The sombrero hat is absolutely synonymous with Mexico,
where it originated. It is a curiously strange looking hat, looking like a
cross between a UFO and the hand piece from an air hockey game, or a giant
Chinese wok with a high mound in the middle. Sombreros come in many splendid
straw woven designs with great coloring, also they have a chin string to
hold the hat in place. They were designed so wide to provide a big shade
from the very sunny climate of Mexico, the super wide hat is big enough to
cast a shadow over the head, neck and shoulders of the wearer.
Sombrero is a Spanish word which most likely developed
from the word sombre, which is Spanish for shadow.
If you are still slightly confused as to what a
traditional sombrero looks like, think of the little cartoon mouse Speedy
Gonzales. Although a sombrero in the truest sense of the word is this
traditional Mexican hat, many fedora and other wide-rimmed hats also get
called sombrero.