Considering a Stetson Open Road, what pairs well with it?

[jkingrph]

Yeah, I do not own horses or cows, nor even know much about them. I feel that wearing a true Western hat is a lifestyle indicator, not just a hat. I feel that, in order to pull it off, you can't just have the hat. You must wear the pearl snap, the Wranglers, and cowboy boots, and let's not forget the belt buckle that can pick up 20 channels over the air. And, you need the truck to complete the look. When was the last time you saw someone wearing the outfit I just described, driving a Honda Civic?

I think the Open Road hat is certainly a nod to the Western US culture, but it's got enough fedora DNA to avoid being a true cowboy hat. I don't look at a guy wearing an Open Road and immediately think "movie extra from the set of Tombstone."

I live in E Texas and would be more of the type someone might call all hat and no cattle. I wear a lot of fedora types, open roads, and large western hats. I grew up in N Louisiana and a lot of the older gentlemen at the time, late 50's to mid 60's I would see would wear normal suits, dress suits and a large western hat, No one thought anything about it, it was just common. I rarely wear boots, as I work mostly on my feet when working, but still wear my western type hats with whatever I want/

Bottom line wear what you like, and think nothing of it. It's what you like and care not what someone else might think.

 

[Zombie_61]

Add “an” Akubra? If he sticks around he might end up with half their catalog!

I'm sure we could both name any number of worse addictions to have, Brent.

 

[J. Everett Brooks]

Thank you, gentlemen. I have learned a lot here. Much obliged!

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Thank you, gentlemen. I have learned a lot here. Much obliged!

Just remember, some things you just can't unsee!

 

[Short Balding Guy]

Good morning. The Stetson OR is a classic thin ribbon hat with a "bigger crown."

I have many thin ribboned fedoras. I wear them in town and country. Whether attired in casual, sport coat casual, or sweater I wear through all of our 4 seasons. This thin ribbon model is a fav. The 40-50's versions of the Stetson OR I have are particularily well done.

Rarely I wear the OR with a cattleman's crease. The vibe of that crease is rarely something I can feel comfortable in. A soft diamond is my prefered crease.

As to what attire; I find it a hat that can pair with my chores, casual and casual work attire. I have attached some pics below. Not great pics. Not any particular reason for choosing. Just some options.

I believe a better way to answer the question is to peruse the thread What Hat am I Wearing for examples. Weekly folks post many thin ribbon hats on all kinds of adventures.

I hope I have added to the conversation. Cheers, Eric -

 

[J. Everett Brooks]

To clarify, if I get an Open Road directly from the Stetson website, and it comes by default in a cattlemen's crown, I can't just reshape it into a teardrop crown, can I?

 

[Hurricane Jack]

@Short Balding Guy

Eric, I would definitely change out the tie for a bolo & wear a Cattleman OR with that! Looking sharp!

 

[Short Balding Guy]

@Short Balding Guy

Eric, I would definitely change out the tie for a bolo & wear a Cattleman OR with that! Looking sharp! View attachment 404318

That is a good suggestion Jack. I will have to seek a bolo. My last and only bolo came in a packaged box with a plastic gun, holster, hat, bolo when I was a kid. Loved pretending I was a western cowboy. I will have to seek a bolo.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

To clarify, if I get an Open Road directly from the Stetson website, and it comes by default in a cattlemen's crown, I can't just reshape it into a teardrop crown, can I?

You can change the crease in a current Open Road with its factory machine pressed shape, but it’s not easy and often some indications of the factory crease will be seen. The Akubra Campdraft is an open crown hat and allows you to chose the shape. You can also have a custom hat made for around the same price as a new Stetson Open Road. If you decide to go with the new production Stetson, I’d recommend the Royal De Luxe or the Pure.

You can still wear an Open Road with a cattleman’s crease with all the same clothing as an Open Road with a “fedora” crease/shape, but the Cattleman’s will definitely give it a more western/cowboy/outdoorsy vibe.

 

[MisplacedHillbilly]

To clarify, if I get an Open Road directly from the Stetson website, and it comes by default in a cattlemen's crown, I can't just reshape it into a teardrop crown, can I?

I can't speak to recreasing the Stetson but the Milano made Justin I have I was able to redo the shape dry. Although a bit of steam would "set" the shape somewhat better.

 

[Zombie_61]

Just remember, some things you just can't unsee!

View attachment 404317

 

[MisplacedHillbilly]

Just remember, some things you just can't unsee!

View attachment 404317

I must apologize, I was unaware of any cameras present!

 

[Hurricane Jack]

I must apologize, I was unaware of any cameras present!

LOL!

