There are several reasons for the shape of cowboy hats. One is that the brim curled upwards on the sides to prevent ropes from getting stuck, and the top became pinched for improved control. These hats developed from the first Vaqueros, or Mexican Cowboys, who herded cattle while wearing high-crowned, wide-brimmed sombreros. The shape protected laboring cattle ranchers from the intense western heat day long. The cattleman crease is the most fundamental and traditional crease seen on a cowboy hat. Ranch owners disliked the rodeo cowboy look on their hats, so they created the Cattleman crease.