I hope you enjoy this excerpt on western fashion from the Victorian/Old West section of the Historical Research Companion to Everything of Interest to a Romance Writer:
As legendary and as romantic a figure as a medieval knight he
may be, the cowboy would be embarrassed by all the fuss. He was generally not
fancy, not like the Wild West shows of the 1890’s would depict, and his
clothing reflecting the austerity of his life of hard work. The cowboy’s coat,
trousers and vest of the 1860s was generally what was available at the general
store, and there weren’t a lot of choices. Mail order became an option in the
1870s when Montgomery Ward established the first catalog in 1872.
Jeans? Not so much. Although canvas or denim work trousers, such
as Levi Strauss’ Levi’s were available in the 1870’s (the first Levi Strauss
blue jean in 1873), wool was considered most durable for ranchers, while duck
and jeaning (denim) was more popular for farmers and miners. Belts? Another no. Not to hold up your pants anyway. The purpose of a belt was for securing pistols. In an article by G. Daniel Deweese for True West Magazine, he notes that belt loops were rare on pants until the 1920’s and goes on to say:
“Men wore suspenders, attached to waistband buttons, to keep
high-waisted, loose-fitting trousers from falling to the wearer’s ankles. Ditto
the adjustable cinch straps on the backs of old-time britches.”
Vests were also practical in nature for holding small items, although,
as noted by G. Daniel Deweese, they were partly “a Westerner’s nod to Victorian
propriety.”
“The vest—that sleeveless upper body garment meant to be worn
under a topcoat—was the Westerner’s nod to Victorian propriety, which dictated
that gentlemen wore vests over their shirts. Indigent cowboys, well-heeled card
sharps, ornery outlaws and stalwart lawmen alike might shuck the morning coat,
but at least a few of them didn’t go out in public without a vest.”
There were, of course, preferences for hats, boots and riding
gear.
First, let’s talk about those boots. The cowboy boot evolved
partly due to a change to a narrower stirrup in the mid-1870s which required
higher heel to prevent the cowboy’s foot from sliding through.
The higher heel also changed the posture and gait of the cowboy
when walking. Deweese, in an article on the cowboy boot, notes:
“If you watch a buckaroo walk in boots with 2½-inch heels, he’ll
have a slight roll in his gait. Or he’ll have an exaggerated swagger, if he’s
walking like John Wayne.”
A popular style of boot was the stovepipe boot, preferably custom
made to measure. The stitching that we see on modern cowboy boots would not have
been as ornate on the early boots, but they would have rows of stitching from
top to bottom on the uppers to stiffen and strengthen the tops. By the early
1880s fancier stitching on the uppers began to appear. As noted in I See by
Your Outfit by authors Tom Lindmier and Steve Mount:
“In 1885, Montgomery Ward offered for the first time “Cow Boy’s
Boots” which were all calfskin boots with a fancy top, scalloped and stitched
fifteen-inch leg and a two-inch heel.”
For the hat, a Stetson, of course. As noted in I See by Your
Outfit:“Stetson is credited as the originator of the cowboy hat. Stetson was forced to move west from Philadelphia for his health. While residing in Colorado in the early 1860s, he conceived of the basic design for his western style hat which he later called “The Boss of the Plains.” In 1865, with his health improved, he returned to Philadelphia and began production of his western hat. The original “Boss of the Plains” had a four-inch brim and four-inch crown, was “natural-colored” and weighed two ounces. Around the base of the hat crown was a leather strap for a band. In the early 1870s, Stetson’s hats were produced in only one grade of felt (two ounces) and sold for five dollars.”
Additionally…“The Boss” was not formed in the factory. Shaping
was dependent upon the individual whim of the cowboy, who provided his own style
of crease in the style and roll of the brim.”
Bandanas were perhaps the most utilitarian article of clothing a
cowboy owned. The most obvious use of a bandana was for protection from dust or
cold, but it was handy for lots of other things as well. Also from I See by
Your Outfit:
“Bandanas could be used to hold a hot cup or as a rag while
working around a camp fire. They were equally practical for use as a bandage or
to cover the eyes of a skittish horse while it was being saddled. Basically,
the bandanna was a cloth of many uses.”
Horse equipment was a major investment for the cowboy, and when
it came to purchasing a saddle, it is one area where the cowboy chose to buy
from local saddle shops or reputable saddle making firms who were willing to
customize. In addition to the saddle, riding and horse gear essentials included
chaps (leggings), spurs, quirts (a short, heavy whip made of rawhide and loaded
with lead shot) and ropes. The articles at the related links go into wonderful
detail on these items.
Related Links:
Note: Most general searches for western wear bring up numerous commercial
sites. This is fine and dandy for visuals, but I decided against adding those
to the link resources. Fortunately, I found sites like True West Magazine and
the blog Sweethearts of the West that have some wonderful historical articles
in their archives.
Articles by G. Daniel Deweese at True West Magazine:
The Evolution of Western Wear: How the Cowboy Introduced
America’s Only Indigenous Fashion Category
–.
Head Over Heels – more on boots.
Vested Interest –on vests.This is a Hold Up – on the belt’s purpose.
***
Blog posts from Sweethearts of the West: Authors Writing Romance
Set under the Western Skies:
Spurs – by Sandra Crowley
The Cowboy Uniform – by Cheri Kay
Clifton
John B. Stetson – and the iconic cowboy hat of the west
– by Ashley Kath-Bilsky
Print Resources:
Lindmier,
Tom and Mount, Steve (1996) I See by Your
Outfit: Historic Cowboy Gear of the Northern Plains, High Plains Press,
Wyoming
