In the American West, the cowboy hat is more than just a piece of clothing, it symbolizes who you are, what you do, and where you come from.
So, what does your cowboy hat say about you?
If you’re a traditional cowboy, your hat is likely to be made of straw or felt, and it’s probably been passed down to you by a relative or friend. It’s worn to protect you from the sun and the elements and part of your everyday working uniform.
So, it isn’t wrong to say that a cowboy hat says a lot about the person wearing it. Let’s look at what different cowboy hat styles show about personalities.
What Does Your Cowboy Hat Say About You?
There are many different styles of cowboy hats worn by people in the American West. Here are just a few of the most popular types and what they say about the people who wear them.
1. Texas Cowboy hats
It has been said that the cowboys, cowgirls, and their horses in Texas are well-mannered and friendly. But the question is, what exactly does a Texas Cowboy Hat refer to with its taco crease?
This cowboy hat has no history about how it came and when people started to use it. So, the only thing that can be done now is to see what kind of people wear this taco shell with its ends tapering downwards.
As mentioned above, people wearing Texas Cowboy Hats are friendly; you can visit “The Cowgirl Hall of Fame & Museum” for this purpose. You will get a chance to rub shoulders with “Hall of Fame Cowgirls” there.
They know how to train the horses, work with them, and, more importantly, make the cowboy hats look even better. All in all, you’ll get to learn a lot from them.
Also read: What does cowboy hat color mean?
2. Flat-hatter Cowboy Hats
Montana is one of the favorite places for riders to ride horses, and the open spaces there make it even better for everyone looking to enjoy some time there. And you will see people wearing various styles and shapes of cowboy hats there.
But the most common cowboy hats will be Flat-hatter cowboy hats; Buckaroo Hats aren’t less in number either. Both these hats aren’t from Montana initially; it’s just the people there who wear these. So, if you are wearing any of the two cowboy hats mentioned above, that indicates that you’re from Montana.
The only difference between Texas Cowboy hats and Flat-hatter cowboy hats is that the latter has cattlemen’s crease (which you must have seen on rodeo cowboys), usually with a flat brim, while the former has taco crease. So you can easily differentiate between the two.
3. Western Cowboy Hats
Each country or state where people wear cowboy hats has different traditions. And there are certain etiquettes of wearing felt or straw cowboy hats. For example, people usually wear a straw cowboy hat one day after “Easter” ushers.
But at the same time, a day after Thanksgiving, they wear felt cowboy hats. The rule doesn’t apply if you are from New Mexico or Arizona. Most of the credit for this goes to Donnie Gay, who helped people know what hat etiquettes are and what’s the best time to wear a certain cowboy hat.
Similarly, “Nevada Style Straw Cowboy Hats” aren’t to wear throughout the year. Instead, it would help if you looked at the time of year that signals a change of these hats. This will help you know about the occasions when you have to wear different hats for Easter and Christmas and, of course, a different one for a formal event or party.
4. Mexican Cowboy Hats
A Mexican cowboy hat is quite different from a simple one, and you can tell within a minute whether a person is from Mexico or is obsessed with Mexico merely by the shape of their cowboy hat.
It’s a sombrero, having a “high pointed crown” along with a wide brim, making it unique. And you’ll get to see most of these if you get a chance to attend a Charreada.
Also read: What do X mean on cowboy hats?
5. European Cowboy Hats
Certain things make a Mexican cowboy hat different from others; the same is true with a European Cowboy Hat. And mostly the people from Italy like to enjoy “Horseback Riding Vacations” seem to wear it.
Butteri cowboys from Italy wear it the most, with people from other regions also wearing this cowboy hat style.
6. Aussie Cowboy Hats
It doesn’t matter what style of cowboy hat you are wearing; whether it is an “Australian weatherproof hat having a wide brim” or a simple cowboy hat with sun protection, you must feel confident.
But if we talk about the former specifically, it’s a waterproof cowboy hat with a classy look. And it’s pretty easy to recognize it even from a distance.
7. Maui Cowboy Hats
Pau riders in Hawaii wear a floral hat while riding a horse. This may seem weird since the flowers on a cowboy hat may not work either in the rainy season or under hot weather. But they wear it in cold seasons when there are lesser chances of extreme weather conditions.
People mainly wear it on certain occasions, such as festivals. So, it’s easy to recognize a Hawaiian cowboy merely by looking at the style of his hat.
Conclusion
Your cowboy hat says a lot about you, particularly about which country or state you hail from, what kind of event you’re going to attend or have attended recently and what kind of a rider you’re.
Mostly the aggressive riders wear Buckaroo Cowboy hats, while the friendly ones wear Texas Cowboy hats. So, this not only indicates the area but the nature of the rider as well.
This difference may increase further if we consider felt and straw cowboy hats since some people wear them for protection while others do it for fun. But it’s not that difficult nowadays to judge someone by the style of their cowboy hat.
I hope you enjoyed reading this article and now know what your cowboy hat says about you. Do let me know your thoughts in the comments section below.
FAQs
What does a cowboy hat tell about you?
A cowboy hat tells a lot about you, particularly about which country or state you hail from, what kind of event you’re going to attend or have attended recently and what kind of a rider you’re.
What is the difference between a buckaroo cowboy hat and a Texas cowboy hat?
The difference between a buckaroo cowboy hat and a Texas cowboy hat is that aggressive riders wear the former while friendly riders wear the latter.
What occasions are suitable for wearing a Maui cowboy hat?
Maui cowboy hats are worn mainly by people on certain occasions, such as festivals.