When sandy winds blow through the Western Wastes, a straight and tall wool hat can protect groundbreakers from wind, sand, strong sunlight, rain, and snow. Then, such a hat is not a hat anymore; it’s a flag of freedom and a badge of resilience. With 158+ years of history, Stetson has made their hats by each stitch and thread, with hearts to sew the American spirit into each hat. From being the moving home for western cowboys to global cultural symbols, its story is an American epic, wearing a hat. Here, we, Aung Crown, a professional custom headwear and apparel manufacturer since 1998, will introduce the history and development of Stetson.

The Original Rise of Stetson

The Birth of Cowboys & Pioneer Spirit in American Western

In 1865, during the rebuilding period after the end of the American Civil War, John Batterson Stetson founded his brand, Stetson, in Philadelphia, rooted in the hat-making crafts passed down from his father. Since then, John Stetson opened a legacy of hat-making that affected the whole world. As the pioneer of cowboy hats, John Stetson designed his first cowboy hat in the 1960s. At the beginning, cowboy hats were practical gear for groundbreakers, made from durable wool with wide brims to block sunlight and rain, and a sturdy cap shape, which made them become the concrete symbol of the Western spirit in the US.

When creating Stetson, John Stetson made his oath to make the best hat in the world, which is derived from John Stetson’s pursuit of extreme craftsmanship, and also echoes Americans’ admiration for resilient, independent, and open-minded spirit at that time. From gold rush miners to cowboys of the West, Stetson hats had gradually become the symbol of freedom and adventure rather than being a tool. Even Stetson hats are also called the moving house because they can provide the most reliable shelter for groundbreakers.

Brand Theory: Boned with Quality and Souled with American Spirit

The hundred-year heritage of Stetson has always centered around two main core values: the extreme pursuit of quality and the carrier of the American spirit.

The extreme pursuit of quality

“Do it right, do it to the best of your ability” is the principle in its brand genes. No matter whether in the hand-made sewn in the 19th century, or the updated crafts in modern times, Stetson still adheres to that each hat is a piece of art. From the selection of natural fabrics like wool or leather, and each stitch of hand-made patchwork, each detail shows the extreme consideration of the durability and comfort.

The carrier of the American Spirit

Stetson has integrated the American spirits like freedom, independence, and multiculturalism into its designs, and believes that hats are expressions of American personalities. From the rugged, bold temperament of Western cowboys to the low-key temperament of urban elites, Stetson headwear has carried the life attitude of never giving up and daring to break through. Just as its official website said, “we’re not only delivering hats, but also a real lifestyle faith.

Product Features: Literacy Balance Between Classic and Creation

As a world-level cowboy brand, the features of Stetson products can be included in 3 points.

Iconic Hat Shapes – Cross-era & Classic

Cowboy Hats: The soul products in Stetson, famous by the high top, wide brim, and resilient hat shape, like the classic Boss of The Plains (the first cowboy hat in 1865), which is still the favorite hat for hat collectors.

The Extension of Multiculturalism: From wear-resistant worker caps, vintage street-wear newsboys hats, elegant bowlers, to casual baseball caps, Stetson has kept its Western gene and exposed the hat types at the same time to meet different scenes.

Extreme Attention to Fabric & Craft Detail: Stetson has adhered to using natural fabrics like wool, leather, and felt. Through traditional crafts, like shaping by steaming, and hand-made hems, Stetson can make sure each hat is slick and shaped, with nice breathability and great wear resistance. For example, its wool newsboy hats are famous for the fine woven texture and soft to the touch, which makes them the accessories for street shooting for fashionistas and fashion bloggers.

The Inheritance and Updating of Iconic Brand Logo: In 2020, Stetson optimized its classic logo and kept the horse head and its brim as the core element, adding textures as details, which pays admire to the heritage of 150 years of history and caters to the modern digital era with much fancier visual language. The updating of moving against the current shows its wisdom in upholding the essence and innovation.

Current Status – Global Rejuvenation of Century-old Brand

Nowadays, Stetson has developed the cultural symbol in the global headwear field from a regional brand in the West in America.

Expanded Markets: Besides its native market – the American market, Stetson has reoccupied the high-end market in Europe and directly reaches more consumers through E-commerce platforms (such as official websites that support global shipping). In 2018, Stetson entered the Chinese market, and Baoding Huayi HatsCo., Ltd. is the only officially authorized hat maker in China, integrating the Western spirit and Chinese aesthetic to launch hats that are suitable for Asian people.

The Extension Symbol of Culture: From the film Kingsman, to celebrities like Madonna, Brad Pitt, Stetson hats are the symbol of the American style. Stetson hats are not only hat accessories, but also identity symbols of music concerts, horse races, etc..

Rich Product Lines: Besides the core headwear, Stetson has expanded its product lines to scarves, gloves, and more, and even launched collaborative collections (such as functional headwear that collaborated with outdoor sports brands). But the core is always its hats and adheres to the initial mind of making professional hats.

Alla fine

A Piece of Hat, Bearing the National Epic Spirit

From a small workshop in Philadelphia founded by John B Stetson to a famous world-level century-old brand, the story of Stetson is not only a hat-making epic, but also the microcosm of American culture. Stetson weaves resilience and freedom with wool and knitting yarns, and against the giddiness of fast fashion by its classic designs, which prove that a real luxury hat, its quality and spirit can withstand by times. No matter whether it’s sunset in Western Wastes or the neon lights on urban streets, under the brim of Stetson hats hides an untamed heart forever.