The outfit of the OG cowboy
If you ever wondered why on Earth you've never seen John Wayne or Clint Eastwood rocking an embroidered western shirt in your favourite Western movie, it's simply because western wear we know today has very little to do with the original wardrobe of the 1800s working cowboy. Although the word 'wardrobe' is an exaggeration, as a typical man of that era would usually own a shirt or two and yes, none of them would have fringes.
Life imitates fashion
Before western wear became fancy and bold, cowboy wear was strictly practical and its origins derived from the men's occupation - hoarding cattle and rambling prairies in harsh conditions they faced on the open range.
This photo was taken between 1875-80
The mid-1800s were when a cowboy boom became a thing - the post-Civil War lack of occupation for many, the growing population of the eastern US and the development of railroads that created a demand for beef, all these combined resulted in a need for somebody to work and drive cattle.
''Some became cowboys because they liked the outdoors and were lured by the excitement of working with wild animals. But far more became cowboys because there were few jobs in Texas after the Civil War, and if greenies could ride a horse and shoot a gun, they met the minimum requirements for the job.” [1]
It's not hard to imagine what a typical day of such a cowboy looked like - rise with the Sun, work and ride, rain or shine, outdoors, outside of any comforts the times offered. On top of that, he was also really poor. All these were reflected in his style - his outfit had to endure the harsh conditions of his life and protect him from the danger he faced daily, whether that be blazing sun, freezing wind or angry cow.
The signature attire
''With some regional and individual differences, an Old West cowboy’s basic getup consisted of tall boots with big-roweled spurs, wool or cotton trousers under leather chaps, a nondescript shirt under a waistcoat or vest, an oversized neckerchief and a wide-brimmed hat.''[2]
You can't get more practical than that. Each of the elements he wore was designed to help him survive outdoors. He wore layers to insulate, long-sleeved shirts that could be rolled up in warmer temperatures, open collars for heat, a bib and neckerchief to protect him from the wind and dust, and a wide-brimmed hat to somehow protect his head and face from the sun. Before he put on jeans (1870-1880s), his clothes were made of wool, cotton, linsey-woolsey (a coarse twill or plain-woven fabric woven with a linen warp and a woollen weft) or hickory, a cotton-based fabric that was the closest to denim back in the day.
circa 1885
Leather was used for boots, belts and gloves, and occasionally vests or overcoats - cowboys had little use of Native American ways of clothing and the buckskin shirt was never wildly adopted (if you ever wore leather on your bare skin in summer, you'd understand why).
But what was adapted with greater joy was a wide-brimmed hat inspired by the Mexican sombreros of the vaqueros. Although sombreros seemed overwhelming (especially if you compare them to the hats of the European settlers from the era, such as small-billed caps, slouch hats, bowlers and derbies), Americans somehow found a middle ground. In 1865, John B. Stetson introduced the "Boss of the Plains" hat, made from high-quality beaver felt which featured a wide brim and a high crown, offering excellent protection from the elements. The hat sold for $5, which would be somewhere between $190-$250 nowadays. ''Stetson’s “Boss of the Plains,” quickly became the first, and arguably the most distinct, identifiable part of a cowboy’s ensemble.'’[3]
The cowboy boot came next. ''Cobblers in Coffeyville, Kansas, are generally credited with producing the first boots that satisfied the needs of drovers trailing herds through the area in the early 1870s.''[4] The first cowboy boots, like other elements of his attire, were low on style but high on function - a higher top protected his legs from snakes and thorns, and the scalloped shape allowed for easy wear. The biggest change was a pointed toe, which allowed for sliding into the stirrup more easily.
Victorian styling also didn't influence much on the cowboy's attire - ''Victorian style was all about modesty and decorum. High collars and necklines, layers of superfluous fabric and frilly accents were common characteristics; you wouldn’t dare wear unbuttoned collars or rolled-up sleeves”.[5]
Another reason why cowboys disliked Victorian fashion was the fact, that by the standards of the day, one could never show up publically without a vest or a coat. Shirts were considered undershirts and a gentleman of the era would know that. Although cowboys were never considered gentlemen in the first place, the sight of a man running around in his underwear, caused havoc in the lawless Old West.
Photographed in the 1890s in downtown Wickenburg, Arizona
The legacy lives on
Although the clothes he wore were ''shaped and limited by his circumstances''[6], these poor boys' outfits (alongside their lifestyles) were more than enough to make them national heroes, characters of dime novels and pulp magazines, and later on, the iconic figures of the silver screens. These simple, practical and durable clothing served their purpose but also created a base for the cowboy image we know today.
[1] Schultz, Stanley K. and William P. Tishler. “The New South,” American History
[2] - The Evolution of Western Wear | True West Magazine
[3] - The Evolution of Western Wear | True West Magazine
[4] - The Evolution of Western Wear | True West Magazine
[5] http://www.truewestmagazine.com/stories/the_victorian_influence/1590/