Stetson Hat

An Invention Worn First as a Joke

The Stetson story begins outdoors, with materials gathered on the spot. In the 1860s John B. Stetson created a rugged hat for himself made from thick beaver fur felt while panning for gold in Colorado. According to legend, Stetson invented the hat while on a hunting trip, showing his companions how he could make cloth out of fur without weaving. He made an unusually large hat from fur-felt he made from hides collected on the trip, and wore the hat for the remainder of the expedition. Although initially worn as a joke, Stetson soon grew fond of the hat for its ability to protect its wearer from the elements. That turn, from joke to valued equipment, is the heart of the invention: the oversized form turned out to be functional in every direction at once.

Each feature of the cowboy hat he invented earns its place. It is a felt hat with a tall crown and very wide brim. The wide brim gives protection from the elements and functions to protect the wearer's eyes from the sun. The high crown keeps an insulating pocket of air on the head, cushioning the wearer against heat and cold alike. A waterproof lining meant the hat could be used to carry water, so it could also double as a water bowl. A hat that shades, insulates and carries water is a tool as much as a garment, and that combination explains why a hat made for one man's expedition could become standard outdoor wear. The first commercial step followed quickly: the hat was first sold in Central City, Colorado in 1865 under the name Boss of the Plains, more commonly known as the ten-gallon cowboy hat.

From Boss of the Plains to a Household Name

Later, Stetson's cowboy hat was renamed the Stetson, after its inventor, and that renaming explains the point most often misunderstood today: Stetson is a brand name, not a type of hat, even though Stetsons are often known simply as ten-gallon hats or cowboy hats. In 1869 Stetson returned to Philadelphia to found his hat company, which produced high quality hats for outdoors use. The growth was rapid and industrial in scale. By 1886 Stetson's hat company was the largest in the world, and had mechanized the hat-making industry. A craft that began with felt made by hand from trip-collected hides became, within about two decades, a mechanized business of world-leading size, without changing the basic tall-crowned, wide-brimmed form that had proved itself in Colorado.

The form's official life confirms its standing beyond ranch and trail use. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police Red Serge dress uniform includes a Stetson with a flat brim, a formal, flat-brimmed adaptation of the same broad idea for one of the most recognisable dress uniforms in the world. For anyone describing or buying one of these hats, precision helps: cowboy hat names the type, ten-gallon names it by popular tradition, Boss of the Plains was its first selling name, and Stetson names the maker and brand founded by its inventor. Keeping brand and type separate respects both halves of the history, the individual invention in the 1860s and the company that, from Philadelphia from 1869 onward, turned that invention into high quality hats for outdoors use at a scale no rival of the day matched.