 

[Horn Draoi]

I went and checked-I have 6 OR clones in the winter rotation, 2 old Resistol and 4 Akubra. It’s the hat design that goes with everything! If I pull on boots in the morning, it’s the cattleman crease; hiking boots can go either cattleman or fedora; fedora style for shoes (I’d pair with chukkas like that).
I live in Central Texas; I’ll box up my felts in April, probably-others may have higher tolerance for head sweat.
They all go just fine with jeans!
In my youth-a LONG time ago-nobody wore ”cowboy” hats unless rodeoing or genuinely cowboying-businessmen and workers of all types wore OR with some vaguely fedora-like crease. I reserve my big cowboy hats for special occasions and freely admit to being all hat and no cattle at this point in my life.

 

[T Jones]

Hank Williams wearing an Open Road, fedora style...

 

[T Jones]

Good morning. The Stetson OR is a classic thin ribbon hat with a "bigger crown."

I have many thin ribboned fedoras. I wear them in town and country. Whether attired in casual, sport coat casual, or sweater I wear through all of our 4 seasons. This thin ribbon model is a fav. The 40-50's versions of the Stetson OR I have are particularily well done.

Rarely I wear the OR with a cattleman's crease. The vibe of that crease is rarely something I can feel comfortable in. A soft diamond is my prefered crease.

As to what attire; I find it a hat that can pair with my chores, casual and casual work attire. I have attached some pics below. Not great pics. Not any particular reason for choosing. Just some options.

I believe a better way to answer the question is to peruse the thread What Hat am I Wearing for examples. Weekly folks post many thin ribbon hats on all kinds of adventures.

I hope I have added to the conversation. Cheers, Eric -

Awesome!

 

[Edward]

You can save a few pennies and get an Akubra Campdraft instead. It’s the same as the Stetson Open Road but comes open crown and at a cheaper price point (even with shipping and currency conversion) the advantage is you can shape it more fedora or more western. You are not stuck with the factory pre set shape.
Just an idea. Good choice in style though
Johnny

Deffo. Didn't Akubra actually make the OR for Stetson for years before the contract went elsewhere? I'm sure I read that Akubra made a Stratoliner branded as a Stetson under licence, then when they lost the licence they just carried on with it rebranded as an Akubra Campdraft.

I picked one up a few years ago. It's a nice change sometimes from a wide-ribbon Fed style. I didn't care for the 'up' brim, so I steamed it down at the front. I also deliberately gave mine more of a fedora bash as I don't really like the more obviously cowboy shapes.

Images Copyright Hanson Leatherby, 2011.

 

[johnnycanuck]

Deffo. Didn't Akubra actually make the OR for Stetson for years before the contract went elsewhere? I'm sure I read that Akubra made a Stratoliner branded as a Stetson under licence, then when they lost the licence they just carried on with it rebranded as an Akubra Campdraft.

I picked one up a few years ago. It's a nice change sometimes from a wide-ribbon Fed style. I didn't care for the 'up' brim, so I steamed it down at the front. I also deliberately gave mine more of a fedora bash as I don't really like the more obviously cowboy shapes.

View attachment 404858

View attachment 404859

Images Copyright Hanson Leatherby, 2011.

You are right. Stetson did not make hats and ship them internationally. Nore did they set up shop on different continents. They contracted out local hat company’s to produce their hats under their brand name. So if you bought a Stetson in Australia it was a Akubra. If it was in Canada it was a Biltmore. After the contract was done with Akubra the Open Road model was so popular Akubra renamed it the Campdraft and just kept producing it. Now the quality of a campdraft to a Open Road is different. The Stetson feels a lot finer and more finished. The Akubra Will seem rougher by comparison. Stray hairs, not as silky smooth. But Akubras have a better reputation of lasting longer while still looking good. Also the open crown to make it a fedora style is always a bonus.
BTE looking good in your Campdraft Edward.
Johnny

 

[RossRYoung]

Eric already posted some excellent examples, but here’s another from today with cattleman and un-snapped brim:

 

[Edward]

You are right. Stetson did not make hats and ship them internationally. Nore did they set up shop on different continents. They contracted out local hat company’s to produce their hats under their brand name. So if you bought a Stetson in Australia it was a Akubra. If it was in Canada it was a Biltmore. After the contract was done with Akubra the Open Road model was so popular Akubra renamed it the Campdraft and just kept producing it. Now the quality of a campdraft to a Open Road is different. The Stetson feels a lot finer and more finished. The Akubra Will seem rougher by comparison. Stray hairs, not as silky smooth. But Akubras have a better reputation of lasting longer while still looking good. Also the open crown to make it a fedora style is always a bonus.
BTE looking good in your Campdraft Edward.
Johnny

Thanks, Johnny. That's more detail than I knew - I was aware of the subcontracting, but not that it was targeted for specific markets. Makes sense, of course from a business logistics pov. Interesting too that the Akubra models were perhaps a little more rugged than a Stetson-in-house model. I wonder was that just the nature of the different companies, or perhaps something that evolved out of differing demands in differing markets?
Akubra not long ago introduced a UK distributor, though alas markedly more expensive to buy from than private imports. If they started getting enough business to take on a UK supplier, though, that would be something.... A hat revival surely has to happen at some point!