Montana Hats

Montana is Big Sky Country, the Treasure State and the Last Best Place, and its residents hold all three names at once. The Montana Free Press reports about 2.12 million cattle alongside 1.14 million people, so there are still nearly two cows for every Montanan, though the cows' lead is narrowing. The Opener, the first day of big-game season, has been described by Outside Bozeman as a religious holiday, and the same humor column warns that grizzlies are eagerly encouraged to eat out-of-staters. These Montana hats start with the badges that sell: MONTANA, the 406 area code, BIG SKY COUNTRY, THE LAST BEST PLACE and TREASURE STATE, all phrases that already appear on trucker hats and vintage shirts. Then the bits. MONTANA I'M YOUR HUCKLEBERRY plays on the huckleberry that Montana shops sell by the jar and a novelty-shirt line with a long run. I LIVED IN MONTANA BEFORE THE TV SHOW is for longtime residents, who in the words of one Yellowstone actor are not happy about the people moving in. I DON'T MOW THE ELK DO and BEAR SPRAY GOES WITH EVERY OUTFIT carry the wildlife humor that Montana writes about itself, and PRAYING FOR A CHINOOK is for the long middle of winter. Every design is custom embroidered on an unstructured dad hat. Wear one for the home state, or give one to the friend who still has not forgiven the television.