The cowboy hat is a famous piece of clothing worn by many people for various purposes. It is essential that you wear it appropriately when driving because driving comes with many rules that must be followed regardless of who is behind the steering and what you are putting on.
Therefore, the question is, how to wear a cowboy hat while driving?
To wear a cowboy hat while driving, ensure the cowboy hat is your proper head size, adjust the hat to fit your type of hair, use a stampede string to hold the cowboy hat from flying off your head, and ensure to position the brim of the cowboy hat to prevent it from blocking your line of vision.
What is a Cowboy Hat?
How do you identify a cowboy hat? A cowboy hat is an extensive overflowed hat that comes with a large crown. Many people call it the ten-gallon hat. It is designed in such a way that there is a wide top and a bulging crown.
In certain conditions like protection against extreme weather and fashion, the wearer of a cowboy hat can modify it. Cowboy hats are very popular in the West, Mexicans are very famous for wearing the cowboy hat a lot. They are actually the most recognized people that use the cowboy hat.
People that work on ranches use cowboy hats in the western and southern parts of the United States. Other groups of people famous for wearing the cowboy hat are the Mexican ranchero musicians, North America rodeo circuit participants, and the country music singers.
What is the History of the Cowboy Hat?
Cowboys are known by their hats. It is very rare for you to come across a cowboy in the United States without a hat. And so, the hat became standard clothing for cowboys in past years. Old models of cowboy hats never had this round brim you see on cowboy hats today.
In 1965 during the civil war in America, John B. Stetson designed the first cowboy hat. He was from Philadelphia and he was a household name in the area of hat manufacturing.
The first cowboy hat was made with fine fur. The fur was gotten from rabbits, beavers, and some other animals with fine fur.
The cowboy hat was redesigned by the Mexicans in the 19th century. It was designed in a way that it now had a long crown that served insulation purposes and a wide brim to act as a shade from the sunny weather in Mexico.
Since then, the cowboy hat has gained popularity across the globe and many people now use it for different purposes – fashion, weather conditions, etc. Musicians, politicians, and many other celebrities have been identified with a cowboy hats in recent years.
In modern times, cowboy hats are made from fur–based felt, straw, and leather. It’s mainly brown in color but you can find some black and beige colors on the market.
How to Wear a Cowboy Hat While Driving
To wear a cowboy hat while driving, you should:
1. Ensure The Hat is Your Proper Size
You need to ensure that the cowboy hat you want to wear is your proper size and head shape. It is important for the cowboy hat to be able to sit tightly on your head while driving.
This is because, while driving, you don’t want your cowboy hat falling off your head because of the heavy wind. If your cowboy hat keeps falling off your head, it will keep distracting and can even deprive the fun of driving from you.
Therefore, you must ensure that the cowboy hat is the proper size as well as the size of your head.
2. Adjust the Hat to Fit Your Hair Type
For ladies with long hair, you need to ensure you adjust the cowboy hat before wearing it to drive. You need to do this so the hair does not whip about when the wind blows strongly else it might cause you to lose focus while driving.
Also, if you are a man with bald hair, you just don’t have any hair on your head, irrespective of how your hair is as a man, adjust the hat to fit correctly before you start driving.
3. Use Stampede String to Hold the Hat
If after adjusting the cap to fit your head and you still notice that the wind is blowing your cowboy hat around, making it fly off, you need to attach a stampede string to the cowboy hat. The stampede string will hold the hat in a firm position and prevent distractions to the driver.
4. Position the Brim of the Hat
You need to position the brim of the hat in such a way that your line of vision is not obstructed and your eyes and face are not exposed to extreme weather conditions.
These are how to wear a cowboy hat while driving. Once you have followed these steps, you can conveniently wear your cowboy hat while driving. Failure to follow these rules may end up getting distracted as you drive because of your cowboy hat.
How Do You Keep a Cowboy Hat on While Driving?
While driving, you should wear stampede string if you want to keep a cowboy hat on. Stampede strings are little ropes that are attached to opposite ends of a sweatband with the aid of pins. The hat is made to fit tightly to the head when both ends of the strong are knotted. It will be difficult to knock off.
It is important that you keep the cowboy hat fitted properly on your head while driving. If you don’t, you might be constituting a nuisance to other road users.
The cowboy hat you wear should be your correct fit in terms of size and shape. When it fits you properly, it will be difficult for it to fall off. Sometimes while negotiating a sharp bend, the cowboy hats fall off due to improper fitting.
Can You Put Cowboy Hat Upside Down While Driving?
No, you should not place your cowboy hat upside down while driving. This will obstruct your vision while driving and you can cause accidents.
Reasons Not Wear a Cowboy Hat While Driving
- It Reduces Your Convenience: Many cowboy hat wearers have complained about the brim of the hat. The brim of the hat hits the headrest of the driver’s seat. This makes it quite uncomfortable for the wearers while driving as they might be distracted during a drive.
- It is Unsafe: It is possible for the cowboy hat to slide down your head while driving. If this happens, your eyes will be covered and accidents can occur on the road.
If the cowboy hat keeps hitting the seat headrest, you can push the seat a bit backward to create a little space between the hat and the headrest.
Note that you should not push the chair so far away from the steering because that will limit your visibility and might pose danger while driving.
What are the Cowboy Hat Rules?
The cowboy hat is seen nowadays as a gentleman’s item and not just for a cowboy. As a gentleman, there are certain rules that apply and will dignify you. Some of the rules are termed to be old-fashioned but it is purely about etiquette.
The cowboy hat rules are:
Know When to Remove Your Hat
It is common knowledge that some situations and events require you to put off your cowboy hat. When you hear the National Pledge, National Anthem, the passing of the flag, during a funeral procession, in church, during prayer, etc. you need to remove your hat.
You should also remove your hat while you speak to a woman. You can hold the hat in one hand while you shake her with the other hand.
Pick the Right Hat for the Time of the Year
Cowboy hats made from felts are supposed to be used to keep your head warm during the cold season. The straw cowboy hats should be used to keep your head cool during the summer. It does not make sense for you to reverse it because you will be uncomfortably sweating underneath.
Handle Your Hat Properly
You should take proper care of your hat in public. Hold your hat by the crown.
Conclusion
Just like in other areas of life, there are rules for wearing a cowboy hat. These rules are made to be obeyed for the ensured safety of road users. The rules are not in place for theory’s sake but for practical purposes.
Wear the cowboy hat the appropriate the way you should to enable you to develop good eye habits when driving. You don’t need anything that will be obstructing your vision while you drive.