Cowboy Hat Guide

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Wearing your cowboy hat
- If the hat is a little to lose, place insulation tape around the inside of the brim to take in a little of the slack
- The top of your head should touch the inside top of the hat. This helps ensure the hat doesn't blow off in heavy wind. However, in extremely windy conditions, it is often worthwhile to pull the hat down lower across your forehead to prevent the hat flying off down the road.
- It is normal for a hat to fade with time, and also to lose some of its fur.
- Your hat should be regularly brushed with a brim brush to remove dust and dirt. Start brushing on the left hand side and move around the hat in a clockwise fashion. Both the crown and brim should be brushed in the same direction.
- When putting your hat on or taking it off you should note that any handling will cause flexing or bending of the brim and crown, which will gradually weaken the hat. The more severe the bending or flexing, the sooner your hat will lose its ability to retain its natural shape.

Putting the hat down
- When you take off your cowboy hat, always place it crown down (upside down). Otherwise the brim can begin to straighten and that will ruin the look of the hat.
- Alternatively you can hang the hat on a hat stand or coat rack, provided the crown is supported and there are no obstacles pressing down on the brim
- If the hat is not going to be worn for a reasonable period of time, it is best to have it supported by the inside of the crown, rather than have it resting upside down on the crown. The latter approach can easily damage the felt on the top of the hat
- Your cowboy hat should be stored in a cool, dry environment. While they can look impressive in the back window of a car, the extensive heat and humidity the hat will be subjected to here can easily damage it by causing it to loose shape
- If you are putting down a wet hat, ensure that it is supported by the crown and the brim does not touch any surface. Otherwise once the hat dries, it is likely a mark will be left on it.
- Never leave your hat in a hot or humid location, nor in direct sunlight. Doing so will result in the hat shrinking or distorting in shape and being ruined.

Cowboy Hat Etiquette
- Do not interfere with anyone else's cowboy hat. A hat is a prized, personal possession, and should be treated with respect
- Whenever you enter a building, you should remove your hat. If it is an informal event you may put the hat back on again, however it should be left off if it is a formal event.
- When sitting down at a table, you should remove your hat when you eat, provided there is somewhere safe to place it
- If you are sitting down at a counter for a meal however, it is acceptable to retain your hat on.

- It is appropriate to take your hat off outdoors when:
a) when you are being introduced or saying goodbye
b) to greet someone you know in the street
c) when talking, particularly to women or older men
d) when the national anthem is being played
e) at a funeral or near a funeral procession

- Tipping your hat is done by barely lifting it off your head (By the crown of a soft hand or by the brim of a stiff hat). It is appropriate to tip your head when:
a) when walking with a friend who passes a woman only your friend knows
b) any time a lady who is a stranger thanks you for some service
c) anytime you excuse yourself to a woman stranger
d) when you ask a woman or elderly man for directions
e) anytime a stranger shows a courtesy to a woman you are with

- You should always take your hat off indoors, except under the following conditions:
a) in public buildings, e.g. railway station or post office
b) in entrance halls and entrances to hotels or office buildings
c) in elevators of public buildings or offices

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