Hats south of the border

[tonyb]

I just went to The Washington Post's website and looked at their photos of the Mexican presidential election. Couldn't help but notice the prevalence of hats atop the heads of Mexican men, especially rural men. Most of those hats are of a "western" style--many of them very much Open Road-like, with what we call a "cattleman's bash"--mostly in straw but some in felt.
It makes sense that a man who works out of doors, under the hot sun, would want a straw hat. Under those circumstances, a hat is much more than a fashion statement. Still, there seems to be a nod toward style in the rural Mexican man's choice of headwear. Pretty cool, I think.

 

[Uncle Vern]

In Mexico, you'll see more straws than felts during the warmer months, and in South Texas, straw is the most common, with a shorter brim. Western-style hats are ubiquitous in Northern Mexico and the southern portions of the US border states. Mexican men, especially the very dark-skinned Mestizos, look terrific in those classic, white Stetson straws, which aren't really straw, but lacquered paper, although palm leaf hats are making an appearance.
The western hat derives from the sombrero, but the general shape has its roots in antiquity.
I live in Austin, Texas, and western straws and felts are very commonly worn here by Mexicans, especially on Sundays, which is the day to get duded-up in a Stetson and show of the fancy Mexican cowboy boots. Austin Chicanos don't seem to wear them much, but they do wear them from El Paso down through South Texas because they're closer to the remnants of the rancho culture. You won't see many Anglos wear western hats here unless you're out around the ranches or farms. Local hometown rodeos bring out the young dudes in their new rodeo Stetsons, and those kids can tell which high school somone attended by his hat block and crease. If I'm wearing one of my nicer Resistols, some of the Mexican guys will often stop me in front of the grocery store and talk hats. They're really into it.
Vicente Fox always wears great hats, well-chosen for brim and crown size. I suspect that his hat is a Stetson El Presidente. President Bush sports that model, but with a slightly narrower brim. He also wears a custom hat from Texas Hatters.
A few months ago, I started seeing all these Vicente Foxes walking around Austin, a real outbreak of the 4-inch brim, cattleman's crease hat with a medium crown. Then I happened to walk into a Walmart and noticed a pile of western hats in the men's clothing area. I suspect this is the origin of the recent Fox look-alikes, who all seemed to have appeared simultaneously. I checked a few of them out. Made in Mexico, stamped 3X (probably rabbit or buffalo felt,) and actually very nicely made, with thin brims, a nice block and a general feel of decent quality and durability to them, much nicer than the low-end Stetson crap that shows up in the local western shops. Price? $24.95. Great deal. If a low price will get a man into a good hat, I'm all for it.
I think one of the main reasons I favor western hats is that they're part of such a long, unbroken Southwest tradition shared equally on both sides of the border.
If any of you fedora lovers ( I like them, too) have a secret, guilty desire to talk western hats, I'd be happy to participate in the discussion. I have 16 of them, and counting.

 

[SHARPETOYS]

I have a 25 year old original 10X "Charlie One Horse" My hunting hat. Art just cleaned and reblocked and put in a new liner, roan leather sweat band. Looks better than new.

I ordered about a week ago a custom pure beaver from John Morris Jr. at Rocky Mountain Hat Company...

http://www.rockymountainhatcompany.com/styles1.html

Now the wait begins. I love western hats...They were my first hat

 

[Prairie Shade]

I have perspired in many!!

In the West (West of the Missouri River) most young men find themselves sporting a western style hat. Felt in cooler months, straw in summer. I always coveted my uncles smaller brimmed hats. I usually fell heir to them when he was finished. Can't tell you how many open roads have had newspaper stuffed under the sweatband and worn out by yours truly. I'm always in awe at the number of latinos I see whenever I go to the Stetson Outlet in St Joseph. They are looking for BIG high XXXX's and all sport them proudly on the way in, and a new one on the way out. A lot of money for their pay. It must be very important to them.

 

[Twitch]

Everywhere outside of the few big cities it's all "cowboy style" hats straw or felt in Mexico.

 

[tonyb]

So it appears.