HATS OFF TO STETSON!

Unbelievably, the year 2015 is drawing to a close. Boy, was that quick! It was a great year for the Western Fictioneers. We added more members, saw the release of many fantastic new western novels and short stories, and gathered for our first convention.

I can’t let the year go by without acknowledging a very special birthday. This year, the iconic Stetson hat is turning 150 years old! In 1865, John B. Stetson set up a little shop in Philadelphia and began hand-making the classic “Boss of the Plains,” which became the favored hat for ranchers, cowboys and movie stars. There is evidence that he had been working on prototypes since 1860.

That means that, up until 1865, westerners wore an assortment of hat styles. The most common hat was actually the bowler, or derby hat. (Think Butch and Sundance.) Larger brimmed hats evolved from southern planter hats and sombreros worn by southwestern vaqueros. But it was John B. Stetson who is credited with the creation of the classic cowboy hat as we know it.

"The Boss of the Plains"

The felt was made from a mixture of fur and water and then shaped into a high-crowned, wide-brimmed hat that protected its wearer from rain and heat and cold. Later styles featured creased crowns and curled brims to suit each owner’s personality and needs. Click here for a cool video outlining the process of making a Stetson hat.

Buffalo Bill Cody, Annie Oakley, Calamity Jane, Will Rogers and Tom Mix all wore Stetsons. By the early 1900’s, Stetson owned the country’s largest hat factory. This popularity continued throughout the “flapper” and World War II eras, as Stetson released modified styles to suit changing fashion trends.

By the 1980s, it became more economical for Stetson to license other partners to make its hats. They also branched out into other products: fragrances, luggage, home decor items, and even bourbon.

The Stetson Hat Company continues to try new ways to keep “on top” of the mercurial world of fashion. The current CEO of Stetson is Izumi Kajimoto, a Japanese-born fashion executive who came up through the ranks of designer labels Ralph Lauren, Marc Jacobs and Calvin Klein. Kajimoto sees the brand appealing to the “hipster” demographic and European markets, since there is a shift toward more sophisticated dress. This year’s 150th Anniversary Collection includes both traditional western hats and smaller brimmed fedora types.

The Paragon
150th Anniversary Collection

The Benchmark
150th Anniversary Collection

Styles come and go, but it appears that the Stetson is an American classic destined to last. And, yes, every single Stetson is still made right here in the USA…Garland, Texas, as a matter of fact.