Cowboy Hat Advocate Pushes for Official National Status
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Americans may soon have a chance to express their national pride through a distinct item of traditional clothing, similar to how Scots wear kilts or other nations don recognizable attire. In a Washington Post op-ed, journalist Timothy Nerozzi argues that the United States should formally designate a piece of national dress—and he believes the cowboy hat is the perfect place to start.
Nerozzi, a foreign affairs reporter for the Washington Examiner, writes that he brings his Stetson with him wherever he travels overseas. According to him, the hat consistently draws positive reactions from people abroad and serves as an unmistakable symbol of American identity. He describes it as “the one item of clothing that still acts as a visual bullhorn to all within eyesight that a red-blooded American is among them.”
While the cowboy hat is his top choice, Nerozzi suggests that other items could eventually receive similar recognition, such as moccasins or the seersucker suit. His broader argument is that establishing an official national dress could help reinforce a shared cultural identity at a time when many worry that American culture is becoming fragmented, even as it spreads globally.
“A small gesture like officially designating the national dress,” he writes, “could pay dividends by encouraging citizens, no matter their background, to adopt a shared expression of Americanness.”
Despite the proposal’s intent, reactions have been largely negative. Readers commenting on the column overwhelmingly oppose the idea, citing a wide range of objections, from concerns about symbolism to discomfort with defining national identity through clothing.
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