Felt or Straw: How to Choose Your First Cowboy Hat

Every cowboy hat starts with one choice: felt or straw. The old rule says felt from fall through winter and straw from spring through summer, and it holds up because it's practical. Felt keeps warmth in and holds its shape in wind and rain. Straw lets the air through when it's hot. Pick for the season you'll wear it most, and the rest follows.

When felt makes sense

Felt is the traditional cowboy hat, the one most people picture. It's dressier than straw, so it works for a wedding, a night in town or church as well as a cold morning outside. Wool felt is where most people start: it's stiff when new and softens as it's worn.

Will & Bear's Buck is a good first felt hat. It's the classic western shape in 100% Australian wool felt, with UPF 50+ sun protection and an adjustable sweatband to set the fit, and it comes in three colors.

Brown is the easiest to wear. It goes with denim, leather and nearly any pair of boots.

Cream is lighter and brighter, and looks sharp against dark denim.

Smoke is the moodiest of the three: black and grey felt for evenings out.

When straw makes sense

Straw is the hat for hot weather. It's lighter on the head, lets air through and is more casual than felt, so it suits rodeos, county fairs and long summer days outside.

Will & Bear's Duke is hand-woven from natural raffia. It's light and breathable, and the brim has a wire in it, so you can shape it the way you like.

A hat for travel

If the hat has to fit in a suitcase, look at a packable felt instead of a stiff one. Will & Bear's Dusty is soft Australian wool felt with a cattleman-style downturned brim. It crushes flat into a bag and springs back into shape, with UPF 50+ sun protection. It's an outback hat rather than a traditional cowboy hat, but it does the same job on a road trip.

Getting the fit right

A hat should sit level, just above the eyebrows and the tops of the ears, and stay put in a breeze without leaving a red line on your forehead. Measure around your head where the hat will sit with a soft tape measure, then check the maker's size chart before you order. If you fall between sizes, the larger size with an adjustable sweatband is usually easier to live with.

Looking after it

Pick a hat up by the brim, not by pinching the crown, which is how creases wear and crack. Store it upside down on its crown or on a hook, and keep it out of hot cars and direct sun. Brush felt with a soft brush, and let a wet hat dry on its own, away from heat. Check the maker's care notes for anything specific to your hat.

For more ideas, see Western Gifts for Him and Gifts for the Cowgirl in Your Life.