Summary
In English, a sombrero (Spanish for 'hat', lit. 'shadower'; Spanish: [somˈbɾeɾo]) 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.
 Various sombreros on display at the Museo de Arte Popular in Mexico City | |
| Type | Hat |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Mexico |
In Mexico, this hat type is known as a sombrero de charro[1] ('charro hat', referring to the traditional Mexican horsemen). In Spanish, any hat is considered a sombrero.[2]
Design
editSombreros, like cowboy hats, were designed in response to the demands of the physical environment. High crowns provide insulation, and wide brims provide shade. Hot and sunny climates inspire such tall-crowned, wide-brimmed designs,[3] and hats with one or both of these features have evolved again and again in history and across cultures. For example, the Greek petasos of two millennia ago, and the traditional conical hat widespread in different regions of Asia – into modern times – incorporate such heat-mitigating features.[4] Designs specifically for riders on horseback with these details can be seen at least as far back as the Mongolian horsemen of the 13th century.[3][5]
Its precise evolution is unknown, but it is usually accepted that the Mexican-style sombrero's specific form arose amongst mestizo cowboys in Central Mexico.[3]: 11 One early style believed to be a forerunner of the Mexican sombrero form was a style worn by wealthy Spanish landowners of colonial-era Andalusia and Navarre.[6][better source needed] Although in English sombrero is usually understood 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. These include: the Spanish sombrero calañés from Huelva, sombrero cordobés of Córdoba, and sombrero de catite of Andalusia; and the Colombian sombrero vueltiao.
Cultural influence
editMany early Texan cowboys adopted the Spanish and Mexican sombrero with its flat crown and wide, flat brim. Also called the poblano, these hats came from Spain.[6]
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 charros. Both types of sombreros usually include a barboquejo or chin strap.[2]
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.[7]
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 sumbrero and now refers to any hat – from Mexican sombreros (as used in the English language) to baseball caps.[8]
The galaxy Messier 104 is known as the Sombrero Galaxy due to its appearance.[9] Similarly, Tampa Stadium was also known as "The Big Sombrero". In mathematics, the Jinc function is sometimes called the sombrero function and in physics, the Sombrero potential is a prescription for the potential energy that leads to the Higgs mechanism.
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Mexican Escaramuza charra wearing sombrero in a chareada. -
An Apache chief with a sombrero -
Pancho Villa wearing a sombrero
See also
edit- Jarabe Tapatío, often referred to as the Mexican hat dance
- Ranch
- Vaquero
- Western wear
Other kinds of hats:
References
edit- ^ Valero Silva, José (1987). El libro de la charrería [The book of the charrería] (in Spanish). Mexico City: Gráficas Montealbán. p. 222.
- ^ a b Slatta, Richard W. (1996). The Cowboy Encyclopedia. ISBN 0-393-31473-1.
- ^ a b c Bender, Texan Bix (1994). Hats and the Cowboys Who Wear Them. Salt Lake City: Gibbs Smith, Publisher. pp. 10–11. ISBN 1-58685-191-8.
- ^
- Peralta, J. T. (2013). "Salakot and Other Headgear". National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) & Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region (ICHCAP). UNESCO.
- Sacks, David (2005) [First edition published 1995]. "Clothing". Encyclopedia of the Ancient Greek World. Revised by Lisa R. Brody (Revised ed.). New York: Facts on File. p. 87. ISBN 978-0-8160-5722-1.
- ^
- Huang, Nengfu; Chen, Juanjuan (1995). Zhongguo fuzhuang shi 中国 服装史 [History of Chinese Clothing] (in Chinese). Zhongguo lüyou chuban she 中国旅游出版 社. p. 249, pl. 8. 黄能馥 [Huang Nengfu]; 陈娟娟 [Chen Juanjuan].
- Dai, Qin xiang; Lu, Qin; Li, Yalin (1998). Zhongguo gudai fushi 中国古代服饰 [Ancient Chinese Costume] (in Chinese). Shangwu yinshu guan 商务印书馆. p. 82. 戴钦祥 [Dai Qin xiang]; 陆钦 [Lu Qin]; 李亚麟 [Li Yalin].
- Cammann, Schuyler Van R. (1963). "Mongol Costume – Historical and Recent". In Denis Sinor (ed.). Proceedings of the Fifth Meeting of the Permanent International Altaistic Conference | PIAC. Aspects of Altaic Civilization. Held at Indiana University, 4–9 June 1962. Uralic and Altaic Series. London: Curzon Press. pp. 157–166. p. 160:
... summer hats with wide brims ... sometimes split at the sides, so the front could be worn down as an eye-shade, or the back down to protect the back of the neck.
- Shea, Eiren L. (2020). Mongol Court Dress, Identity Formation, and Global Exchange. New York: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group. p. 89. ISBN 9780367356187.
According to the Yuan shi, ... the brimmed hat [was] in response to Khubilai complaining that the sun was blinding his soldiers.
- ^ a b
- Sánchez Mariscal, Carlos (29 August 2023). "Historia del Sombrero Charro" [History of the Charro Hat]. Expreso Charro (in Spanish).
- "Sombrero, prenda de vestir y de trabajo para los mexicanos" [Sombrero, a garment and a work item for Mexicans]. Contacto Hoy. 18 February 2019. Archived from the original on 18 February 2019.
- Huizar, José. "El origen del sombrero de charro, la insignia por excelencia del mexicano" [The origin of the charro hat, the quintessential Mexican symbol]. Noticias Locales, Policiacas, de México, Chihuahua y el Mundo. El Heraldo de Chihuahua (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 February 2025.
... hay versiones que indican, que lo que hoy conocemos como el típico sombrero mexicano, pudiera haber sido originario de España. ... los españoles ya usaban sombreros muy parecidos a los charros, principalmente en las comunidades de Andalucía y Navarra, donde era un accesorio de personas ricas.
[... there are versions that indicate that what we know today as the typical Mexican sombrero, could have originated in Spain. ... Spaniards already wore hats very similar to charros, mainly in the communities of Andalusia and Navarre, where it was an accessory for the wealthy]
- ^ Carlson, Paul Howard (2006). The Cowboy Way: An Exploration of History and Culture. p. 102. ISBN 0-89672-583-9.
- ^ "Hat is Sumbrero in Tagalog". Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 22 May 2009.
- ^ "Sombrero Galaxy: Hidden Double in a Hat". Space.com. 16 April 2014. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
External links
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Media related to Sombreros at Wikimedia Commons
