Wearing A Cowboy Hat In Wyoming? You Better Know The Rules

Wyoming is the Cowboy State, The University Of Wyoming athletic teams are called the Cowboys, the state license plate and many businesses use the cowboy on the bucking horse logo, so it's only natural for the cowboy hat to be a common accessory across the state.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary describes the cowboy hat as

: a wide-brimmed hat with a large soft crown

— called also ten-gallon hat

There are many different shapes for typical cowboy hats.

• Cattleman Crease - single crease down the middle with dents on both sides
• Pinch Front - Diamond-shaped pinch at the front
• Gambler - Flat brim all the way around with a circle dent on top
• Open Crown - No crease or dents in the top
• Gus - Tall Brim with three creases at the front

Summertime is a popular time for rodeos in Wyoming, so you may've decided to head out and buy a new cowboy hat.

When you decide to wear a cowboy hat, you better know how to do it and do it well. As they old saying goes, with great power comes great responsibility.

If you put on a baseball cap, you're more than likely going to let it sit on your head all day and rarely remove it, when you wear a Cowboy hat...that's not acceptable.

For those that went out and purchased the cowboy hat to try and fit in, but didn't know there was more to it than that...we're here to help.

Wide Open Country has a great guideline to the important rules and cowboy hat etiquette.

• Hat Rule 1: Know when to remove your hat.
  • When honoring America (National Anthem, Pledge or a passing flag)
  • In Church
  • Praying
  • When introduced to a woman
  • When dining in a restaurant (not a bar)
  • Most indoor situations
• Hat Rule 2: Pick the right hat for the right season
  • Felt hats work best in cooler temps
  • Straw hats are better in the warm temps
• Hat Rule 3: Properly handling your cowboy hat is important. Don't let the inside of the hat show and if you're going to tip your hat, tip it like you mean it. Don't just flip the brim and do it half heartedly.
• Hat Rule 4: Take care of your hat when traveling just tossing it into your suitcase like it doesn't matter, isn't the correct way. Protect it, love it and it won't let you down.
• Hat Rule 5: It's not OK to touch another man's cowboy hat. An exception to the rule is on the wedding night, the bride can touch her new husbands hat.