]]
The concept of a broad-brimmed hat with a high crown worn by a ] can be seen as far back as the ] of the 13th century.<ref name="Bender?">Bender, p.#</ref> A tall crown provided insulation, the wide brim, shade. Hot, sunny climates inspire designs with very wide brims such as the ] of Mexico.


According to ], the bowler was the most widely-worn hat in the American West, prompting him to assert, in contradiction to popular belief, that the bowler, not the cowboy hat, was "the hat that won the West".{{sfn|Beebe|1957}} The working cowboy wore wide-brimmed and high-crowned hats. The hats were most likely adopted from Civil-War-era slouch hats that were commonly worn by Confederate soldiers who lacked the official uniform and ] hat of the Confederate army, and may have also been influenced by the Mexican ]s before the invention of the modern design.{{sfn|Bender|1994|p=}} ] is credited for originating the modern-day American cowboy hat.{{sfn|Sobey|1999|p=95}}
It is not clear when the cowboy hat began to be named as such. Westerners originally had no standard headwear. People moving West wore many styles of hat, including ]s, ], remains of Civil War headgear, ]s and everything else.<ref name="Carlson">Carlson, p.#</ref><ref>.</ref>
] hat]]
Contrary to popular belief, it was the ] and not the cowboy hat that was the most popular in the American West, prompting ] to call it "the hat that won the West."<ref>{{citation | title=The Hat That Won the West | url=http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=336&dat=19571026&id=xQQpAAAAIBAJ&sjid=PkgDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7036,5636283 | accessdate=2010-02-10}}</ref> The working cowboy wore wide-brimmed, high-crowned hats long that were most likely adopted from the Mexican Vaqueros before the invention of the modern design.<ref name="Bender11">Bender, p. 11.</ref> However, original cowboy hats originated in Northern Mexico and the Stetson hats came later. Credit for the American cowboy hats as it is known today is generally given to ].<ref>Sobey, Edwin J.C. ''Young Inventors at Work! Learning Science by Doing Science'' (1999) p. 95. ISBN 0-673-57735-X.</ref>
The original "]", manufactured by Stetson in 1865, was flat-brimmed, had a straight sided crown, with rounded corners.{{sfn|Snyder|1997|p=73}} These light-weight, waterproof hats were natural in color, with four-inch crowns and brims.{{sfn|Snyder|1997|p=51}} A plain hatband was fitted to adjust head size.{{sfn|Bender|1994|p=54}} The sweatband bore ]'s name.{{sfn|Snyder|1997|p=5}}{{sfn|Christian|1992|pp=57–58}} There was only one style of hat, but they were made in different qualities ranging from one-grade material at five dollars apiece to pure ] felt hats for thirty dollars each.{{sfn|Reynolds|Rand|1995|p=}} J.B. Stetson was the first to market the "Boss of the Plains" to cowboys, and it has remained the universal image of the American West.{{sfn|Reynolds|Rand|1995|p=}} The charisma of the ] was carried back East when adventurers returned in the expensive "Boss of the Plains"-style hat.{{sfn|Snyder|1997|p=49}} In the 19th century and first half of the 20th century, a hat was an indispensable item in every man's wardrobe. Stetson focused on expensive, high-quality hats that represented a real investment for the working cowboy and a statement of success for the city dweller.


] demonstrated the popularity of the cowboy hat as a movie star, as a rancher resident of the American west, and as a ].]]
The original "]," manufactured by Stetson in 1865, was flat-brimmed, had a straight sided crown, with rounded corners.<ref name="Snyder73">Snyder, p. 73.</ref> These light-weight, waterproof hats, were natural in color, with four-inch crowns and brims.<ref name="Snyder51">Snyder, p. 51.</ref> A plain hatband was fitted to adjust head size.<ref name="Bender54">Bender, p. 54.</ref> The sweatband bore ]’s name.<ref name="Carlson"/> While only making one style of hat, they came in different qualities ranging from one-grade material at five dollars apiece to pure ] felt hats for thirty dollars each.<ref name="Snyder p?">Snyder, p. #</ref> J.B. Stetson was the first to market the "Boss of the Plains" to cowboys, and it has remained the universal image of the American West.<ref name="Reynolds17">Reynolds & Rand, p. 17.</ref> The charisma of the ] was carried back East when adventurers returned in the expensive “Boss of the plains” style hat.<ref name="Snyder49">Snyder, p. 49.</ref> In the 19th century and first half of the 20th century, a hat was an indispensable item in every man’s wardrobe. Stetson focused on expensive, high-quality hats that represented both a real investment for the working cowboy and statement of success for the city dweller.
The cowboy hat has been adopted as a regional identifier among ] tribes (]) living in ] of New Zealand's ] collectively called "]" ('the cowboys') for their native adoption of horses; one of its resident politicians, ], is well known for his hat-donning appearance.{{sfn|Muru-Lanning|2020}} ]'s ] wear ''papale'' woven from ] leaves taken directly from the design of the Mexican sombrero.<ref>{{cite book |title=Nā paniolo o Hawaiʻi: a traveling exhibition celebrating paniolo folk arts and the history of ranching in Hawaiʻi |date=1987 |publisher=The Foundation |location=Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.A |isbn=9780937426081 |pages=74-5}}</ref>


