re: Cowboy Hats Question

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My favorite hat is my Stetson Drifter which is Buffalo felt, followed by my Stetson Grey Bull. The Drifter has good lines, and a great color, and the Gray Bull is crushable, and I'm able to throw it in a suitcase and pack it flat for travel. The shape comes back perfectly in a couple of hours.
In the summer I wear a palm hat or something similar to the Redhead someone posted earlier, for in the yard or fishing. Panama hat for dressier occasions.

I am by no means well versed in cowboy hats, but I own a few and can share what I have learned to help you.

First, there are two main configurations on Resistol/Stetson that you should be aware of, round and long oval. It is as it sounds, the shape of the opening for your head. You should figure out which suits you best. I have both, and both work, but long oval feels better by a good bit to me. Go somewhere and try on both to get a good size and which feels better for you. You may have to dig on some of these websites to see which hat is which, but it makes a difference for me at least. You may have to plug in the hat name to a search engine to see. An example - I'll use Cavendars since it is all over the South. This hat on their site doesn't list what it is - https://www.cavenders.com/resistol-black-gold-20x-black-cattlemans-crown-felt-cowboy-hat/RFBKGDRB4277.html but if you go to Resistol's site you can see it is long oval - https://resistol.com/products/f-09blackgold-black. It is the "Oval Shape: Long" part of the description.

Next, when you do get one take care of it. Get a brush if you go with felt and follow the directions. Resistol/Stetson says to brush it counter-clockwise. No idea if that is necessary, but on their website they suggest it. Either way you will need to clean it up from time to time and a brush really helps. Here is one - https://www.cavenders.com/mandf-black-brim-brush/MF104201.html

Get a rack or holder or something to use when you are not wearing your hat. It doesn't have to be expensive, but it will help with your hat(s). For example, I bought one of these when I got my first hat - https://www.cavenders.com/m-and-f-cowboy-hat-rest/MF01031.html. Twelve dollars and will keep your hat from shrinking from sweat and the brim shaped how you have it shaped. After I got a few more hats I got something like this - https://www.cavenders.com/running-d-wooden-cowboy-hat-rack/BD51848.html to keep them looking like they should. I still put my straw hat on the $12 hat rest since I wear it daily, and it is easy to grab and go.

If you do wear a felt hat in the weather get something to protect it, like this https://www.cavenders.com/m-and-f-cowboy-hat-rain-cover/MF01080.html. Six bucks will protect a $300 hat pretty well.

I wear my straw hat daily, and have for years now. I wanted something to keep the sun off of my head while outside. It eventually led to multiple felt hats. I started out with a few 6X and ended up with a 20X that I absolutely love. Cavendars had a sale at the beginning of COVID where I picked up that 20X I linked above for $369, and it is worth every penny to me. Hopefully you will find something you will like. Good luck!

If you can make the trip I recommend to go here: LINK They make it custom to your head and they have all price ranges.

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If you can make the trip I recommend to go here: LINK They make it custom to your head and they have all price ranges

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This is where I buy mine. Just bought a 100x felt for the winter.

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This is where I buy mine. Just bought a 100x felt for the winter.

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I know what it feels like to go from a 6X to a 20X, but do tell what a 100X feels like.

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but my go to hat is a wide brimmed fishing hat with chin strap

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I have had an Outdoor Research wide brimmed hat for so long it is disgusting. One more time in the washer it may fall apart, I think the only thing holding it together is dried sweat.

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