Hat Etiquette- How to Find a True Cowboy

 Did you know hat etiquette was practiced mostly by cowboys? 

The practice dates back to the days of chivalry when knights would raise their helmet shields as a sign of respect. But it was the American cowboy who popularized the custom. 

John B Stetson started making hats in a small room he rented in 1865. Using $100 dollars, he rented the room, bought tools, and $10 worth of fur. A year later he was famous for the hats "Boss of the Plains" and "Hat of the West". They were durable hats that kept the sun off the cowboys faces.

According to the John B. Stetson Hat Company (founded in 1868) there are very specific rules to dictate when a man should tip his hat and when to remove it.

Tip your hat…

If a lady thanks you

After receiving directions from a stranger

If you excuse yourself to a lady

When walking with another man and he greets a woman you don’t know

Remove your hat…

During the playing of the national anthem

Upon entering a building

During an introduction

When attending a funeral

When initiating a conversation.