Straw Cowboy Hats: Palm, Toyo, Fit and Care

Straw Cowboy Hats questions

How do you shape a straw cowboy hat?

It depends on the hat. American Hat Makers says its straw hats can only be reshaped if there's a wire inside the brim; then you just bend the wire with your fingers. Without a wire, leave the brim be. Crown reshaping is harder without proper tools, so a local hat shop is your friend there.

How do you clean a straw cowboy hat?

Brush off dust with a soft brush. For a greasy or sweaty spot, American Hat Makers suggests dusting it with cornstarch or talc to soak it up, then brushing it away. Tougher stains get a damp cloth. For the worst ones, it says a careful dab of water and hydrogen peroxide can help. Test on the inside first and go easy.

When should you wear a straw cowboy hat?

When it's warm. The traditional calendar puts straw between Memorial Day and Labor Day and felt the rest of the year, and Resistol and American Hat Makers both repeat it. In hot states, straw season starts earlier and ends later, and nobody worth listening to will complain. For formal events, Resistol notes felt can be expected even in summer.

Can a straw cowboy hat get wet?

A light rain is survivable; a soaking isn't great for most straw. If it gets wet, shake it off, keep the shape, and let it dry at room temperature, not on a heater or in a hot car. Stetson's care guide says the same for straw. A wet straw brim can droop, so set the hat on its crown while it dries.

What are straw cowboy hats made of?

Lots of things called straw. Palm straw is a natural plant fiber. Toyo is a shellacked fiber of wood-pulp origin, first developed in Japan, that makes smooth, light hats. Bangora, seagrass and paper braid show up too. In our feed you'll see Mexican palm, Toyo, bangora and seagrass straw cowboy hats. The material line on each listing tells you which one you're getting.

What's the difference between palm and Toyo straw?

Palm is a woven plant leaf, so it has a natural, slightly rustic texture and varies a little hat to hat. Toyo is made from a wood-pulp fiber coated with shellac or a polymer, so it's smooth, even and light. Palm reads more working-ranch. Toyo reads cleaner and a little dressier. Both are warm-weather hats.

Does a straw cowboy hat protect you from the sun?

A straw cowboy hat with a four-inch brim shades your face and most of your neck, which beats any cap. What gets through depends on the weave: hold it up to a lamp, and if you see pinpricks of light, so does the sun. Only a handful of straw cowboy hats in our feed state a UPF rating, so read the listing before counting on one.

How do you fix a crushed straw cowboy hat?

Gently, and only so far. A light steam over a kettle can soften some straws enough to push a dent back out with your fingers; hold the shape until it cools. Don't soak it. American Hat Makers says its straw brims can only be reshaped if they have a wire in the brim. If the weave has cracked, it won't heal, so a crushed crown may be the end of that hat's dress-up days.

Can you wear a straw cowboy hat after Labor Day?

You can wear whatever you like. Labor Day is tradition, not law. If it's still 90 degrees in September, the straw stays. Where people raise an eyebrow is a straw hat at a winter formal or a funeral, where felt is the expected choice.

How do you store a straw cowboy hat?

On its crown or on a hook, somewhere dry and cool, never flat on its brim. Don't stack things on it and don't jam it in a bag. If you're driving, the back seat is better than the back window, where the sun bakes it. Straw that's been crushed rarely looks the same again.

Why wear straw in summer?

Straw lets air move through the hat, and felt doesn’t. That’s the whole reason the old calendar exists. A straw cowboy hat also weighs less, so it’s easier to wear all day at a rodeo, a ranch or a fairground with no shade in sight.

Which straws will you run into?

Palm: a natural woven leaf. A little rustic, a little different on every hat. The working-ranch choice.
Toyo: a smooth, light straw made from a coated wood-pulp fiber. Clean lines, dressier look.
Bangora and seagrass: textured weaves that show up on both cowboy and cowgirl styles.
Paper braid: light and inexpensive, more common on sun hats and fedoras than on cowboy hats.

Every product page here repeats the straw named in the store’s material line.

How much shade does a straw cowboy hat give?

More than you’d guess from the price tag, if the brim is wide and the weave is tight. A cowboy brim curls up at the sides, so it shades your face and the back of your neck better than your ears. On a long day in open sun, that’s where the sunscreen goes. Want the most coverage? Margo’s wide brim straw hats page sorts every hat by brim width, and a listing that states a UPF rating is worth the extra look.

How do you keep it in shape?

Straw’s enemies are crushing, soaking and heat. Store it on its crown. Keep it out of hot cars. Brush it clean, and use cornstarch for greasy spots. If the brim has a wire, you can bend it into the curve you like and change your mind later. If it doesn’t, the shape it came with is the shape it keeps.

For the felt side of the year, see felt cowboy hats.

What’s the best straw cowboy hat for hot weather?

A breathable straw with a brim around four inches, vents if the listing has them, and a snug fit so you’re not chasing it across a parking lot. Palm is the everyday straw you’ll see most. Toyo is smoother and dressier. If you’ll be out from noon to sundown, check for a stated UPF rating and a tight weave in the brim. Our best straw cowboy hats list ranks the feed on brim width, airflow, sizes in stock and price.

Straw Cowboy Hats

Straw Cowboy Hats questions

Why wear straw in summer?

Which straws will you run into?

How much shade does a straw cowboy hat give?

How do you keep it in shape?

What’s the best straw cowboy hat for hot weather?

Straw after Labor Day?

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Sources

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