The Green Girl: Hats off!

Leave the neighbors "green" with envy when they see you sporting a stylish John Deere hat on your head!

With the big Thanksgiving holiday just behind us in the U.S., maybe I should have written about belt buckles today (or the lack of needing one if you ate too much turkey!).

Instead, we’ll be covering an "above the belt" topic with John Deere hats and caps, the prime promotional tool for the company and its dealerships.

Hats or caps are relatively easy to come by…almost every John Deere dealer has at least a dozen different ones for sale in the store.

You can usually get one for free if you buy a piece of equipment or participate in a special promotion.

It's a 21-hat salute!

...You’ll find the standard John Deere caps with the leaping-deer logo, of course. hat jdwaterloohat.jpg (79424 bytes)

But you’ll also find hats promoting a specific tractor or combine, parts or service, farm show, or local dealership, or advertising slogan of some sort. hat jdgatorcap.jpg (7744 bytes)

Most caps come in a couple standard styles or types. There’s the all cotton/twill cap which is more modern.

Then there’s the old high-profile one with the mesh back half. hat camocap.jpg (10293 bytes)

You’ll find fancy leather, corduroy, and even camouflage prints!

hat jdhelmet.jpg (11803 bytes) Depending how fancy you want your cap, they can usually be bought for $10 to $30 each.

But some hats have been known to draw more attention than the standard "ball cap" as it’s called.

You can find John Deere pith/safari helmets or hard hats that are quite eye-catching.

Maybe you’ve seen the infamous long-billed cap that is sure to make you laugh. hat jennydeerehat.jpg (16209 bytes)

hat jdhardhat.JPG (19558 bytes) And we can’t forget about the one-of-a-kind Jenny Deere cap made for the Parts Expo in San Antonio.

Did you know they made a John Deere Stetson cowboy hat?

And you can also wear stocking caps or skull-caps that fit all types of fashionable fans.

A walk down Main Street wearing one of these creative caps could net you more than few stares! hat jdstrawhat.JPG (31743 bytes)

Some farmers wear hats to hide their receding hairlines; others to keep the bald spot from getting sunburned. But many traditional hat-wearers just feel naked without something on their head! The entire cap-making industry loves this last guy!

That’s why there are so many styles and designs…to suit the various situations one might need to wear a cap.

hat caps.jpg (3310 bytes) You have "chore" or work caps, then you have "church" or dress caps good enough to wear to the church picnic, school event or otherwise in public when you’re cleaned up. hat jdcap2.jpg (6741 bytes)

These typically do not have the usual "ring around the rim" sweat stain, fingerprints of grease and oil, or general dirt and dust found on the farm from when the wind whips it off your head for a tumble through the field.

hat jdcap1.jpg (6884 bytes) No matter what your fashion sense, there’s a John Deere hat or cap to suit your own special style. Maybe you’ll be lucky enough to get a couple new ones under the tree this Christmas!