The Bowler Hat is said to have been designed in 1849 by the London hat-makers Thomas and William Bowler to fulfil an order placed by the hatters Lock & Co. A customer had commissioned the hat to design a close-fitting, low-crowned hat to protect gamekeepers from low-hanging branches while on horseback at the estate of Thomas Coke, 1st Earl of Leicester. The keepers had previously worn top hats, which were knocked off easily and damaged. It is said that Europeans traveling to the colonies took these hats with them. Did you know that bowlers were the preferred hat for working cowboys of the old West in the second half of the 19th century?

Men commonly wore hats on the American frontier, and Derby hats were functional for various occasions. Most photographs from that time feature men wearing them, and one of the reasons they were popular is because they stayed on in windy conditions. Frontiersman typically wore hats related to their employment, and they were commonly made of beaver fur-felt and were natural in color. In addition to the Derby, men wore flat wool caps, Mexican sombreros, or old Civil War hats (such as the kepi). Have you ever worn a bowler or derby hat?

The original Stetson was dubbed "The Boss of the Plains," and it didn't resemble what we think of as a cowboy hat today. It featured a high crown and wide brim and looked a bit like an Amish hat. It was waterproof and shielded the wearer from elements such as the sun and rain. Besides its practicality, a well-kept and clean Boss of the Plains hat was also regarded as a status symbol back in those days. Stenton's original design remained unchanged for almost 20 years. During that time, most of the hats were worn with open crowns and didn't have a designed crease. Have you ever worn a modern Stetson cowboy hat?