There are hat companies, and then there is the company whose name people use when they mean “cowboy hat.” Stetson has earned the confusion: the name became all but interchangeable with the hat.1 It has also earned a careful reading of the sweatband, which is what this page is for.
Where it started
John B. Stetson founded his company in Philadelphia in 1865 to make hats for people living in the West.2 His first western design was the Boss of the Plains: a lightweight, all-weather hat with a high crown for insulation and a wide, stiff brim against sun and rain. The originals were natural in color, with four-inch crowns and four-inch brims and a plain strap for a band.1 The first ones were fur felt and shed rain, and when Stetson worried about the waterproofing he moved to beaver felt.1
Wikipedia calls the Boss of the Plains the prototype for every cowboy hat design that came after.3 The hats were sold open crown. The creases came later, put there first by weather and rough handling, then on purpose, until a crease could say where a man lived or worked.1
In its early years the Philadelphia factory employed more than 5,000 people and made more hats than any other company in the early 20th century.3
Where it is made now
The old company had a harder second act. Sales fell sharply in the 1950s and 1960s, and the Philadelphia factory shut down in the early 1970s.3 Stetson hats are now made in Garland, Texas, by Hatco, which also makes Resistol.3 A visit to the Garland plant by Hook & Barrel describes felt hats being pressed, shaped and fitted with sweatbands and liners, and straw hats pressed, lacquered for water resistance and wired to hold their shape. Its quality-control supervisor says some of the machines date to 1890 and 1892.4
Today the Stetson name covers more than hats. The company’s own site lists felt and straw hats across western, outdoor and fedora collections, plus boots (western, roper, exotic and harness), shirts, denim, outerwear, accessories and fragrance.5 On our floors, the hat is why you came.
How Stetson sizes
Stetson publishes a straightforward chart in fractional sizes, inches, centimeters and letters, from 6 3/8 (20 1/4 inches, 51 cm) to 8 (25 1/2 inches, 64 cm).6 Its measuring instructions are to wrap a tape around the head across the middle of the forehead, about 1/8 inch above the ears, firm but not tight.6
A few house rules worth knowing before you order:
- Between sizes, Stetson says to go up and add padding to the sweatband.6
- Each letter size covers two fractional sizes on the chart (M is both 7 and 7 1/8), so order by fraction when you can.6
- A fur felt hat can be taken down one full size but not made larger, and a stretched hat tends to drift back to its original size.7
What the X means at Stetson
Stetson marks its hats with X’s. Its explanation: in felt, the X reflects the percentage of fur in the hat body, and higher X means more beaver in the mix; in straw, a tighter weave and a narrower reed earn more X’s. The exact beaver percentages, Stetson says, are a manufacturing secret it chooses not to share.7
That makes a Stetson X useful for comparing one Stetson to another and not much else. X ratings are not standardized across the trade.8
Care, the Stetson way
Stetson’s instructions for felt: store it upside down on the crown, brush it counter-clockwise from the left side with a soft brush, keep it away from heat (including car windows and hot cars), and if it gets wet, shake it off, turn down the sweatband and let it dry without the brim touching anything. Stains get baby talc or corn starch, never liquid cleaner. Hold it by the brim, front and back, and touch the crown as little as possible.7
What to buy first
On our hats floor, the first Stetson we’d hand you is a black fur felt cattleman. It’s the crease people picture, and black felt is the one etiquette sends to weddings and formal events.9 If your face is long, ask for a lower crown; if it’s round, a taller one.
The second is a summer straw in a cattleman or open crown, for the stretch between Memorial Day and Labor Day.9 After that, you are a customer with opinions, and we’ll show you the open-crown felts.