==Design==
] demonstrated the popularity of the cowboy hat as a movie star, as a resident of the American west, and as a ].]]
]

Modern cowboy hats are made of fur-based ], ] or, less often, ]. They are sold with a tall, rounded crown and a wide flat ]. They have a simple sweat band on the inside to stabilize the fit of the head, and usually a small decorative hat band on the outside of the crown. Hats are customized by creasing the crown and rolling the brim. Hats are also sold pre-creased and pre-rolled. Often a more decorative hat band is added. In some places, "stampede strings" or "wind strings" are also attached. Hats can be manufactured in virtually any color, but are most often seen in shades of beige, brown and black. Beginning in the 1940s, ] colors were introduced, seen often on hats worn by movie cowboys and rodeo riders.{{sfn|Snyder|1997|p=27}} "Today's cowboy hat has remained basically unchanged in construction and design since the first one was created in 1865 by ]."{{sfn|Reynolds|Rand|1995|p=}}
The durability and water-resistance of the original Stetson obtained additional publicity in 1912, when the battleship ] was raised from Havana harbor, where it had sunk in 1898. A Stetson hat was found in the wreck, which had been submerged in seawater for 14 years. The hat had been exposed to ooze, mud, and plant growth. However, the hat was cleaned off, and appeared to be undamaged.<ref name="John B. Stetson Company">John B. Stetson Company (1927) ''Stetson Hats the World Over. The Story of 50 Years of Stetson Foreign Business.'' Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: John B. Stetson Company ''.</ref>


==Modern designs== ==Modern designs==
], their turned-up brims prevent them from being as easily knocked off during ] use.]]
Ornamentation, such as bows or buckles, are attached on the left side. Historically this had a practical purpose. Because the majority of people are right-handed, in the absence of a wide brim, bows or feathers on the right side of headwear could interfere with the use of ].<ref name="Bender?"/>
The modern cowboy hat has remained basically unchanged in ] and underlying ] since the Stetson creation.{{sfn|Reynolds|Rand|1995|p=}}
The cowboy hat quickly identified its wearer as someone associated with the West.{{sfn|Reynolds|Rand|1995|p=}} "Within a decade the name 'John B. Stetson' became synonymous with the word 'hat' in every corner and culture west of the ]."{{sfn|Bender|1994|p=12}} The shape of the hat's crown and brim were often modified by the wearer for fashion and to protect against ] by being softened in hot steam, shaped, and allowed to dry and cool. Because of the ease of personalization, it was often possible to tell where a cowboy hat was from, right down to which ], simply by looking at the crease in the crown.{{sfn|Reynolds|Rand|1995|p=}} Common modern hat creases include the classic Cattleman crease, Cool Hand Luke, Minick, Brick, and the Gus.{{Sfnp|NPR|2023}}


]]]
Inside the cowboy hat is a memorial bow to past hatters, who developed brain damage from treating felt with ] (which gave rise to the expression "]"). The bow on the inside hatband at the rear of the hat resembles a ].<ref name="Snyder32">Snyder, p. 32.</ref> "Early hatters used mercury in the making of their felt. Their bodies absorbed mercury, and after several years of making hats, the hatters developed violent and uncontrollable muscle twitching. The ignorance of the times caused people to attribute these strange gyrations to madness, not mercury.”<ref name="Bender?"/>
Later as the mystique of the ] was popularized by entertainers such as ] and ] starring actors such as ], the Cowboy hat came to symbolize the ].{{sfn|Reynolds|Rand|1995|p=}} ] christened them "the hat that won the West".{{sfn|Snyder|1997|p=5}} The Boss of the Plains design influenced various wide-brimmed hats worn by ]ers and ]s all over the United States. Later designs were customized for law enforcement, military and motion pictures.


