Girls Straw Hats

Girls Straw Hats

The shape of a cowboy hat once depended very much on the region that it originated from. At one time a person could tell where a working cowboy was from just by looking at the crease in their hat. John B. Stetson is credited with designing and marketing the first "cowboy" hat in the USA, which he called the "Boss of the Plains." In the early days, the cowboy hat was valued for being functional, with the wide brim protecting working cowboys from the sun and rain. It could be used to signal others, fan a campfire, or pull water out of a stream. Today, while the hats can still serve these purposes, most people wear them for asthetic value as a part of Western lifestyle. A cowboy hat even appears on the flag of Calgary, Alberta.