All You Need to Know About Styling a Cowboy Hat

It hasn’t been possible to pinpoint the actual time when civilized people started wearing a hat but ancient artifacts such as a tomb painting found in Egypt clearly shows a man wearing a straw hat. Well, we are not here to talk about the history of hats, but their popularity has increased quite significantly in the past decade. Hats have been worn as a fashion accessory by both men and women to bring out the perfect look. Still today and surely in the future too, styling tricks would be tried out by incorporating hats as fashionable headgear.

Cowboy Hat – An Emerging Trend

While walking down the street or turning the pages of a magazine you might have noticed people wearing different kinds of hats as a style statement. Well, recently a trend of flaunting the cowboy style has resurfaced in the fashion world. We often try to take inspiration from celebrities and many a times find ourselves imitating them in wearing this hat. But we fail to understand that what suits them may not look good on us. There are so many types of rancher’s hats to try and you might not be sure which one to pick or rather which one will suit you the best. But if you follow certain things, you will no doubt find the perfect piece to include in your wardrobe.

The Most Loved Styles

The various types of western hats can be distinguished from each other by the way the brim and the crown are made. The most loved cowboy hat styles are-

• Fedora Hat: It has a soft brim with an indented crown which makes it easy to wear and remove with ease.
• Cattleman Hat: The picture that flashes in your mind when you think of a cowboy hat is a cattleman. It is a traditional western style with a creased crown and wide curled brim.
• The Brick: It possesses a square crown with a flat top. Even the brim has square ends.
• Gambler Hats: They have a distinct oval flat crown with a wide flat brim.
• The Gus Style: It is more or less similar to a cattleman hat, but the only dissimilarity is that it has a higher crown that slightly slopes forward.
• The Pinch Front: This style too has the reputation of belonging to the group of ‘typical and traditional cowboy hat’. It is seen to have a teardrop-shaped crown or a sharp diamond crown.
• Montana: Montana or the Tom Mix crease takes its name from the state of Montana. It has a more pronounced dent on the front portion of the crown and a slightly curved brim.
• Open Crown: This hat style lacks a crease in the crown with flat round brims. It is also known as a ‘10-gallon hat’.

There are other types too but these styles have been morphed from the typical look of a cowboy hat to create something ornate and more so to cater to the taste of changing times.

How to Wear a Western Hat in a Right Manner

As an attempt to try out different western hat styles, we often go overboard with the look we want to achieve. First and foremost, what we need to keep in mind is that whether we are dressing up for a formal or an informal visit. If you are looking forward to imitating the traditional look, then make sure to keep the sweatband in contact with your temple and it should sit well right above your ears and brows. The way you intend to wear it highly depends on the season also. But what matters the most is your attitude.

What to Wear and What to Avoid

It’s you and solely you who can decide what should be worn to avoid being tagged as ‘too overly dressed’. Choose an outfit that will complement the style of hat you have decided to wear. Decide on the material of the hat according to the season. Go for a straw cowboy hat if you want to wear it in the summers. Wearing a white t-shirt and a vest on it or a flannel shirt will never go wrong. If you are planning to wear jeans, the only option to choose in this case is to put on a straight-legged one. Avoid wearing stone-washed, flared, skinny-legged, or low rider jeans. Pair the look with proper western footwear.

Cowboy Hats for the Women Folks to Try-On

The Pinch Front, the Open Crown, and the Fedora are the most popular hat styles among the women folks. If you have long curly hair, you can show off your cascading curls by wearing one of these hat styles as a fashion accessory.

Etiquettes to be Followed While Wearing a Cowboy Hat

Yes, there is some etiquette to be followed while wearing this western piece. Never touch another person’s hat without his or her permission. That is considered rude. When you enter a building, remember to take it off. When you sit down at a table to have a meal, you are expected to remove the hat unless you don’t find an appropriate place to keep it. The same should be done while praying and saying the pledge. Other than these basic things, you are free to flaunt them in any public place.

Conclusion

Grab a hat that fits you right. Then it’s all about how you talk and walk. To get the real western feel, you have to adopt manners that befit the hat.