This article is part of Texas Monthly’s special fiftieth-anniversary issue. Read about the other icons that have defined Texas since 1973. In 1973 a 10X-rated fur felt Resistol cowboy hat would ...

Cowboy hats are generally considered an evolution of the crowned sombrero, which Mexican Cowboys, known as Vaqueros, wore. They were wide-brimmed, sat similarly on the head and were a way to keep the ...

Today, aside from its functional purpose, the cowboy hat also makes an iconic fashion statement. We rounded up the best to shop now.

But the rodents are boring into the cowboy hat market just as they bore into our waterways. Garland-based Resistol sells a $550 cattleman made of a blend of nutria and rabbit fur.

“A hat is really an extension of your personality — we try to match the hat to the person.” The cowboy hat, created in the 1860s, remains a unique icon for America.

Dodge has partnered with cowboy-hat maker Resistol to release the biggest and fanciest Ram ever offered -- the 2008 Resistol Edition Dodge Ram 3500 Laramie Mega Cab (say that five times fast).

The 2008 Resistol Edition Dodge Ram Mega Cab made its debut at the State Fair of Texas. What is a Resistol, you ask? Indigenous Texans tell us Resistol has been the leading cowboy-hat maker for 80 ...

A factory worker applies steam and stretches animal felt hats while manufacturing Stetson and Resistol brand cowboy hats at the Hatco, Inc. factory in Garland, Texas, U.S. on Friday, August 28, 2015.

Stetson and Resistol are some of the most iconic names in cowboy hats, and they're made right here in North Texas. Check out the Hatco Hat Factory in Garland.

Mike "Red" Wallis holds one of the finer cowboy hats at his store in Pendleton, Ore. Beaver, whose pelts are used in making felt for the hats, are increasingly hard to find, making it more ...

In recent years there has been a revival in the popularity of men's hats, and Houston has several shops that any man or woman interested in classic styles should consider visiting.