The case for cowboy hats

In response to the Aspen Princess’“Tips on looking not-so-much like an out-of-towner” (commentary, Dec. 25, aspentimes.com), without further ado, the Aspen Cowgirl’s Guide for how to do Christmas like a local:

Wear whatever you want (cowboy hats included).

Newsflash: Tons of people in Colorado wear cowboy hats! John Denver included (I heard you enjoy his sanctuary). In fact, they were invented right here in the good old American West by John B. Stetson, way back in the mid-1800s. And while you’re right in calling them “the perfect outdoor concert accessory [that] keep the sun off your face,” here’s a little informational nugget: Most real cowboy hats are made of fur, making them waterproof, warm, effective snow-blockers for days when “it’s snowing as if Santa Claus himself requested it (…)” You might even say they’re the perfect way to wear fur “in moderation.” Go figure!

And here are a couple of other little bonuses: You can wear your cowboy hat on “a cross-country ski up the East Aspen Trail, (or) a snowshoe up Maroon Creek,” as many longtime locals have done since before any of us were born. They’re also just plain bad-ass … just ask Kurt Russell if you don’t believe me.

Samantha Purcell

Aspen