Steampunk Stetson - Blue Leather + Copper Hatband

I have a number of stetsons in my collection that I never wear much. That's going to change, though, as I've started to remove the dull old hatbands and replace them with new ones I've made. For this one, I took a piece of blue scrap leather and trimmed it, then made it so that I could adjust the size via a slit I put into one end. I found a nice chain with gear-like links and used brads punched through the leather to hold them in place, and modified an iron-on patch to use as a crest and centerpiece, also held in place by brads. I kind of consider this one my sky marshal stetson. The upper edges of the leather were left a bit rough on purpose, to give it that rugged, worn look. Lastly, a coating of suede and leather protector was applied, necessary for a hat that will be worn in inclement weather.

This is also one of the first things I've made since writing my essay on the use of colors and metals in steampunk fashion ( fav.me/d5ocscz ). I made use of contrasting colors, the copper and browns working with the blue leather. Incidentally, I am amazing you don't see more blue used in Steampunk, as it was such a staple of military uniforms and weaponry.