Shape your cowboy hat easily

Shape your cowboy hat using the wire sewn in the brim.

Almost all hats are shapeable but some need steam to do it. Gone Country hats are easy to change to suit your taste or stature.  All Gone Country cowboy hats have wire in the brim for easy shaping.  Cowboy hats will traditionally have a flatter, wider brim and western style fashion hats will have a smaller brim and a tighter curl. When you are following the directions here, remember this. You are SHAPING THE WIRE, NOT CREASING THE STRAW.

Put the hat in front of you with the back close to your belly. Put your hands on the wired edge of the hat with your fingers underneath and thumbs on top. See how Keith's thumbs are on the wire, not the straw. Roll your hands forward and inward gently to bend the wire. Then gently walk your hands back while curling your wrist inward. Most people prefer the front to be narrower, then the hat should get wider as you go back. You can tweak the wire to get the shape you want.

If you want it dipped down in front and back, then take your hands back to the front and place them in the same position. But instead of curling your wrist inward, curl it forward and down gently. Do a little bit at a time. If you crunch the hat too hard you could break the material. Then turn the hat around and put your hands in the position again with your thumbs on top and your hands underneath. Curl your wrists in and down gently to dip the back.

It's all about proportion.

When changing a cowboy hat's shape, keep in mind that hats should be in proportion to the shape and size of your face, the width of your eyes and the width of your shoulders. Generally, the front should be curled in so that the break (the straight distance between the curled sides) is about as wide as your eyes. In the picture above, you can clearly see where the sides begin to curl up. If your face is narrow, make that straight area narrower. If you have trouble with this, put on your hat, snap a selfie and email it to judy@gonecountryhats.com along with your phone number. We can what's app or skype with you to walk you through it.

Palm leaf hats as shown in the picture are nearly indestructible, but the paint on hats such as the Brad can separate if you curl too hard, so be gentle. The styles with the large open weave are less flexible at the crease and you don't want to ruin your hat.. So don't ever crunch the fabric of the hat.  Do all the shaping using the wire.