When you look at the cowboy hat, it’s all about dimples, crown shapes, brim types, and many more. Cowboy hats have several variants like cowgirls and cowboys. When you browse around, there is something for everyone. However, the names and the hat differences can seem slightly overwhelming.
The primary elements of the men’s and women’s cowboy hats can get classified into three essential parts:
- The hatbands
- The crown
- The brim
And all these three aspects generate and differentiate various cowboy hats from each other.
The basics to keep in mind
- The crown – The hat’s crown is atop the head. The crowns can be totally squared, rounded, oval, or pinched.
- The crease – A crease is a “dent” or a “dip” along with the back, front and sides or all three regions of the crown on the hat. Few cowboy hats have little to no crease and some come with all three.
- The brim – The material that hangs around beneath the hat crown which is what runs all around the hat. And this brim can secure the wearer from the sun’s rays and other elements like snow and rain. It is available in multiple sizes and shapes.
- The pinch – The crease shapes get known as a pinch. And you will find a few square-shaped creases having an apparent, sharp pinch.
The crucial aspects of the cowboy hat styles
Brick
The crucial aspect of the brick cowboy hat is its crown shape. Such hats have a rectangular shape that forms a unique pinch that follows the rectangle totally. Some have a softer and rounded brick shape.
BIGGS
Simply put, the Biggs crease is a more altered version of the famous cattleman crown. Here the crease is small, placed high on the hat’s crown, and pinched to the line towards the left and right of the hat’s crown. And such hats come with a squared brim, and the sides getting pulled up minimally.
Cattleman
This hat has a brim shape, and it usually comprises the crown crease or a dimple that dips inward towards the crown middle with two rounded pinches and two dents on the crown on the right and left. And such dents make it easy for the cowgirl to take hold of her hat and place it on her head. The cattleman cowboy hat brim is usually curled up on both the sides.
Gambler
The gambler cowboy hat comes with a slightly upturned brim and an oval crown. The other name the gambler hat gets called is the “planter hat” and often got interpreted as a sign of wealth compared to an average cowboy hat. The Gambler hat has a crown crease that perfectly surrounds the oval-shaped crease’s external ring. You will notice it easily when you look at it from atop the crown. Also, this hat variant doesn’t have any dents.
The Montana crease or Gus
Simply put, the Montana crease got initially noted in Montana because it used to be worn by the cowboys staying here. When it came to the old wild west, several places had their distinctive style to wear the cowboy hat and that helped to denote where a cowgirl or cowboy hailed from. And that’s how this hat got its name. In some places it is also called as the Gus. Additionally, the Montana crease also showcases features like the high crown along with a middle crease on the crown and two towards the left and right.
The Derby
The bowler hat or the derby gets easily identified as a shorter brim than multiple other cowboy hat styles. However, the undented round crown is the most distinctive aspect that makes the Derby hat what it is. The hat’s top usually has negligible to no crease, resulting in the bowler hat’s signature.
The pinched front
When you look at it for the first time, the Pinch Front hat at times gets mistaken as the Cattleman crease. And as the name suggests, the difference lies in the front part of the crown. It assumes the shape of a pointed teardrop. And the dents that are present on both sides of the hat’s pinched front will get moved closer towards the hat’s front side rather than on the right or left.
The telescope creases
Many people confuse the telescope crease with the Gambler cowboy hat. You can look closely at the Telescope crease cowboy hat crown and compare the same with the Gambler, and you will realize that the Telescope crease hat comes with a dent on the circle of the overall crown alongside the edges. This hat type will have a slightly inward dent than having an even dent.
Hence, the cowboy hat is an iconic hat popular with the fashion-conscious woman today. All these elements discussed in the article make this hat such an iconic style accessory. If you want to buy one you can take a pick from the categories discussed in this article.