The Pink Cowboy Hat Obsession
The hottest trend of the summer is fun, fashionable, and perfectly Y2K: a sparkly pink cowboy hat.
Whether it's on the internet or IRL, chances are, you’ve noticed a lot of people wearing pink cowboy (/cowgirl) hats this summer. These hats are sold most frequently on Amazon, and in a few different variations. Most often, you’ll see the one pictured above, with sparkles and a tiara, but you can also buy them undecorated or with feathers.
The pink cowboy hat has been gaining popularity over both quarantine and the summer. This can in part be attributed to a viral picture of actress and model Lily-Rose Depp wearing one, which is often seen on Pinterest, Twitter, and as the profile pictures of “aesthetic” or stan accounts. It’s even been turned into Redbubble stickers.
Edit: I think it should be noted that after I finished this story, I saw online that Depp had been exposed for racist behavior. Many of her previous fans no longer support her.
Additionally, as people have started to wear the hat in TikToks, its popularity has increased rapidly (much like anything does on TikTok).
The pink cowboy hat is fun, fashionable, and versatile. It goes with any outfit and it is perfect for any occasion, whether you are chilling at home or having fun at a (socially distanced?) party, and it will instantly make you feel fabulous. One reviewer even said about it, “This cowgirl hat has been the highlight of my lockdown experience. Sometimes I wear it just to feel something. Since I’ve owned it I’ve felt stronger, confident, and more successful.”
The hat also fits in perfectly with the recent resurgence of Y2K style, attitudes, and aesthetics, which are all about pink, taking risks, and glitz and glamor. It would go perfectly with a Von Dutch tank top, baguette bag, mini skirt, pair of low rise jeans, and coat of shiny lip gloss.
It is feminine, but also feminist — girls can wear the hat to feel powerful and confident. That being said, it transcends gender boundaries, with many boys embracing the look as well.
The hat is more than just an accessory — it’s an attitude, an aesthetic, a feeling. Which explains why there’s so many pink cowboy hat-inspired Spotify playlists.
You can also make a fun activity out of decorating a pink cowboy hat, customizing it to be perfectly yours. This can even be something you do with all your friends.
The pink hat also emerges out of the rise of cowboy hats in general over the past year or so. In the Mr Porter Journal, this is in part attributed to “the relatively recent emergence of country rap, a music genre that fuses hip-hop with country and western that has somehow managed to create some hugely overplayed but also kind of endearing songs” — think Lil Nas X’s incredible breakout song “Old Town Road.” This hit, which was unbelievably popular last summer, and also brought “cowboy culture” into the internet mainstream through the “Yee Yee Juice” challenge.
And now, the cowboy and Y2K aesthetics have merged, creating the perfect 2020 accessory: the pink cowboy hat. Lil Nas even wore one to the Grammys this year.