The first American law-enforcement agency to adopt Stetson's western hat as part of their uniform was the ].{{sfn|Snyder|1997|p=10}} The ] designated the cowboy hat as the official "State Hat of Texas" in 2015.{{sfn|Hatch|2022|p=22}}
The modern cowboy hat has remained basically unchanged in ] and underlying ] since the Stetson creation.<ref name="Reynolds8"/>
The cowboy hat quickly developed the capability, even in the early years, to identify its wearer as someone associated with the West.<ref name="Reynolds10">Reynolds & Rand, p. 10.</ref> "Within a decade the name John B. Stetson became synonymous with the word "hat," in every corner and culture west of the ]."<ref name="Bender12">Bender, p. 12.</ref> The shape of the hat's crown and brim were often modified by the wearer for fashion and to protect against ] by being softened in hot steam, shaped, and allowed to dry and cool. Felt tends to stay in the shape that it dries.<ref><!--needs full cite-->.</ref> Because of the ease of personalization, it was often possible for people to tell where a cowboy hat was from, right down to which ], simply by looking at the crease in the crown.<ref name="Reynolds17" />


== Variations ==
]]]
===Ten-gallon hats===
Later as the mystique of the "]" was popularized by entertainers such as ] and ] starring actors such as ], the Cowboy hat came to symbolize the ].<ref name="Reynolds15">Reynolds & Rand, p. 15.</ref> ] christened them "the hat that won the West."<ref name="Snyder5" /> The Boss of the Plains design influenced various wide-brimmed hats worn by ]ers and ]s all over the United States. Later designs were customized for law enforcement, military and motion pictures.
Some cowboy hats have been called "ten-gallon" hats. The term came into use about 1925.{{sfn|Bender|1994|p=31}} There are multiple theories for how the concept arose.


One theory is that the term "ten-gallon" is a corruption of the Spanish modifier {{lang|es|tan galán}}, which loosely translates as "really handsome"{{sfn|Tobar|2013}} or "so fine". For example, "{{lang|es|un sombrero tan galán}}" translates as "such a fine hat".
The first American law-enforcement agency to adopt Stetson’s western hat as part of their uniform was the ].<ref name="Snyder10">Snyder, p. 10.</ref> A Stetson-based design is also part of the ceremonial uniform of the ].<ref><!--needs full cite--></ref> ] ], ], and ] wore cowboy hats manufactured by ].<ref name="Snyder10"/>


Another theory is that the term "ten-gallon" is a corruption of the Spanish term {{lang|es|galón}}, which means "]", a type of narrow braided trim around the crown, possibly a style adapted by ]. When Texas cowboys misunderstood the word {{lang|es|galón}} for "gallon", the popular, though incorrect, legend may have been born. According to Reynolds and Rand, "The term ten-gallon did not originally refer to the holding capacity of the hat, but to the width of a Mexican ] hatband, and is more closely related to this unit of measurement by the Spanish than to the water-holding capacity of a Stetson."{{sfn|Reynolds|Rand|1995|p=}}
Creases in cowboy hats are used to give hats individual character and to help users identify with a particular subculture. Creases and dents make it easier to don or remove the hat by grasping it by the crown rather than the brim. A very popular crease used on modern cowboy hats is the Cattlemen. It is creased right down the center of the crown with a dent on each side. Returning in popularity is the Carlsbad crease, now sometimes called a "Gus crease" after a character in ]. It maintains a high crown at the back with the crease sloping steeply toward the front. The rodeo crease, the bullrider's crease (Formerly called the RCA crease, for the ]), the quarter horse crease, and the “tycoon," with a pinched front, are also seen today.<ref>Blevins, p. 371.</ref>


Early print advertising by Stetson showed a cowboy giving his horse a drink of water from a hat.{{sfn|Snyder|1997|p=11}} The Stetson company notes that a "ten-gallon" hat (equivalent to {{convert|10|usgal|L|0|abbr=off|sp=us|disp=out}}) only holds {{convert|3/4|usgal|l}}.{{sfn|Reynolds|Rand|1995|p=}}{{sfnp|Stetson Co.|2024}}
=="Ten-gallon" hat==
], an early-20th century movie star, wearing a ten-gallon hat.]]


