Fan of the Cowboy Hat Pleads for a National Designation

Residents of other nations can don distinctive clothing to show their patriotism—kilts in Scotland, for example—and it's time Americans were able to do the same, writes Timothy Nerozzi in a Washington Post op-ed. His suggestion for the first item of clothing formally designated as part of American dress? The cowboy hat. Nerozzi, foreign affairs reporter for the Washington Examiner, writes that he carries his Stetson with him all over the world, and he says it usually gets an appreciative reception from foreigners. It's "the one item of clothing that still acts as a visual bullhorn to all within eyesight that a red-blooded American is among them."

He suggests that other items of clothing could follow with their own designations—the moccasin, maybe, or perhaps the seersucker suit. But he argues that the cowboy hat is a good place to start:

• "In an era when concerns grow that America is losing its shared culture, even as aspects of it wash across the globe, a small gesture like officially designating the national dress could pay dividends by encouraging citizens, no matter their background, to adopt a shared expression of Americanness." Read the full column, after which the comments are almost universally opposed to the idea for all kinds of reasons.