"Boss of the Plains"

A cowboy just wouldn't be a cowboy without a hat. The original "Boss" was manufactured by John Stetson in 1865. The hat was flat-brimmed, had a straight sided crown and rounded corners. The lightweight, waterproof hat was natural in color. A plain hatband was fitted to adjust to head size and bore Stetson's name. A cowboy riding the range wearing the "Boss of the Plains" showed the world that he was doing well.

The cowboy hat was made famous with 'Black and White' movies. Bad Guys wore the Black hats and the Good Guys wore White hats. Roy Rogers’ white Stetson with a silver hatband was one of the most famous Hollywood cowboy hats. We can't forget that The Lone Ranger and his White hat brought justice to the Wild West. Today, hats colors have changed into seasonal apparel. Black or felt hats for winter and straw or White hats for summer.

The modern Cowboy still uses his hat to communicate different messages. A man can stake his claim on a woman if he gives her his hat (signifies they are to start dating) If a cowboy gives a woman his hat in a bar and she accepts it and wears it that means she's agreed to go home with the Hat owner. As the old cowboy saying goes, "It’s the last thing you take off and the first thing that is noticed."

Other famous cowboy hat wearers….Clint Eastwood in The Good the Bad and the Ugly wore a distinctive hat. President Regan wore a cowboy hat not only in his movies but in real life. And we can't forget Festus' Gunsmoke hat or Hoss Cartwright's 10-gallon hat.

As an admirer of all things cowboy, the "Boss" along with boots and tight jeans makes any cowboy sigh-worthy.

Marin