Stetson

Stetson is an American brand of hat manufactured by the John B. Stetson Company.

John B. Stetson gained inspiration for his most famous hats when he headed west from his native New Jersey for health reasons. On his return east in 1865, he founded the John B. Stetson Company in Philadelphia. He created a hat that has become symbolic of the pioneering American West, the "Boss of the Plains". This Western hat would become the cornerstone of Stetson's hat business and is still in production today.

Stetson eventually became the world's largest hat maker, producing more than 3,300,000 hats a year in a factory spread over 9 acre in Philadelphia. In addition to its Western and fashion hats, Stetson also produces trucker hats, fragrance, apparel, footwear, eyewear, belts, bourbon, and other products evoking the historic American West.

Stetson University and Stetson University College of Law in Florida were named after John B. Stetson in 1899 for his contributions to the school. The university's athletic teams are known as the Hatters, and the official mascot is known as "John B."

Prospector's hat

John B. Stetson was born in 1830 in Orange, New Jersey, where his father, Stephen Stetson, was a hatter. He worked in his father's shop until he went West for his health.[1]

Military and police uniforms

United States

The hat was first sold in Central City, Colorado, in 1865 in a style called the "Boss of the Plains." In some versions of the famous American folk ballad "Stagger Lee," Billy Lyons is killed by Stack A Lee over a Stetson hat. Troopers of modern-day U.S. Army cavalry regiments will often wear a Cavalry Stetson on ceremonial occasions in place of the ACU patrol cap or beret.

The Homicide and Robbery Bureau of the Dallas Police used the Stetson hat as a badge of office.[14]

In addition, on April Fools' Day, 2011, the U.S. Army released a humorous statement that the official black beret of the Army would be replaced by Stetsons. The statement was supplemented by pictures of soldiers with Stetsons photoshopped over their berets, including an Army dog toting a Stetson.[15]

The Legion of Frontiersmen created in 1905 in England also wore the Stetson, as well as the South African Constabulary, organized by Robert Baden-Powell in 1901.

Canadian military

In the Second Boer War, the flat-brimmed Stetson became the standard issue of the 2nd Canadian Contingent, becoming recognized throughout the British Empire as a symbol of Canada. Twelve hundred Canadian troops were part of the South African Constabulary under the leadership of Robert Baden-Powell, and it was after seeing these troops in action at the Relief of Mafeking that Baden-Powel ordered 10,000 of these hats for the British Troops under his command.[16]

Canadian police

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Red Serge dress uniform includes a Stetson with a flat brim. The Stetson was first used unofficially by the North-West Mounted Police, in place of the traditional white pith helmet, not practical for the Canadian West. The color for the RCMP Stetson is sometimes referred to as "Belgian Belly"; it is a reddish buff, pastel-like color of the underfur of the Belgian hare. It is also a very little-used "second name" for the Stetson. Although called a Stetson, the hat type is similar to a campaign hat.

The Ontario Provincial Police also wore the Stetson (grey woven fabric) as part of their uniform from 1909 to 1930s and again from 1997 to 2009.

The Calgary Police Service may wear a black Stetson as an optional part of their uniform, reflecting the city's western roots and cowboy heritage. Although worn by some officers year-round, the hat is especially prominent during the Calgary Stampede.

type	Private
foundation	1865
founder	John B. Stetson
industry	Retail
homepage	https://www.stetson.com

Prospector's hat

Boss of the Plains

Mass production

Singing cowboys and ten-gallon hats

Changing fashions

Diversification

Military and police uniforms

United States

Canadian military

Canadian police

See also

Further reading

External links

References