===Calgary White Hat===
Some cowboy hats have been called "ten-gallon" hats. The term came into use about 1925.<ref>Bender, p. 31.</ref> There are multiple theories for how the concept arose.
{{main|Calgary White Hat}}
The ] is a white felt cowboy hat which is the symbol of both the ] annual rodeo and the city of ]. Created by Morris Shumiatcher, owner of Smithbilt Hat Company, it was worn for the first time at the 1946 Stampede. In the early 1950s, Mayor of Calgary ] began presenting the white hat to visiting dignitaries, a tradition that the office of the mayor continues to this day. Thousands of tourists and groups also participate in "white hatting ceremonies" conducted by Tourism Calgary and by volunteer greeters at the ]. In 1983, the Calgary White Hat was incorporated into the design of the ].{{sfn|Klaszus|2016}}


==See also==
One theory is that the term "ten-gallon" is a corruption of the Spanish modifier {{lang|es|''tan galán''}}, which loosely translates as "really handsome"<ref name="Nadeau and Barlow">{{cite web|title='The Story of Spanish' offers a rich history of the language|url=http://www.latimes.com/features/books/jacketcopy/la-ca-jc-nadeau-barlow-20130609,0,4020684.story|publisher=Los Angeles Times|accessdate=8 June 2013}}</ref> or "so fine". For example, {{lang|es|''un sombrero tan galán''}} translates as "such a fine hat".
{{Commons category|Cowboy hats}}
{{div col|colwidth=15em}}
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
{{div col end}}


==References==
Another theory is that the term "ten-gallon" is a corruption of the Spanish term {{lang|es|''galón''}}, which means "galloon", a type of narrow braided trimming around the crown, possibly a style adapted by ]. When Texas cowboys misunderstood the word {{lang|es|''galón''}} for "gallon", the popular, though incorrect, legend may have been born. According to Reynolds and Rand, "The term ten-gallon did not originally refer to the holding capacity of the hat, but to the width of a Mexican ] hatband, and is more closely related to this unit of measurement by the Spanish than to the water-holding capacity of a Stetson.”<ref name="Reynolds11"/>
===Explanantory notes===
{{notelist}}


===Citations===
Stetson hat company boasted that the tight weave of most Stetsons hats made them sufficiently ] to be used as a bucket. Early print advertising by Stetson showed a cowboy giving his horse a drink of water from a hat.<ref name="Snyder11">Snyder, p. 11.</ref> However, even the Stetson company notes that a "ten-gallon" hat holds only 3 quarts (about 3&nbsp;l instead of 40&nbsp;l).<ref name="Reynolds11">Reynolds & Rand, p. 11.</ref><ref><!--needs full cite--></ref>
{{reflist|20em}}


