Sombrero Típico Tostada

A sombrero (Spanish , ) is a type of wide-brimmed Mexican men's hat used to shield the face and eyes from the sun. It usually has a high pointed crown, an extra-wide brim (broad enough to cast a shadow over the head, neck and shoulders of the wearer) that is slightly upturned at the edge, and a chin strap to hold it in place.

In Mexico, this hat type is known as a (" charro hat", referring to the traditional Mexican horsemen).
In Spanish, any wide-brimmed hat may be considered a sombrero.

Design

Sombreros, like cowboy hats, were designed in response to the demands of the physical environment. The concept of a broad-brimmed hat worn by a rider on horseback can be seen as far back as the Mongolian horsemen of the 13th century. In hot, sunny climates hats often have evolved wide brims. The exact origin of the Mexican sombrero is unknown, but it is usually accepted that the hat originated with Mestizo cowboys in Central Mexico. Although ''sombrero'' is usually taken to refer to the traditional Mexican headwear, the term ''sombrero'' predates this item of clothing, and has been applied to several differing styles of hat. Other types of hats known as ''sombrero'' can be found in South America and Spain, including the '' sombrero calañés'', '' sombrero cordobés'' and '' sombrero de catite'' (Spain), '' sombrero vueltiao'' (Colombia).

Cultural influence

Many early Texan cowboys adopted the Spanish and Mexican sombrero with its flat crown and wide, flat brim. Also called the , these hats came from Spain.

The Mexican variation of the sombrero added an even wider brim and a high, conical crown. These are the hats worn by mariachi musicians and . Both types of sombreros usually include a or chin strap.

In the Western United States, the sombrero had a high conical or cylindrical crown with a saucer-shaped brim, highly embroidered and made of plush felt.

In the Philippines, due to the influence from Spain brought about by the Manila galleon trade, the term has been assimilated into the Tagalog language in the form of and now refers to any hat – from Mexican sombreros (as used in the English language) to baseball caps.

The galaxy Messier 104 is known as the Sombrero Galaxy due to its appearance. Similarly, Tampa Stadium was also known as "The Big Sombrero".

File:A smile of triumph.jpg, Mexican Escaramuza charra wearing sombrero in a chareada.
File:Apache chief Eskiminzin.jpg, An Apache chief with a sombrero
File:Pancho villa horseback.jpg, Pancho Villa wearing a sombrero

See also

* Boss of the plains
* Cap
* Chupalla
* List of headgear
* Ranch
* Sun hat
* Vaquero
* Western wear

References

External links

*

{{Folk costume

Hats
Mexican clothing
Spanish words and phrases