Cowboy Hats Made In The USA

One of the cowboy's most prized possessions in the early west was a hat. The rancher hat shaded his eyes from the glaring blaze of the summer sun, it kept his neck dry and, swiftly transformed into a bucket for water and feed. It was an essential part in his life, and he was rarely without it. Cowboy hats made in the USA have a long history, each important in their own way.

The rancher wore these from morning till night every single day. They needed something that would provide good quality with the right materials. Today's rancher wants the same thing from his hat than what it used to be used for in the early west. It showcases their fashion style and the life they live.

Many cowboy hats are churned out that are not very well made so it can be tricky finding a well made hat. During the time that the herdsman trade developed new kinds of 'cowboy' wore a variety of materials and fashions on their heads. Hats were inspired by jobs, religious practices and regional and immigration movements.

In 1872 a man named, Montgomery Ward provided rural American's the chance to purchase store bought clothing that the working class could afford. Ward's catalogue featured only one hat that people called the 'Men's Panama Hat' that was mainly worn by farmers. Four years later the 'Men's Planter's Hat' was first introduced. These plain hats were very similar to today's type of hat that is slightly unshaped.

It was only then that independent minded herdsman began shaping them to suit their character and regional influence. The great thing about Ward's hats is that they were cost efficient that appealed to the cowboy who didn't have a lot of money. It was John B. Stetson that noticed cowboys and their increasing favouritism for broad-brimmed fur felt hats. He realized how the style of each hat was individual to the cowboy. So he went back to Philadelphia and manufactured the world's first cowboy hat here in the good ole USA.