===Works cited===
Regardless, using a hat as a water container is apt to seriously damage a modern hat. On one hand, fur felt hats were designed in part so they could be used in the rain. However, wool felt hats were designed for dry climates, and most straw hats can only handle a light rain for a brief time.<ref name=Canadian></ref> While a very high quality felt hat made from animal fur may hold water,<ref name="Reynolds11" /> over time, any cloth container will leak. Furthermore, modern hats may react to getting wet differently, though this depends on the quality of the materials used in construction. They are generally likely to lose shape and the felt may also soften up if they are completely drenched.<ref></ref>
{{refbegin|30em|indent=yes}}
* {{cite news | title=The Hat That Won the West | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=336&dat=19571026&id=xQQpAAAAIBAJ&pg=7036,5636283 | access-date=2010-02-10|date=26 October 1957|newspaper=The Deseret News|page=10A|last=Beebe|first=Lucius |id=(reprinted from: ''The Territorial Enterprise''. 1957)}} See also:
** {{cite book |last=Beebe |first=Lucius |editor1= Charles Clegg |editor2=Duncan Emrich |title=The Lucius Beebe Reader |chapter= Whatever Became of the Derby Hat? |url=https://archive.org/details/luciusbeebereade00beeb |url-access=registration |pages=368–371 |date=1967 |publisher=Doubleday & Company |location=New York |isbn=9780090960507 |chapter-url-access=registration |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/luciusbeebereade00beeb/page/368/mode/2up|id=First published in ] magazine. May 1966|author-mask=1}}
* {{cite book |last1=Bender |first1=Texas Bix |title=Hats and the Cowboys Who Wear Them |date=1994 |publisher=Gibbs Smith Publisher |location =Salt Lake City |isbn=978-0-87905-606-3 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/hatscowboyswhowe00bend/mode/2up}} {{ISBN|1586851918}}.
* Blevins, Winfred (2001). ''Dictionary of the American West: Over 5,000 terms and expressions from Aarigaa! to Zopilote''. {{ISBN|1570613044}}
* {{cite book |last1=Carlson |first1=Laurie M. |series= |others=Illustrations by Holly Meade |id= Unpaginated |title=Boss of the plains, the hat that won the West |date=1998 |publisher=DK Publishing |location=New York |url-access=registration |isbn=978-0-7894-2479-2 |url=https://archive.org/details/bossofplainshatt0000carl_v7n8/page/n5/mode/2up}} {{ISBN|0789424797}}.
* {{cite encyclopedia |last1=Cartwright |first1=Mark |title=Clothing in the Mongol Empire |date=14 October 2019 |url=https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1455/clothing-in-the-mongol-empire/ |language=en |encyclopedia=World History}}
* {{citation |author1=((China National Silk Museum)) |date=n.d.|title=Lands: Traditional Hats in 11 Asian Countries |author-link=China National Silk Museum |url=https://artsandculture.google.com/story/traditional-hats-in-11-asian-countries-china-national-silk-museum/mwWx8DtozRJMbg?hl=en |work=Asian hat collection donated by Barbara Park |via=Google Arts & Culture |language=en}} ()
* {{cite book |last1=Christian |first1=Mary Blount |title=Hats off to John Stetson |date=1992 |publisher=Macmillan |location=New York; Toronto |isbn=978-0-02-718465-5 |url=https://archive.org/details/hatsofftojohnste00chri/page/58/mode/2up}} {{ISBN|002718465X}}.
* {{cite book |last=Foster-Harris|first=William|date=2007 |title=The Look of the Old West: A Fully Illustrated Guide |publisher=Skyhorse Publishing |isbn= 978-1602390249}}
* {{cite book |editor-last1=Hatch |editor-first1=Rosie |title=Texas Almanac 2022–2023 |date=2022 |publisher=Texas State Historical Association |location=Austin|isbn=978-1625110664}}
* {{cite web|last=Klaszus|first=Jeremy|date=4 January 2016|title=The White Hat: A Calgary symbol we love to hate|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/white-hat-calgary-symbol-love-hate-1.3368423|access-date=25 August 2024|work=]}}
* {{cite magazine |last1=Muru-Lanning |first1=Charlotte |access-date=3 September 2023 |title=From fedoras to fascinators: A history of Māori and hats |url=https://thespinoff.co.nz/atea/09-12-2020/from-fedoras-to-fascinators-a-history-of-maori-and-hats |magazine=] |date=9 December 2020 |language=en}}
* {{citation|author=NPR |author-mask=0|url=https://nrsworld.com/blogs/product-faqs/the-essential-guide-to-cowboy-hats |title=The Essential Guide to Cowboy Hats |date=11 December 2023|publisher=National Roper Supply }}
* {{citation |last1=Peralta |first1=J. T. |title=Pinagmulan: Enumeration from the Philippine Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage |chapter=Salakot and Other Headgear |url=https://archive.unesco-ichcap.org/eng/ek/summary/sub3.php|date=2012 |page=231 |publisher=UNESCO; International Information and Networking Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region (ICHCAP)}}
* {{cite book |last1=Reynolds |first1=William |last2=Rand |first2=Rich |title=The Cowboy Hat Book |date=1995 |publisher=Gibbs Smith Publisher |location=Salt Lake City |isbn=978-0-87905-656-8 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/cowboyhatbook0000reyn/mode/2up}} {{ISBN|0879056568}}.
* {{cite encyclopedia |last1=Sacks |first1=David |others=Revised by Lisa R. Brody |title=Clothing |date=2005 |url-access=registration |publisher=Facts on File |location=New York |isbn=978-0-8160-5722-1 |page=87 |edition=Revised |orig-date=First edition published 1995 |url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofan0000sack_l8g9/page/86/mode/2up |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of the Ancient Greek World}}
* {{cite book |last1=Sobey |first1=Edwin J. C. |title=Young Inventors at Work! Learning Science by Doing Science |date=1999 |publisher=Good Year |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/younginventorsat0000sobe/page/94/mode/2up |location=Glenview, IL (US) |isbn=978-0-673-57735-1 |chapter=Hats: 'I've got you covered'|pages=95–96 |chapter-url-access=registration}} {{ISBN|067357735X}}.
* {{cite web|author=Stetson Co. |date=2024|author-mask=0|title=Frequently Asked Questions: How much water does a 10-gallon hat hold? |url=https://stetson.com/pages/frequently-asked-questions |website=Stetson |language=en}} {{Webarchive|url= https://web.archive.org/web/20240301051627/https://stetson.com/pages/frequently-asked-questions |date=1 March 2024}}
* {{cite book|last= Snyder|first= Jeffrey B.|date= 1997|title= Stetson Hats and the John B. Stetson Hat Company, 1865–1970|publisher= Schiffer Publishing|isbn= 9780764302114|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=lP4DAAAACAAJ|url-access=limited|via=Google Books}} {{ISBN|0764302116}}.
* {{cite news|first=Hector |last=Tobar |title= ''The Story of Spanish'' offers a rich history of the language |url= http://www.latimes.com/features/books/jacketcopy/la-ca-jc-nadeau-barlow-20130609,0,4020684.story |work= Los Angeles Times|date= 7 June 2013 |access-date=8 June 2013|id=}}
{{refend}}


