Overview
A sombrero is a hat with a tall crown and a very broad, upturned brim, made of felt for winter and dress or of woven straw for field work. The brim shades the face and neck, and a chin cord holds it against the wind on horseback.
How it is worn
It is worn tilted to shade the eyes and slung on its cord behind the shoulders when not on the head, plain and practical for the farmer and richly embroidered with silver braid for the charro horseman and mariachi. Size and ornament mark the occasion and the wearer’s means.
History
The wide Mexican hat developed from Spanish hats adapted to the sun and the saddle of New Spain, and by the nineteenth century it had become the great sombrero of the charro. It remains one of the most instantly recognised symbols of Mexico.