The Hollywood [cowboy hat] convention

'The Hollywood [cowboy hat] convention White Hat=Good Guy, Black Hat=Bad Guy still operates: men who wish to appear as rebels or desperate characters prefer the darker shades, and straight arrows the lighter ones. Ambiguous, subtle or secretive types may favor grayed hues, while the more common tans and brown that repeat the colors of the Western landscape are worn (or thought to be worn) by natural, down-to-earth men.'

'Allison Lurie, The Language of Clothes, 1981.