==See also== ==External links==
* ''Cowboy Hat History'' website
{{Commons category|Cowboy hats}}
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==Footnotes==
{{reflist|3}}

==References==
*Bender, Texan Bix. (1994) ''Hats & the cowboys who wear them.'' ISBN 1-58685-191-8
* Blevins, Winfred. ''Dictionary of the American West: over 5,000 terms and expressions from Aarigaa! to Zopilote (2001) ISBN 1-57061-304-4
*Carlson, Laurie. (1998) ''Boss of the plains, the hat that won the West''. ISBN 0-7894-2479-7
*Christian, Mary Blount. (1992) ''Hats off to John Stetson'' 1992 ISBN 0-02-718465-X
*Foster-Harris, William (2007) ''The Look of the Old West: A Fully Illustrated Guide'' ISBN 1-60239-024-X
*Reynolds, William and Rich Rand (1995) ''The Cowboy Hat book.'' ISBN 0-87905-656-8
*Snyder, Jeffrey B. (1997) ''Stetson Hats and the John B. Stetson Company 1865-1970.'' ISBN 0-7643-0211-6


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{{Clothing}} {{Clothing}}
{{Rodeo}}


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Latest revision as of 17:57, 1 January 2025

Large hat associated with cowboys

A felt cowboy hat
A straw cowboy hat

The cowboy hat is a high-crowned, wide-brimmed hat best known as the defining piece of attire for the North American cowboy. Today it is worn by many people, and is particularly associated with ranch workers in the western, midwestern, and southern United States, western Canada and northern Mexico, with many country music, regional Mexican and Sertanejo music performers, and with participants in the North American rodeo circuit. It is recognized around the world as part of traditional Old West apparel.

The cowboy hat as known today has many antecedents to its design, including Mexican hats such as the sombrero, the various designs of wide-brimmed hat worn by farmers and stockmen in the eastern United States, as well as the designs used by the United States Cavalry.

The first western model was the open-crowned "Boss of the Plains", and after that came the front-creased Carlsbad, destined to become the most prominent cowboy style. The high-crowned, wide-brimmed, soft-felt western hats that followed are intimately associated with the cowboy image.

History

Painting (c. 1830) showing Mexican hats

Cowboy hats, like the sombreros of Mexico, were designed in response to the demands of the physical environment. The concept of a broad-brimmed hat with a high crown for wear by riders on horseback can be seen as far back as the Mongolian horsemen of the 13th century. Hats with tall crowns provide insulation, and wide brims provide shade. Hot and sunny climates inspire such tall-crowned, wide-brimmed designs, and hats with one or both of these features have evolved time and again in history and across cultures, as, for example, the Greek petasos of two millennia ago, or the various traditional styles of conical hat widespread in different regions of Asia.

