When I hear the name “Stetson”, I think of two things– Heritage and The West.

My great grandfather, Gerald Dean, or as I knew him, “Papa”, wore a Stetson. The Open Road was his staple.

I have an image burned in my head of him sitting out on his front porch while smoking a pipe with his Open Road cocked slightly to the side similar to Hank Williams’ style.

When he passed away, I was lucky enough to be graced with his prized possession– his Stetson. My Great Grandmother knew just how much I was fascinated by it. Papa’s hat has seen a million miles. That’s my favorite thing about it (you can see it featured in many of my photos). It’s not just a hat. It’s a story. It’s a collection of memories. It’s a character in and of itself. Oh, If only it could talk, the stories it could tell.

I carry on that tradition now. Wherever I go, my Stetson goes with me making new memories and stories. Someday, maybe my son or great grandson can do the same thing I did. He can look at my hat and say, “oh, if only it could talk, the stories it could tell…”. Maybe he will carry on the tradition.

The New Mexico desert– it’s an unforgiving landscape out here peppered with tumbleweeds and yuccas. That’s why I love it. There’s a clarity to the barren landscape out here. There is nothing. Nothing and everything. This is where I found it. This is where I found freedom, meaning and purpose. This is my open road.

Photos: Robert Dean
Featuring: Colby Crain
Location: Southern New Mexico

Thomas B. is a true Southern Californian Cowboy. His small ranch is nestled right outside of the Santa Monica Mountains where the land is a mixture of rolling hills, succulents, oak trees and the coastal sunshine. Tom tends to his variety of animals that roam the grounds surrounding the paint chipped and dust covered sheds. His collection includes a few horses, two of which are a white Mustang from Wyoming who is 11 and a Paint from Mexico that is speculated to be about 15.

Living out the true Vaquero lifestyle, tending to his land and animals, Tom wears his self shaped Stetson as a mark of his identity, representing the history and craft of the American way.

Shop Thomas’ shirt, jeans, & boots.

About the photographer:

“My name is Jesse Cornelius and I’m a commercial photographer located in Southern California. I grew up in the Pacific Northwest with a love for the outdoors sewn into my childhood. My works is inspired by the raw clean feel of the Pacific Northwest, and secondly some amazing photographers that have influenced me and have come before me.

Website: www.jessecornelius.com | Instagram: @jcorn_ | Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jesse.cornelius.71 | Tumblr: www.createdtopursue.tumblr.com

We have been a big fan of Giles Clement‘s work for some time now, so when we were approached to partner with him at Newport Folk Festival, it was a no brainer for us.  While Giles has mastered the art of photography on cameras of all types, his expertise is most evident throughout his tintypes and ambrotypes.  Giles and his team use camera equipment that dates back to the 1840’s to capture striking portraits of the talent (and special guests) appearing at Newport Folk throughout the weekend.

Below are some of our favorites from the weekend, and check out more information about Giles Clement below.

Shop the hats in this story here, here, and here.

About Giles:

“I am a Nashville based photographer but can often be found traveling the country and world with my pup Zeiss and a van full of cameras, lights and ideas.

I specialize in portraiture. I have a wide body of work made using the tintype process but also use digital and film cameras to capture our colorful and endlessly changing world.

My tintype images are created using equipment made more than 160 years ago, from an era when cameras were made by craftsmen in small shops and lenses were designed using slide rules, experience and feel. The inherent flaws of these instruments lend themselves perfectly to my view of a beautifully imperfect world.”

Newport Folk is one of the festivals we look forward to attending the most; the artist line-up is always incredible, and there are bound to be a few exciting surprise guests throughout the weekend.  This year, we tapped photographer Josh Wool to help us capture the event as well as some really amazing portraits of the artists.

Here’s a little more info about Josh:

Josh Wool is a photographer based in New York City by way of the South Carolina Low Country. His work spans the advertising, music, and entertainment worlds, where he has found a niche in making classic, timeless, and intimate portraits. His work strips away all that is unnecessary, aiming to find beauty through simplicity.  His work has appeared in Rolling Stone, GQ, Esquire, Billboard, The Washington Post, Southern Living, Entertainment Weekly, American Songwriter, and on NPR.

Hats included in this story are the Carson, Whippet, Open Road, and Boss Raw Edge.

Ranch vibes. Brenham, Texas

By Photographer Robert Jacob Lerma

Shop the Open Road 6X Cowboy Hat.

Behind every great man is a better woman. Truth Barbeque, Brenham, Texas.

Shop Stetson Fedoras.

South Congress. Austin, Texas.

Shop Women’s Hats.

Cooking BBQ is not easy. And it’s not for everyone. The people who do it, love what they do. Early mornings and long hours are the norm at a lot of the top places. Pitmaster Miguel Vidal of Valentina’s Tex-Mex BBQ routinely starts his day at 2am, not sleeping much for days at a time.

About the Photographer

Robert Jacob Lerma is a freelance photographer based in Austin, Texas. He works as CEO of a psychiatric hospital and travels on weekends photographing around the country. His images have appeared in National Geographic, Food & Wine, Bon Appetit, Time, Southern Living, Forbes, Texas Monthly, Vogue, USA Today and The Washington Post. He serves as Board President for Foodways Texas and shoots for brands such as Yeti, 44 Farms, Stetson and Carpenter Watches.

You can follow him on Instagram @robertjacoblerma or visit his website at roberjacoblerma.com.

Nathalie is Wearing the Tom Mix 6X Cowboy Hat

How did you first hear about Stetson?

I heard about Stetson when I was around 7. I was obsessed with horses and from that age until about 17 I rode western and English – competing in things like barrel racing to jumping. I volunteered from 15-17 leading trail rides and herding the horses into the stalls in the morning. All the ranch hands had Stetsons and I so badly wanted one. Having one made you an “official” respected ranch hand.

What drew you to the Tom Mix?

I picked out the “Tom Mix” because it’s one of the largest hats I’ve ever seen. I actually had them flatten out the brim at the shop to make it wider and added the feather to make it more my own. I plan on getting a great band for it soon, just waiting for the right one. I remember walking past a window in Seattle and literally walking backwards, backtracking to the display where my hat was sitting. I knew right then, I found my forever hat. I’m going to be buried in this thing.

How does wearing a hat make you feel?

It makes me feel like my look is complete. I just really love a good accessory and especially one that not a lot of people feel like they can pull off. Which is silly… you should just do what you want and enjoy life; it’s just a hat. But then again, it’s not. You can be really pulled into a different world and character by what you wear. I feel like a lot of people stare when they see this hat, which I sort of really enjoy. Why not!? Harry Winston said, “People will stare. Make it worth their while.”

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