Cowboy Hat Etiquette
A cowboy hat comes with a set of unwritten rules passed down for generations. Customs vary by region and family, but these traditional guidelines will serve you well whether you're new to the hat or just want a refresher.
1. Take it off indoors
Traditionally, a man removes his hat when he enters a home, a church or a restaurant, and when he sits down to eat. Many people still keep it on in public spaces like airports, stores and hallways.
2. Remove it for the anthem, the flag and prayer
Take your hat off for the national anthem, when the flag passes, during a prayer and when a funeral procession goes by. Hold it over your heart with your right hand.
3. Tip it as a greeting
Touching or lifting the brim is a polite hello or thank-you, especially when greeting a woman or an elder. It's a small gesture of respect.
4. Handle it by the brim, not the crown
Pinching the crown over and over weakens the felt and can crack straw. Pick your hat up by the front and back of the brim with clean hands.
5. Never set it on its brim
When you put a hat down, rest it upside down on its crown so the brim keeps its shape. Folklore also says a hat on a bed brings bad luck, so keep it off the bed.
6. Don't touch someone else's hat
A cowboy hat is personal and often shaped to its owner. Don't pick up, try on or wear someone else's hat without asking first.
Respect the hat when it's off your head too
Good etiquette includes caring for your hat. The Mavericrest hard-shell case holds your hat by the crown so the brim never takes weight. It fits crowns up to 5″ and brims up to 4.5″, and it's sized to fly as a carry-on.
Keep reading: how to store a cowboy hat, cowboy hat shapes and traveling with a cowboy hat, plus our cowboy hat box guide.
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