It is not clear when the cowboy hat received its name. However, European-Americans in the Western United States originally had no standard headwear. People moving West wore many styles of hat, including top hats, bowlers, Civil War headgear such as cavalry and slouch hats, and sailor hats.

According to Lucius Beebe, the bowler was the most widely-worn hat in the American West, prompting him to assert, in contradiction to popular belief, that the bowler, not the cowboy hat, was "the hat that won the West". The working cowboy wore wide-brimmed and high-crowned hats. The hats were most likely adopted from Civil-War-era slouch hats that were commonly worn by Confederate soldiers who lacked the official uniform and kepi hat of the Confederate army, and may have also been influenced by the Mexican vaqueros before the invention of the modern design. John Batterson Stetson is credited for originating the modern-day American cowboy hat.

A Boss of the Plains hat

The original "Boss of the Plains", manufactured by Stetson in 1865, was flat-brimmed, had a straight sided crown, with rounded corners. These light-weight, waterproof hats were natural in color, with four-inch crowns and brims. A plain hatband was fitted to adjust head size. The sweatband bore Stetson's name. There was only one style of hat, but they were made in different qualities ranging from one-grade material at five dollars apiece to pure beaver felt hats for thirty dollars each. J.B. Stetson was the first to market the "Boss of the Plains" to cowboys, and it has remained the universal image of the American West. The charisma of the West was carried back East when adventurers returned in the expensive "Boss of the Plains"-style hat. In the 19th century and first half of the 20th century, a hat was an indispensable item in every man's wardrobe. Stetson focused on expensive, high-quality hats that represented a real investment for the working cowboy and a statement of success for the city dweller.

President Ronald Reagan demonstrated the popularity of the cowboy hat as a movie star, as a rancher resident of the American west, and as a horseback rider.

The cowboy hat has been adopted as a regional identifier among Māori tribes (iwi) living in Gisborne District of New Zealand's North Island collectively called "Ngā Kaupoi" ('the cowboys') for their native adoption of horses; one of its resident politicians, Rawiri Waititi, is well known for his hat-donning appearance. Hawaii's paniolo wear papale woven from pandanus leaves taken directly from the design of the Mexican sombrero.

Design

Stetson hat manufactured in the 1920s

Modern cowboy hats are made of fur-based felt, straw or, less often, leather. They are sold with a tall, rounded crown and a wide flat brim. They have a simple sweat band on the inside to stabilize the fit of the head, and usually a small decorative hat band on the outside of the crown. Hats are customized by creasing the crown and rolling the brim. Hats are also sold pre-creased and pre-rolled. Often a more decorative hat band is added. In some places, "stampede strings" or "wind strings" are also attached. Hats can be manufactured in virtually any color, but are most often seen in shades of beige, brown and black. Beginning in the 1940s, pastel colors were introduced, seen often on hats worn by movie cowboys and rodeo riders. "Today's cowboy hat has remained basically unchanged in construction and design since the first one was created in 1865 by J.B. Stetson."

Modern designs

Modern working cowboys wearing cowboy hats. While providing less protection from the sun, their turned-up brims prevent them from being as easily knocked off during lasso use.

The modern cowboy hat has remained basically unchanged in construction and underlying design since the Stetson creation. The cowboy hat quickly identified its wearer as someone associated with the West. "Within a decade the name 'John B. Stetson' became synonymous with the word 'hat' in every corner and culture west of the Mississippi River." The shape of the hat's crown and brim were often modified by the wearer for fashion and to protect against weather by being softened in hot steam, shaped, and allowed to dry and cool. Because of the ease of personalization, it was often possible to tell where a cowboy hat was from, right down to which ranch, simply by looking at the crease in the crown. Common modern hat creases include the classic Cattleman crease, Cool Hand Luke, Minick, Brick, and the Gus.

Silent film actor William S. Hart

Later as the mystique of the Wild West was popularized by entertainers such as Buffalo Bill and western films starring actors such as Tom Mix, the Cowboy hat came to symbolize the American West. John Wayne christened them "the hat that won the West". The Boss of the Plains design influenced various wide-brimmed hats worn by farmers and ranchers all over the United States. Later designs were customized for law enforcement, military and motion pictures.

