by Kayle Mendenhall, Chronicle Staff Writer

A group of tourists from England wandered into Murdoch's Ranch & Home Supply in Bozeman over the Memorial Day weekend looking to buy a specific style of clothing.

They were heading out on a cattle drive, said Kerensa Hammer, a Murdoch's employee, and they wanted to fit in with the right look. That look includes Western-style shirts, maybe boots and, above all, at this time of the year straw cowboy hats.

"Being Western is cool," said Laura McCloney, clothing manager for Murdoch's. "We blow through these (straw) hats. ... It's such a crossover. It can look Western and look cool at the same time."

The straw cowboy hat is an article of clothing that has a history of being purely functional -- keeping a rancher cool while protecting him from the blazing sun. But it has morphed, in recent years, into a major fashion trend.

From college-age girls to middle-age men, straw cowboy hats are the perfect accessory to finish off almost any outfit. Spring fever By tradition, cowboy hats are seasonal.

Spring Fever

During the winter, ranchers wear warmer, heavier, more durable felt hats to protect them from the elements. During the summer, they don the lighter, cheaper, more breathable straw hats to get some relief from the sun. But these days, those simple seasonal rules are changing.

"It used to be when it got to be winter we put the straw hats in the back and put the felts out front," said Tammy Petterson, manager at Corral West Ranchwear in Bozeman. "Now we sell straw hats all year long."

A big reason for the change is simply a shift in popular culture, Petterson said. Country singer Garth Brooks made Western clothing hip a few years back and other stars have continued to push the trend forward.

One brand of raffia-style, crushable straw cowboy hats called Shady Brady is all the rage among Hollywood-types like Julia Roberts and Jon Bon Jovi, McCloney said.

"Shady Brady is really popular," McCloney said. "They even have one called the 'Julia' after Julia Roberts."

Roberts wore the Shady Brady hat in the movie "Runaway Bride." But Murdoch's employees said the trend goes beyond films as in any fashion magazine these days the stars are wearing cowboy hats as accessories.

And what the stars wear tends to trickle down -- even to Bozeman.

"When Kid Rock was in town, this was the hat of choice," Petterson said, pointing to another raffia-style straw hat. "People were in that day buying cowboy hats for the Kid Rock concert."

The hats which are stylish, with flexible brims that can be shaped to sit however the customer wants. Crushable straw hats are also easy to pack in a suitcase and cost between $30 and $60 depending on the brand and style.

Each has a fancy hat band with beads or jewels and many have a stampede string that can be tightened under the chin.

"The original purpose of that was, if you're riding, you don't want to lose your hat," Petterson said. "That's not the purpose now."

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Back to Basics

But the heart of the Western clothing industry are still the ranchers and rodeo cowboys and girls -- and they still switch their hats with the seasons.

"It's been still kind of chilly," said Kelly Eakin, clothing manager for Rocky Mountain Supply in Belgrade. "I think this year we're a little later than usual. Hats usually start moving toward the beginning of May."

Styles of straw cowboy hats range from region to region, Eakin said. In Montana, most of her customers go for the basic cattleman type of hat with a 4-inch brim and a basic crown.

"Some around here will wear the buckaroo cowboy style where the crown is higher in the back and comes down lower in the front," she said. "The width of the brim will vary with what they need the function to be."

If the main purpose is to keep the sun off their necks, customers will go with a wider brim. But people who work around a lot of equipment may choose a smaller brim so they have a better field of vision, she said.

And smaller brimmed hats are also more popular for wearing to town.

All straw hats have holes in the crown to provide a kind of built-in air conditioning. Depending on the quality of the straw and the quality of the weave, traditional straw cowboy hats range from $13 up to $50 or more.

The newest thing is straw hats made from Mexican palm leaves, Eakin said. They are more durable and a little heavier than typical straw hats and run between $35 and $45.

The palm hats can be completely submerged or soaked in water and still hold their shape.

"The hats made out of palm are very popular," Eakin said. "They are resistant to cracking, a little more flexible and they keep the water off."

The palm leaf hats have been around for a little more than a year, Petterson said. But she thinks their popularity, especially among younger cowboys, is on the rise. "This year is going to be the biggest year for the palm leaf," she said.

Personal preference

For those who still wear summer cowboy hats for their intended purpose, the straw hats only last about one season, Petterson said.

Her customers buy new hats each year and every person likes a different style, shape or color. "Hats are a real personal item," she said. "You can't buy people hats." Having worked for Corral West for 18 years, she's seen many cycles of styles come and go. And, as a traditional Western woman, Petterson said, she wouldn't wear the floppy, raffia-style hat. But she understands why people like them. "Hats, they are the completing thing," she said. "They tie the outfit together."