Cowboy Hat Etiquette: A Yankee’s Hard Lesson in Texas

We rolled into Fredericksburg, Texas, to get ready for our RV Community fall rally the following week, and I was ready. 

After months of planning, I had my outfit dialed in: boots polished, jeans pressed, and my pride and joy perched crown down on the passenger seat —a super deluxe Resistol black-felt cowboy hat. 

This isn't some costume shop knock-off. This is the real deal, genuine felt, perfectly broken in, with just the right amount of swagger in the brim. I'd been looking forward to wearing it since we announced this rally.

This was Texas, after all.

Up in Michigan, there aren't a lot of folks wearing cowboy hats. But down here in Texas, it would be my constant companion. 

Then reality hit me like a tumbleweed in a dust storm.

I was unhitching the fifth wheel, and Jen took Bo for a walk when she met Dan and Tina Caswel, two of our early arrivals. Both are Texas natives. And Daniel is a real deal cowboy. He's farmed, ranched, delivered thoroughbred racehorses all over the country, and “worked cattle” much of his life. 

A cowboy. A real one.

They heard me talking in one of the livestreams about bringing my Resistol. So he shared some cowboy hat etiquette with Jen.

He thought I needed to know something: A black felt hat, no matter how nice, is a winter hat. Wearing felt in Texas before November is just not done. 

I'm bummed. Legitimately bummed. That hat was an expensive Christmas gift from Wendy and her brothers. It must have cost them a small fortune, and I'd been mentally rehearsing my grand entrance all week. But apparently, in the world of authentic cowboy culture, there are rules, unwritten laws as sacred as don't mess with Texas itself.

The cardinal rule? No felt hats in summer. I looked it up. Dan is absolutely correct. 

The traditional guideline is simple: straw from Easter to Labor Day, felt from Labor Day to Easter. Some old-timers will tell you it's Memorial Day to Labor Day for straw, but the point remains the same. Felt is for cooler weather. Straw is for when the sun's trying to murder you, which in Texas seems to be about ten months of the year.

Why does this matter? It's not just arbitrary fashion gatekeeping. Felt hats are made from animal fur, usually beaver, rabbit, or a blend. They're dense, warm, and insulating, perfect for crisp fall days and cold winter nights. Straw hats, woven from natural fibers, are breathable and light, designed to keep your head cool when the pavement's melting. 

Wearing felt in the Texas heat isn't just a fashion faux pas; it's practically a self-inflicted heat stroke waiting to happen. 

I concede that this makes a lot of sense. When we pulled into the Oakwood RV Resort, it was 90 degrees.

There is more I have had to learn.

Cowboy Hat Etiquette

Beyond the seasonal rules, cowboy hat etiquette runs deep. You remove your hat indoors, especially in someone's home, at the dinner table, or during the national anthem. You can leave it on in public buildings like banks or lobbies, but in restaurants and churches? Hat comes off. When you meet a lady, you tip your hat. When you're introduced to someone, you can take it off entirely as a sign of respect.

There's also proper hat placement. Never put your cowboy hat brim-down on any surface. This is considered bad luck and can damage the brim's shape. Always rest it crown-down or hang it on a proper rack. And for heaven's sake, don't touch another person's hat without permission; that's as personal as grabbing someone's phone.

The fit matters too. Your hat should sit comfortably about a finger's width above your eyebrows, level on your head, not tilted back like you're auditioning for a country music video.

So here I am, hat in hand (literally), heading to the nearest Western wear store to find myself a proper straw hat. My beautiful Resistol will have to wait for November. 

I ended up with a Stetson – another top Western hat maker. That's it below. I like it.

Lesson learned: when in Texas, respect the code. The locals aren't being difficult; they're preserving a tradition that's been passed down for generations.

And honestly? After hearing the logic behind it, I get it. I'm properly humbled and ready to embrace straw season. 

My felt Resistol and I will have our day, Just not today. 

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