Arizona Senate Pro Tem TJ Shope describes the cowboy hat he wore to his 2020 wedding and the rules he follows in the Capitol.
A cowboy hat can be more than a style choice in Arizona’s Legislature, and Sen. T J Shope says his has become a personal keepsake tied to a major milestone.
Shope. who serves as Arizona Senate Pro Tem. told a lighthearted story about the hat he wears and what it means to him as lawmakers prepare for a potentially month-long hiatus after months of trying to assemble a budget.. In the meantime. he and other lawmakers have been trading what amounts to “stories under the hats. ” with the focus on how Western culture shows up in the state Capitol as routinely as it does across the broader Southwest.
For Shope, the hat’s origin is straightforward: he bought it in 2020 in Fort Worth at M.L.. Leddy’s in the stockyards.. He said he noticed it and immediately thought it would look right for his wedding. and that his future wife. Melissa. also liked it.. He went ahead and made the purchase the same day and then wore the hat for their October 2020 wedding. which took place during the pandemic.. He added that he has kept it in his photo each term. calling it his favorite and emphasizing that it now carries significant sentimental value.
Shope described the hat as “pure beaver. ” and he said it will likely be the last time he buys a black felt hat.. His comments suggest a practical side to the sentimental attachment: once he has found “the one” that fits the moment. he sees it as a particular chapter rather than something he expects to replace often.
When asked about whether he follows a strict routine about when he wears the hat in the Senate. Shope said the main guiding factor is matching it with the right footwear.. He described bouncing between dress shoes and cowboy boots and said that when he’s wearing boots he’s more likely to wear the hat as well. though he noted that sometimes the two don’t always line up on a given day.. He also said that if he has the appropriate footwear to go with it, he will wear the hat.
Shope said he is a fan of the Stetson Open Road. a style he connected to past presidents who wore similar hats regularly. mentioning Eisenhower and Johnson.. He framed the choice as part of how he thinks about presenting himself. saying he will put it on when he has a dress-shoe day and wants the hat to go along with it.
Asked which fellow legislator should consider wearing a hat—specifically among those who do not already—Shope pointed to Sen. Carine Werner. He said her district represents a particularly Western part of Scottsdale and suggested it would not be surprising to see her wearing one during rodeo week.
The senator also addressed how he keeps track of the hat day to day.. He said he has never lost it and described a “cool thing” in his truck that lets him take the hat off when he gets in the vehicle. along with a hat carrier holder positioned behind him.. He contrasted the seriousness of losing something he values with the reality that a casual replacement wouldn’t be the same. noting that unlike cheaper caps. this hat is not something he thinks of as disposable.
Shope also reflected on how people “earn” the right to wear a cowboy hat. drawing a comparison to the cultural shift he believes shows up in media like Yellowstone.. He said that when he arrived at the capital in 2013. he was among only a handful of senators—along with David Gowan and a few others—who wore hats regularly. but that more lawmakers now do.. For him. the decision comes back to personal ownership: he described Arizona as something he knows from a lifetime as an Arizona native growing up in Coolidge. and he said the habit is something he’s worn more often than not.
He said the difference between wearing the hat as part of who you are and treating it as something casual can be felt in the way someone carries it.. He said he believes you “wear it” and you “own it,” rather than using it in a “willy-nilly” way.. That attitude shows up in how he handles where he wears it as well.
Shope said he tries to avoid wearing the hat indoors when possible, adding that if he does, it’s typically because he is moving to and from his office. He also emphasized being respectful and described what he called “gentlemanly rules” for when a hat is appropriate.
The conversation turned to whether he has ever been called out for wearing it in the wrong place.. He said he doesn’t recall being criticized for that. except in situations where he might be in a setting where hats are not usually seen in person.. He also said he spends a lot of time in Rocky Point. Mexico. and that even during shorts season. he continues to wear the hat because he finds it helps keep the sun out of his eyes.
Temperature matters, he said.. When weather rises above roughly the mid-80s. he switches from felt to a straw hat. describing the heat as intense enough to change what feels appropriate.. He acknowledged that some people treat straw-hat rules as strict—tying them to specific calendar periods—but he said he doesn’t believe those boundaries need to be followed like law.
With Arizona lawmakers potentially heading toward a longer break after budget negotiations. Shope’s comments also highlight how the Legislature’s work and its culture can coexist. from the Western history reflected in clothing to the personal meaning lawmakers bring to their own routines.. And while he joked that some colleagues are still “last contestants” waiting for their own turn. his message was clear: for him. the hat is not just a look. it’s a memory he still wears into each new term.
TJ Shope hat Arizona Senate Pro Tem cowboy hat etiquette Arizona Legislature Western culture Stetson Open Road budget negotiations