| The cowboy hat is the defining piece of attire for | | | | good guys wore white hats. Even today, the |
| the North American cowboy without doubt. When | | | | term "black hat" refers to someone engaged in |
| a child sees someone with a cowboy hat, they | | | | unethical or illegal activity and "black hat" refers to |
| think, and often say, "cowboy!" A cowboy hat | | | | someone engaged in purely legitimate activity, |
| can be defined as a wide brimmed hat with a high | | | | with "gray hats" coming somewhere in between. |
| crown, but everyone knows one when they see | | | | Today, cowboy hats are of course worn by real |
| one. Actually, the traditional of wearing similar hats | | | | cowboys, horseback based animal herders, as well |
| goes all the way back to Mongolian horsemen in | | | | as country-western singers and aficionados, and |
| the 13th century. | | | | anyone who wants a good hat for working |
| Cowboy hats are made of felt commonly, but | | | | outside. |
| straw and leather are also common today. They | | | | Although the original cowboy hats, invented by J. |
| normally have a small band inside to help hold | | | | B. Stetson, w ere fairly simple, today's hats run |
| them on the head and a decorative headband on | | | | the gamut of colors, decorations, and styles. In |
| the outside. They come in all colors, but brown, | | | | fact the J.B. Stetson Company is still producing |
| black, and beige are most common. In Western | | | | cowboy hats and has been since 1865. And they |
| movies, the bad guys wore black hats and the | | | | still look great and work well! |