Tips for Finding the Right Cowboy Hat for Summer

Whether you’re a country and western musician, a rodeo cowboy, or just living the cowboy lifestyle, you need a quality cowboy hat. On the range, in the arena, or on the stage an appropriate cowboy hat is required gear.

Felt Cowboy Hats

But should you look for a pastel or black cowboy hat? Should it be straw or felt? How do you find one that will last? Here are a few tips for finding the right cowboy hat for the summer that will keep up with long hours and still look great.

How to Spot a High-Quality Cowboy Hat

The first consideration when looking for a new cowboy hat, black or pastel, felt or straw, is choosing a high-quality brand. The best producer will make their cowboy hats from fur to finish in the U.S.A. without buying their bodies from overseas. Look for a brand that’s trusted by working cowboys and PRCA competitors. You could also look for hats built through partnerships with country music legends like George Strait. After all, the people who trust and put their names behind a cowboy hat say a lot about its quality.

How to Select a Summer Straw Cowboy Hat

Traditionally, professionals will wear a straw cowboy hat during the summer. Straw is lightweight and breathable, and the general rule holds that one should wear straw cowboy hats between Easter and Labor Day—although if you’re up north where the summers don’t get very hot, this may not be a rule. If you want a straw cowboy hat that will be taken seriously, don’t look at anything with a quality rating lower than 8X.

If you’re a fan of light-colored cowboy hats, your summer straw hat is a great opportunity to showcase this style. If you want something a little more rustic, go for a palm or a bangora. Not sure if it’s hot enough for you to need a straw hat? If your head is sweating, you need a straw hat.

How to Select a Summer Felt Cowboy Hat

After Labor Day, it’s time to wear felt hats, unless it’s cold enough that you need a felt hat year-round. You’ll also want to keep a felt cowboy hat on hand for formal occasions during the summer, to really put your best foot forward. The most important consideration for any hat is quality. Authentic fur from beaver, rabbit, or wild hare is the start. Just like straw, fur felt cowboy hats should be 6X quality or above, and they should be made from fur to finish in America. Felt cowboy hats are traditionally considered a winter hat or a “going out” hat for formal occasions, so any cowboy or cowgirl should keep one clean and ready at all times.

How to Care for Your Summer Cowboy Hat

Whether you opt for a felt or straw cowboy hat, or both, proper upkeep is vital to keep it looking good and in good shape. Cowboy hats should be stored in a cowboy hat-specific box or hung on a hat rack when not being worn. If neither is available, place your hat upside down, rather than brim-down, to help maintain its shape. Store felt cowboy hats in a cool, dry place, and clean them off with a hat brush when the hat is dry. Cornstarch and talcum powder can be used to absorb stains on felt cowboy hats. But never use chemical soaps or detergents to clean a cowboy hat.

About Resistol

Since their founding in 1927, Resistol has been committed to producing the highest quality hats for the men and women living hard-working, authentic lives. Resistol’s cowboy hats are built to resist all that a day can throw at them, to be worn whatever the weather conditions or the day’s challenges bring. The folks at Resistol still produce their hats here in the United States, from fur to finish. They continue to use authentic furs such as rabbit, wild hare, and beaver. The Resistol team makes hats and other apparel for everyday people who live life the cowboy way. They know how important that is since they live that life too. Whether you need a straw or felt cowboy hat, check out Resistol’s premium cowboy hat collections from iconic country music names, made for professionals and independent cowboys like you.

Take a look at everything Resistol has to offer at Resistol.com

Cowboy Hat Care Tips: How to Keep Your Cowboy Hats in Good Shape

A high-quality cowboy hat, whether it’s a felt cowboy hat or straw cowboy hat, is more than a piece of apparel: It’s a symbol of hard work, respect, and passion for the western lifestyle. A cowboy hat is perhaps the most truly iconic piece of American clothing. If you’re new to the lifestyle or looking for your first true cowboy hat, remember that it’s an investment in your character.

Straw Cowboy Hat

An important aspect of owning a cowboy hat is keeping it clean, in good shape, and looking at its best. Consider the following suggestions for cleaning, storing, and maintaining your cowboy hats.

Choosing Your Cowboy Hat

First, you need the right hat. How it’s made is the first important key to finding a cowboy hat that will last when it’s properly cared for. Find a manufacturer that makes their hats in the United States, and controls the entire production process. If you’re buying a felt hat, find a manufacturer that still uses fur like rabbit, wild hare’s fur, and beaver, making the hat from fur to finish.

Removing Your Cowboy Hat

There are a number of occasions during which you’ll need to remove your cowboy hat: Remember that respect and courtesy are vital for any professional cowboy. Although it’s a common theme in popular entertainment, don’t hold the brim to take your hat off. Removing a hat by the brim can warp the shape of your hat, and a quality cowboy hat will have been painstakingly shaped to a specific style. Be sure to take your hat off by the crown.