The first American law-enforcement agency to adopt Stetson's western hat as part of their uniform was the Texas Rangers. The Texas Legislature designated the cowboy hat as the official "State Hat of Texas" in 2015.

Variations

Ten-gallon hats

Some cowboy hats have been called "ten-gallon" hats. The term came into use about 1925. There are multiple theories for how the concept arose.

One theory is that the term "ten-gallon" is a corruption of the Spanish modifier tan galán, which loosely translates as "really handsome" or "so fine". For example, "un sombrero tan galán" translates as "such a fine hat".

Another theory is that the term "ten-gallon" is a corruption of the Spanish term galón, which means "galloon", a type of narrow braided trim around the crown, possibly a style adapted by Spanish cowboys. When Texas cowboys misunderstood the word galón for "gallon", the popular, though incorrect, legend may have been born. According to Reynolds and Rand, "The term ten-gallon did not originally refer to the holding capacity of the hat, but to the width of a Mexican sombrero hatband, and is more closely related to this unit of measurement by the Spanish than to the water-holding capacity of a Stetson."

Early print advertising by Stetson showed a cowboy giving his horse a drink of water from a hat. The Stetson company notes that a "ten-gallon" hat (equivalent to 38 liters) only holds 3⁄4 US gallon (2.8 L).

Calgary White Hat

Main article: Calgary White Hat

The Calgary White Hat is a white felt cowboy hat which is the symbol of both the Calgary Stampede annual rodeo and the city of Calgary. Created by Morris Shumiatcher, owner of Smithbilt Hat Company, it was worn for the first time at the 1946 Stampede. In the early 1950s, Mayor of Calgary Donald Hugh Mackay began presenting the white hat to visiting dignitaries, a tradition that the office of the mayor continues to this day. Thousands of tourists and groups also participate in "white hatting ceremonies" conducted by Tourism Calgary and by volunteer greeters at the Calgary International Airport. In 1983, the Calgary White Hat was incorporated into the design of the flag of Calgary.

See also

References

Explanantory notes

  1. Sertanejo is a Brazilian musical rhythm associated with rural areas in the Centre-South of Brazil that originated from caipira music. Due to American cultural influence musicians of this musical rhythm sought to adopt and imitate the fashion used by North American singers and by actors of western films, even if the rhythm developed independently, with no connection to Mexican Regional music or to American and Canadian Country music. Sertanejo, in a metaphorical way, emerged through convergent evolution.

Citations

  1. Foster-Harris 2007, p. 106.
  2. ^ Snyder 1997, p. 5.
  3. Cartwright 2019, "The classic Mongol hat was conical ...".
  4. Bender 1994, p. 10.
  5. Sacks 2005.
  6. Peralta 2012.
  7. China National Silk Museum n.d.
  8. Carlson 1998, at: n5 (unpaginated).
  9. Beebe 1957.
  10. Bender 1994, p. 11.
  11. Sobey 1999, p. 95.
  12. Snyder 1997, p. 73.
  13. Snyder 1997, p. 51.
  14. Bender 1994, p. 54.
  15. Christian 1992, pp. 57–58.
  16. ^ Reynolds & Rand 1995, p. 15.
  17. ^ Reynolds & Rand 1995, p. 17.
  18. Snyder 1997, p. 49.
  19. Muru-Lanning 2020.
  20. Nā paniolo o Hawaiʻi: a traveling exhibition celebrating paniolo folk arts and the history of ranching in Hawaiʻi. Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.A: The Foundation. 1987. pp. 74–5. ISBN 9780937426081.
  21. Snyder 1997, p. 27.
  22. ^ Reynolds & Rand 1995, p. 8.
  23. Reynolds & Rand 1995, p. 10.
  24. Bender 1994, p. 12.
  25. NPR (2023).
  26. Snyder 1997, p. 10.
  27. Hatch 2022, p. 22.
  28. Bender 1994, p. 31.
  29. Tobar 2013.
  30. ^ Reynolds & Rand 1995, p. 11.
  31. Snyder 1997, p. 11.
  32. Stetson Co. (2024).
  33. Klaszus 2016.

Works cited

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