In the early days of the Old West, it was the bowler hat rather than the slouch hat, center crease (derived from the army regulation Hardee hat), or sombrero that was the most popular among cowboys as it was less likely to blow off in the wind.[1] By the 1870s, however, the Stetson had become the most popular cowboy hat due to its use by the Union Cavalry as an alternative to the regulation blue kepi.[2][3]
Stampede strings were installed to prevent the hat from being blown off when riding at speed. These long strings were usually made from leather or horsehair. Typically, the string was run half-way around the crown of a cowboy hat, and then through a hole on each side with its ends knotted and then secured under the chin or around the back of the head keeping the hat in place in windy conditions or when riding a horse.
A Western shirt is a traditional item of western wear characterized by a stylized yoke on the front and on the back. It is generally constructed of chambray, denim or tartan fabric with long sleeves, and in modern form is sometimes seen with snap pockets, patches made from bandana fabric, and fringe. The "Wild West" era was during the late Victorian era, hence the direct similarity of fashion.
A Western dress shirt is often elaborately decorated with piping, embroidered roses and a contrasting yoke. In the 1950s these were frequently worn by movie cowboys like Roy Rogers or Clayton Moore's Lone Ranger.[7] Derived from the elaborate Mexican vaquero costumes like the guayabera, these were worn at rodeos so the cowboy could be easily identifiable.[8]Buffalo Bill was known to wear them with a buckskin fringe jacket during his Wild West shows.
Another common type of Western shirt is the shield-front shirt (also called a bib shirt[9]) worn by many US Cavalry troopers during the American Civil War but originally derived from a red shirt issued to prewar firefighters. The cavalry shirt was made of blue wool with yellow piping and brass buttons and was invented by the flamboyant George Armstrong Custer.[10] In recent times this shield-front shirt was popularised by John Wayne in Fort Apache and was also worn by rockabilly musicians like the Stray Cats.
In 1946, Papa Jack Weil put snap buttons on the front, and pocket flaps on the Western shirt, and established Denver's Rockmount Ranch Wear.[11] Other early Western wear labels included California-based H Bar C, and Panhandle Slim, from Westmoor Manufacturing, which migrated from Minneapolis, to Omaha, and finally in 1975 to Fort Worth, Texas.[12]
Western shirts have been a staple of the American West and fashionable with young men since the 1960s and 1970s. A GQ writer in 2012 noted, "vintage washed out westerns from the '70s becoming coveted items."[13]
In the early days of the Wild West trousers were made out of wool. In summer canvas was sometimes used. This changed during the Gold Rush of the 1840s when denimoveralls became popular among miners for their cheapness and breathability. Levi Strauss improved the design by adding copperrivets[18] and by the 1870s this design was adopted by ranchers and cowboys.[19] The original Levi's jeans were soon followed by other makers including Wrangler jeans[20] and Lee Cooper. These were frequently accessorised with kippy belts featuring metal conchos and large belt buckles.
Leather chaps were often worn to protect the cowboy's legs from cactus spines and prevent the fabric from wearing out.[21] Two common types include the skintight shotgun chaps[22] and wide batwing chaps. The latter were sometimes made from hides retaining their hair (known as "woolies") rather than tanned leather. They appeared on the Great Plains somewhere around 1887.[23]
Women wore knee-length prairie skirts,[24] red or blue gingham dresses or suede fringed skirts derived from Native American dress. Saloon girls wore short red dresses with corsets, garter belts and stockings.[25] After World War II, many women, returning to the home after working in the fields or factories while the men were overseas, began to wear jeans like the men.
Neckwear
Working cowboy wearing a bandana or "wild rag," 1880s
During the Victorian era, gentlemen would wear silk cravats or neckties to add color to their otherwise sober black or grey attire. These continued to be worn by respectable Westerners until the early 20th century. Following the Civil War it became common practice among working class veterans to loosely tie a bandana around their necks to absorb sweat and keep the dust out of their faces. This practise originated in the Mexican War era regular army when troops threw away the hated leatherstocks (a type of collar issued to soldiers) and replaced them with cheap paisleykerchiefs.[26]
Another well-known Western accessory, the bolo tie, was a pioneer invention reputedly made from an expensive hatband.[27] This was a favorite for gamblers and was quickly adopted by Mexican charros, together with the slim "Kentucky" style bowtie commonly seen on stereotypical Southern gentlemen like Colonel Sanders[28] or Boss Hogg. In modern times it serves as formal wear in many western states, notably Montana, New Mexico[29] and Texas.[30]
^Beard, Tyler (2001). 100 Years of Western Wear, p. 72. Gibbs Smith, Salt Lake City. ISBN0-87905-591-X.
^US 139121, Davis, Jacob, "Improvement in fastening pocket-openings", published 1873-05-20, assigned to Levi Strauss & Co.
^Transcript, Levi Strauss vs. H.B. Elfelt, District of California Circuit Court of the United States Ninth Judicial Circuit, 1874. National Archives, Pacific Sierra Region
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