Storing Your Cowboy Hat

Hanging your cowboy hat on a hat stand or storing it in a hatbox are both fine. If neither of those is an option, lay your cowboy hat down on its crown, upside down. Never leave a hat brim-side down, it can warp the brim, and lose its shape. If your hat is wet, from rain or sweat, turn the sweatband away from the hat and allow the sweatband and the hat to dry. Never attempt to dry a cowboy hat with a heater or in the dryer. It’s particularly important that felt hats are stored in cool, dry environments, away from excessive heat and humidity.

Cleaning Your Cowboy Hat

Most importantly, when you’re cleaning your cowboy hat, never use any chemical detergents, cleaners, or soaps. Definitely never put a hat through a washing machine. Never clean a hat when it’s wet. To dust your hat, use a hat brush on the dry hat. To remove persistent bits of dust, lint, or hair, use a lint roller or the sticky side of tape. For stains on a white or very light colored hat, your best bet is using a modest amount of baby talcum powder or cornstarch to absorb it and then brush it off.

About Resistol

Since their founding in 1927, Resistol has been committed to producing the highest quality hats for the men and women living hard-working, authentic lives. Resistol’s cowboy hats are built to resist all that a day can throw at them, to be worn whatever the weather conditions or the day’s challenges bring. The folks at Resistol still produce their hats here in the United States, from fur to finish. They continue to use authentic furs such as rabbit, wild hare, and beaver. The Resistol team makes hats and other apparel for everyday people who live life the cowboy way. They know how important that is since they live that life too. Whether you need a light colored or a black cowboy hat, check out Resistol’s premium cowboy hat collections from iconic country music names, made for professionals and independent cowboys like you.

Find the cowboy hat you’ll pass down at Resistol.com

Why a Good Cowboy Hat Should Be Considered an Investment

Cowboy hats are with you through it all, thick and thin, rain or shine. If you received your first felt or straw cowboy hat when you were young as a hand me down, if American tradition runs through your family, then you know that they’re more than just a hat. 

Black Cowboy Hat

Whether you’re buying your own cowboy hat for the first time, or you want to update your look, the right hat is an investment in your style and your character. It’s about more than just finding something that looks good: what a hat is made of, where it’s made, and the quality of craftsmanship all represent the authenticity of your character. What are you investing in exactly?

Invest in Craftsmanship

What makes a cowboy hat a true investment? It all comes down to the materials and the craftsmanship. Generic cowboy hats might look the part if you were dressing up in a cowboy costume, but a real cowboy will spot you from a mile away. If you plan to actually use your hat, you need something a little better built. This means taking a little extra time and being prepared to invest a little more into your hat.

You want to purchase from a company that makes their hats the hard way with full control over the entire production process. Cowboy hats are an iconic image of America, so make sure your hats are made right here in the USA from start to finish. Some companies might purchase hat bodies offshore, then dress and finish them. From fur to finish in the USA is the way to go: every element of the production process should be performed on American soil. Human hands should touch every part of the hat from the crown to the brim, whether you’re looking for a pure beaver fur hat for formal events or a light straw hat for working in the sun.

Invest in Durability

If you’re planning on wearing your hat daily, you want something that will hold up and resist all weather. This is where the materials come in. Cheap materials won’t last while premium materials will hold on. For example, the best felt cowboy hat money can buy is made from pure beaver fur. A high-quality handmade 6X hat made of rabbit and wild hare fur will also serve you very well. Straw hats can vary wildly in quality too, and the right straw hat, properly cared for, will protect you from the punishing heat of the sun. If you properly care for these kinds of cowboy hats, they will last long enough for you to pass down.

Invest in Style

Finally, every cowboy has their preferred style, down to the details like hat creases. Some prefer the classic cattleman while others like a rounded brick. Pick the style that fits you and your face shape the best. Also, the finish of the hat can say a lot about the wearer too. Someone wearing a black cowboy hat projects a different tone than someone with a faded straw hat. Your hat style gives the world a hint of who you are and what you’re doing, and it’s always best to invest in you. Try a few different styles out or maybe even emulate a hero of yours, and find the one that fits you best.

About Resistol

Since 1927, Resistol has been committed to producing the finest quality hats for anyone who lives authentically. Resistol hats are meant to be worn through thick and thin and are built to resist all, no matter the weather or the challenges of the day. They produce all of their hats, from fur to finish, in the United States using authentic materials like rabbit, wild hare, and beaver, among others. The team at Resistol makes hats and apparel for people that live the Western way of life, and they know what that means since they live it every day too. From straw hats to felt hats, including signature collections from your favorite country artists and riders to apparel for men and women, Resistol has all of your Western wear needs covered.

Shop their entire selection of hats and apparel at Resistol.com