BRISTOL—From cattle ranches and rodeos to country music concerts, cowboy hats are one of the most recognized American symbols—emulating Western culture, rugged independence and fashion.

Since 1865 when John B. Stetson crafted the first cowboy hats, they’ve evolved and flourished as hat shapers, crafters and artisans blend traditional looks with contemporary styles.

“People get very attached to their hats and will wear them until threadbare,” said Doris Kincade, a fashion merchandising and design professor at Virginia Tech’s School of Design. “They mold them, wear them when sweaty and continue to wear them so they fit like gloves on their heads.”

Practical and stylish, they shield from the sun and rain while serving as statement pieces. Kincade recalled her grandfather having two: a well-worn “working hat” for the family farm and a “pristine Sunday hat” for special occasions.

“No one else should wear your hat because it wouldn’t fit,” she noted.

At Wiseman’s Western in Bristol, steam billows as Arrow Brooks softens and shapes a fur felt cowboy hat.

“There’s a lot of finesse to it,” Brooks explained, pressing the rounded crown into a cattleman’s crease.

For Brooks, who wears his own straw hat while working his family’s cattle herd, “cowboy hats are a tool.” Felt hats weather the elements and hold warmth while straw hats stay cool during long sunny days.

And from a pinch front to the sloping crown of a Gus, or a boldly curled brim, hat shapes and styles are as varied as their wearers.

“A classic cattleman’s crease with a JB brim is the most popular” with its iconic three center creases and slightly curved brim, Brooks said. But the fit is essential.

“The biggest part is centering the hat to your face—lining it up with your nose,” he explained. Brooks measures hats to their wearers, ensuring balance and symmetry.

In Wiseman’s hat loft, Brooks refurbishes farm-battered cowboy hats and refits them for rodeo runs. Branding irons add initials and symbols while exotic skin bands make a statement.

For Tabitha Kiss of Taylor Made Hat Co., cowboy hats are part function and part canvas. Traveling with her mobile hat bar to fairs, festivals and artisan markets, she transforms hats into tailored works of art—burning, branding and embellishing to reflect wearers’ personalities.

And thanks to the resurgence of Western fashion through celebrities and shows like Yellowstone, Kiss said cowboy hats are “all the rage.”

Using wood-burning tools, she free hands intricate designs onto rabbit, beaver or wool felt hats and paints straw hats. Steamers, stretchers and hat blocks ensure the right shape and fit before they’re finished with silk, hide, handmade braided leather or beaded hat bands.

“The sky’s the limit with cowboy hats,” she said.

Her customers range from farmers and ranchers, barrel racers, concertgoers and wedding parties. Some bring family heirlooms passed down from grandparents, wanting them refreshed with personal touches.

“I’ll get a little nervous about branding those,” she chuckled. “I’m blessed to have a steady hand.”

Read more in Virginia Farm Bureau News magazine.

Media: Contact Brooks at 276-608-2969 or Kiss at 804-944-1133.