The cowboy hat quickly identified its wearer as someone associated with the West. "Within a decade the name "John B. Stetson" became synonymous with the word "hat" in every corner and culture west of the Mississippi River." The shape of the hat's crown and brim were often modified by the wearer for fashion and to protect against weather by being softened in hot steam, shaped, and allowed to dry and cool. Because of the ease of personalization, it was often possible to tell where a cowboy hat was from, right down to which ranch, simply by looking at the crease in the crown.