Western Dress Hats from The Last Best West
“Every dog, we are told, has his day, unless there are more dogs than days.” – Bat Masterson
We make western dress hats the way they did in the old west – one at a time- and believe if you want an authentic Boss of the Plains you should be able to get the same style of hat that cowboys wore back in the day. We start with the best fur-felt hat body available – made in the USA – and fashion as fine a custom western hat as you will find. ~ All about hats and how we do it ~ Testimonials
In the early days of the western frontier small brimmed Town Hats, like Top hats, Bowlers, Sailors Caps and military hats were the most common head wear on the settlers and adventurers that pushed west into the Great Plains of North America from the eastern part of the continent.
Back in those days the large brimmed cowboy hats were associated with Texas Cattlemen, Mexicans and other hell-raisers, most respectable people wore small brimmed western dress hats or town hats. In later days well off ranchers and westerners would most likely have two hats. A wide brimmed one for in the saddle and small brimmed dress hat for wearing to Sunday Meeting.
In fact Marshals like Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson considered most anyone that wore a large brimmed hat to be a trouble maker, and cowboys wearing one were watched carefully whenever they hit town.
Any well maintained, clean cowboy or western hat can certainly pass as a dress hat – but back in the 19th century small brimmed or Town Hats were the norm to wear with a good suit of clothes. Even today folks that like hats and have a good suit tend to have a western dress hat that they keep for good wear.
Western Dress Hats
Tend to have smaller brims in the 2-3 inch in width, and the crowns can be any where from 3 1/2 to a full 6 inch height in the case of a top hat or bowler.
Boss of the Plains
The first Boss of the Plains was sold in Central City Colorado in 1865, and quickly became a marketing marvel.
This was the cowboy hat that formed the basis of most other western hats.
Remember the movie Tombstone? (1993) All the Earp Brothers (played by Kurt Russell, Sam Elliot, and Bill Paxton) wore different colors and slight variations of this same classic open-crowned Boss of the Plains design.
Our other open crowned designs include, Captain Call, Stumpy, and the Samuel Jones.
Town Hats
There Will Be Blood
Another of the hats with the sagebrush crown shape. This crown style was very popular at the turn of the 20th Century, made famous by William S. Hart in the early silent western movies of the day.
This is one of the most powerfully acted stories of the early 21st century. The movie starts with no dialogue for the first 20 minutes or so, and yet, you watch fascinated as the story unfolds.
With his masterful depiction of the ruthless oil-baron, Daniel Plainview, English actor, Daniel Day-Lewis’ acting drives the story in There Will Be Blood. {2007}
About 2/3 of the way through There Will Be Blood the audience has figured out what a socially undesirable megalomaniac Daniel Plainview is, and you watch and wait in anticipation for this bully to get his. And he never really does.
Have Gun Will Travel
TV Series from 1957 – 1963
Have Gun Will Travel was one of the most watched TV shows of the late 50s and early 1960s. Richard Boone portrayed the character Paladin convincingly to millions of viewers and the hats were great.
An aging Randolph Scott was first offered the role of a Knight of the Old West. Richard Boone ended up with the part of Paladin, in Have Gun Will Travel, which became his signature role. Click for Paladin’s gun leather
A big kettle curl on the brim gives The Paladin Dress Hat its unique look and style. Like all Westerners who could afford it, Paladin had two hats. A western dress hat for town wear with his good suit of clothes, and a trail hat for when he was on horseback.
Didja Know? Richard Boone is descended from the brother of frontiersman, Daniel Boone.
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Big Heat Handmade Fedora Hat - our take on Glenn Ford's fedora from The Big Heat. {1953} The Big Heat features great fedoras in almost every scene, and this is our take on the Dave Bannion hat.
- Crown: 5" inches
- Brim 2 3/4"
- Hatband: 2" Black grosgrain ribbon and bow.
- Crown: Fedora
- Brim: Hand shaped snap brim, with front dip. Bound
- Color: Granite
- Personalized with your name inside the crown
- Hatband not sold separately
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Cimarron Custom Movie Hat - Our version of the Yancey Cravat hat from the 1931 best picture winner. This is a very versatile hat style. The crown is a modified tycoon with a big kettle curl and roll to the brim. Musicians seem to favor our Cimarron Custom Movie Hat, and it looks great with a good suit of clothes. Performers hat, Dress Hat, or wear it on the range and impress the critters. What more do you need in a hat!
- Crown: 4 1/2" inches Modified Tycoon
- Brim: 3 1/2" Kettle Curl, hand rolled
- Color Shown: bone
- Hatband: 1" Grosgrain ribbon and bow.
- Personalized with your name inside the crown
- Musician Favorite
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Pinkerton Custom Town Hat hand made by the last best west During the Victorian Era {1837-1901} this short top hat was one of the more common hat styles worn throughout the English speaking world. We have made the Pinkerton Custom Town Hat with everything from a 3 1/4" crown (musician) to a full 6 inch top hat. If you have specific crown and brim measurements, just enter them in the PRODUCTION NOTES below, as you build your hat order. This style also looks dynamite on women, and as a STEAM PUNK hat!
- Crown: 4" inches Texas Straight
- Brim: 2 3/4" Hand Shaped Bound
- Hatband: 1 1/2" satin with bow.
- Color: Black
- Personalized with your name inside the crown
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The General Town Hat - Short Crown, small brim this design goes back to the mid to late 1800s – and was a favorite hat style during the American Civil War. Striking looking hat, it looks extremely good on women.
- CROWN HEIGHT: 3 1/2"
- BRIM: 2 1/2
- Hatband:1 1/2" chocolate brown satin ribbon and bow with matching bound edge.
- Crown:Texas Straight
- Brim:Hand Shaped Bound
- Color shown: Sahara in 20X beaver fur felt
- Personalized with your name inside the crown
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Boss of the Town Hat - The original Cowboy Hat from 1865 Our Boss of the Town Hat with an open or rounded crown is similar to the one worn by Wyatt Earp in 1993s excellent western film, Tombstone. The Texas flat crown version is more of a gaucho, or South American look. We will shape it either of these ways, enter your choice below as you select your hat details and options.
- CROWN: 4" inches
- BRIM: 4" inches
- Available in all colors
- Hatband: 1" inch grosgrain ribbon and bow.
- Crown: Open OR Texas Flat
- Brim: Flat with bound edge, or pencil rolled
- Colors Shown: Black, Pecan