Cowboy Hat Respect. (Houston, Dallas, San Antonio: theater, living, vs.)

[DewDropInn]

Originally Posted by legalsea

I fondly recall Bum Bright, the coach of the Houston Oilers football team. He refused to wear his cowboy hat inside the vast Astrodome, saying his mama told him a gentleman doffs his hat indoors, regardless of the size of the building.

I think you mean Bum Phillips.

Like Bum, my husband always removes his cowboy hat when he goes inside a building. We have property in an area full of ranches with working cowboys and horse riders and not many do. It's not unusual for someone to comment when my husband removes his hat indoors. Some compliment him on his old-fashioned matters....some mention Bum.

[pdxMIKEpdx]

Get the boots, a nice tooled leather belt with a nice buckle, a good fitting pair of wranglers, and think about the hat before you buy one.
If you are going to take it back to England and wear it, buy a good quality felt one so the rain doesn't ruin it.
If it's going to sit on a shelf on display, get a nice straw one with a horse hair hatband.


Go for the classic George Strait look:
(BTW, check out his "square toed" boots!)

[1AngryTaxPayer]

The flat nosed boots are trendy now, especially the candy colored sides but I'm a traditional kinda guy. Maybe a bone tipped set but that's about it.

[banjomike]

Just remember that the little bow, buckle or knot on the hatband goes on the left side of your head. The hat's on backwards if the bow is over your right ear. Wearing a cowboy hat backwards is really common for those who've never worn them before.

Boots and hats are all real personal choices, but take your time and try on as many different ones as you have the time for; sooner or later, a hat that really suits you will become apparent. Don't think that all cowboy boots must have toes that go down to needle points, either; these days, the real cowboys were boots with all kids of different toe shapes, heels, and all the rest.

If you aren't going to be doing a lot of riding, I suggest you look at a pair of 'ropers' for your boot choice; they have lower, flatter heels and wider toes than some boots designed for more riding than walking. The ropers were originally designed for rodeo bulldoggers who have to jump on the ground to wrestle the steer, so they're more comfortable to walk in than boots designed for all-day rides in the saddle. You'll still be authentically 'cowboy' wearing a pair while walking all day in them.

Good hats and boots are both expensive, so if you really want to look like the real deal, expect to spend some money. But if your choices are conservative, you can wear both for years back home and look very good.

[turf3]

The whole thing about hats on/off indoors can generate some controversy, but I recommend taking your hat off indoors, whatever kind of hat it is. You cannot be accused of bad manners if you take your hat off.

Lots of people have wide, soft, and/or painful feet, and the square toed boots are a godsend, as well as roper boots. George Strait is a professional musician. When he's playing music, he has a job where he stands on his feet for hours on end. He should wear the most comfortable boots he can. I would not be surprised if he wears pointy toed high heeled boots when he rides, as that configuration was designed for riding, not for standing on a hard wooden stage for hours.

[NVplumber]

Originally Posted by Bonzo194

Hi all,

I Live in the UK and will be visiting Texas on holiday in April next year. The better half of my marriage suggested we could get ourselves cowboy boots and hats as a memento of our trip...... that being said I don't want to cause any problems or show any disrespect by just walking in to a store, buying a hat and wearing it as I travel through Texas as an English tourist. I understand that I'm not at home and certain etiquette comes with cowboy hats. I have read up on etiquette when eating and entering a building with a cowboy hat on but cant seem to find anything about English tourists. Could somebody please advise me? We will be staying at Wildcatter Ranch in Graham for a week so no question that we will be doing plenty of riding.

Ahh sir. Your manners deserve recognition. I ain't no Texan. But cowboy I am. You see, a true cowboys hat tells a story. Every stain, every nick, every thing that's hung on it. Some things you may see on a hat may seem ...odd. For example, my current one (I have a couple retirees) has a tuft of snow white fur, bound with bow string on it. It's a tuft from a very loyal and most beloved dog. She passed last year. But will always be remembered. On my hat.

A lock of my lady's hair is tied to my cavalry cords, and my father's rank insignia is pinned to it as well. Just remember, if you buy a cowboy hat, and recognize TRUE hat etiquette, your money ahead and it's not just a souvenir. It's a symbol. It can become a part of who you are. Tell your story. Better than any tattoo.

Its...gratifying...from where I sit, that you would honor the brim the way you do. There's still a few real cowboys out here. And we ain't all in Texas either.

[C24L]

I think you will be fine as long as you dont wear your hat into a church worship service,OP.Just be ready to pay a pretty penny for western wear.

[lepoisson]

Cowboy boots are interesting. You fit in really well wearing them here in Texas, or in more rural parts of the Midwest. But you'll stand out a little bit wearing them in larger cities on the coasts.

Hats are another story. I rarely see anyone wearing them here in DFW. People in Fort Worth seem to wear them more than other areas, and Hispanics like them a lot. You'll stand out a lot by wearing a western hat in most of the US.

[joqua]

I don't mean to seem rebellious. But seeing as I'm a native Texan who went through his "drugstore cowboy" phase in his teens, I now favor Australian design "western" hats as made by Akubra when wearing felt. My summer panama remains a Stetson brand. And my first pair of boots were made by the ORIGINAL Tony Lama himself. I still wear that brand even though the company was acquired by Justin Boots company years ago. But I've not owned colorful pearl-button shirt in years.

[engineman]

A man that I used to work with told me never to wear a cowboy hat on an airplane. The only place to put it is in the overhead compartment. If you do that some fool will come along and put a suitcase on top of it squashing it flat. His territory was Texas which he traveled full time. He always wore boots even when in a business suit. My territory was Florida, never wore any hat and just regular shoes.