The Fashion Rage Of Shapeable Cowboy Hats
Country music plays to one audience and MTV to another. When a key fashion accessory is featured on both, look for a strong fashion trend. Three years ago stars in both fields appeared wearing shapeable cowboy and there was a stampede to find the item. Since then the popularity of shapeable cowboy has never waned.

The demand has outstripped the supply in this stretch of time, keeping the cowboy hat trend hot. From Bourbon St. to beach resorts young and old were in shops trying on cowboy to find the style that was just right. Suppliers were caught off guard and the selection was limited or only available in higher price points. Some hat manufacturers reacted quickly and soon affordable designs were on the market that provided designs the buying public wanted. But quantities couldn’t keep up with demand and manufacturers and wholesalers were always running out.

The look that everyone wanted was the rolled brim. Shapeable often had wire in the outer brim and could hold a shape. Crushable were not as easy to shape, but often came already rolled. The rage began with natural straws that were shapeable and soon expanded to distressed looks and colors.

The number one seller became the distressed raffia pinch front cowboy hat. Raffia is a light weight and durable straw. The distressed look, like faded jeans, gives that well worn appearance with discoloration. Pinch front have the crown shaped like a man’s fedora popular in the 40’s and 50’s. This rugged look could be shaped to fit the individual personality, but it wasn’t the only cowboy hat selling.

The pinch top, also called the cattleman, was another big seller and looked especially good with a tightly rolled brim. As the trend mushroomed, colors caught on like wildfire. Black and white dominated. Pink was a fashion color of the year so became popular with the ladies. Red met strong demand from the red hatters. There was a market for natural straws, crushable hats, and nearly any design imaginable as long as it was a cowboy hat. The rage was coast to coast with the possible exception of the Northeast. But 2006 was introducing a new change that would include every part of the country.

This year sees the continuing strong trend for rugged looking cowboy hats, but the new twist that is taking cowboy to a new level of sophistication is fashion. This will touch every part of the country. Cowboy have moved to center stage for headwear in the women’s fashion arena with colors and trendy designs. They are being produced in every imaginable fashion color from lime to lavender. Textured fabrics, rhinestone bands, sequin studding, and the sparkle of lurex fabric are just some of the innovations making cowboy a hot fashion statement for ladies. These stylish cowboy are showing up in fashion magazines and on celebrities. Everything is building for a peak year for the item. With all this hoopla the question

By: Bethany Shannon
Delightful photos, Steve and Quin! Also, the new website looks great!

arises, will it be the last great year?

So far the vigorous demand and under supply has caught the wholesale sector short every year. Major discounters and department stores have practically missed the trend entirely. Today the demand is bigger than ever, but with three years to prepare, 2006 should be the year for supply to catch up with demand. But many manufacturers, importers, and wholesalers may think that it is late to get in the game. Cowboy are selling big where they never sold before—colleges, rock concerts, tourist destinations, and organizations. If supply is short in the heat of the summer, we can be sure the trend will go on. Besides the supply factor, there doesn’t appear to be any strong item in headwear that can move the good looking cowboy out of pole position. All of this considered, the future for shapeable cowboy looks very bright.