Chances are, you’ve wanted a cowboy hat since watching Godless. Who wouldn’t, after seeing the amount of detail and thought put into your favorite character’s hat? Fortunately, there’s more to learn about these classic American fashion staples.
Here are 5 intriguing facts about the hats worn in Godless TV series:
- The costume designer chose each hat for each actor.
- You can buy replicas of the hats from the actual hatmaker.
- One of the actors loved his hat so much he tore the brim.
- Old techniques were used to hand-age each hat.
- A neat trick was used to make the hats seem more realistic.
This article will describe the care that went into each hat worn in the TV series and further discuss the facts above. Read on to learn how the costume designer’s elements have brought classic cowboy hats back into style.
1. The Costume Designer Chose Each Hat for Each Actor
Betsy Heimann, the show’s costume designer, looked at each actor as they walked into a room. By considering each character’s traits and the individual actor playing that character, she picked just the right one for each character with a spread of 20 hats in front of her.
The hats were all designed to match the outfits of Westerners during that time perfectly. With the authenticity replicated based on each character’s disposition, each hat became a part of the character.
2. You Can Buy Replicas of the Hats From the Actual Hatmaker
To make the hats look authentic, Godless hired its own hatmaker. Watson’s Hat Shop of Cave Creek, AZ, was declared the official hatmaker for the limited series. The master hatmaker and store owner, Eric Watson, used antique hat-making equipment to handcraft each hat.
On Watson’s Hat Shop’s website, you can even order a custom replica of Alice Fletcher’s and Mary Agnes’ hats!
3. One of the Actors Loved His Hat So Much He Tore the Brim
According to a YouTube interview, Betsy Heimann explained that Jack O’Connell enjoyed playing with his hat so much that he tore the brim. Luckily, she thought the little rip added to the character’s outfit and decided to keep it. Betsy thought to herself, “that’s how he handles his hat,” and allowed his character to sport his hat the same way that the actor did.
You can watch the full video here:
4. Old Techniques Were Used To Hand-Age Each Hat
To make all of the hats look genuine, Heimann hand-aged each one individually. Using techniques that she picked up while working with John Wayne’s costume maker, she dumped each hat into a bucket of water. After soaking it and pulling it out, she’d beat each one. Read more about John Wayne’s hats in this article.
After beating each hat, she covered its opening with dust in the spots where sweat would naturally accumulate on each actor’s head.
5. A Neat Trick Was Used To Make the Hats Seem More Realistic
The show’s makeup artists would create a hat tan line to align with the costume designer’s hat choices. When the actors pulled off their hats, you would see a tan line as if they had been wearing the hat in the desert all day. This added to the overall authenticity of the show.
