By ALEX VAUGHN & ERIC CHRISTIAN
The American cowboy roamed the plains west of the Mississippi River in the mid- to late-nineteenth century. The cowboy developed a functional manner of dress that suited his unique lifestyle. The American cowboys borrowed much of their clothing, along with many of their customs, from the earlier vaqueros, herdsmen of Mexican and American Indian descent who migrated northward over the Rio Grande River into Texas. Necessity also dictated a lot of the cowboy’s attire. A typical cowboy outfit consisted of a muslin (sheer cotton fabric) shirt with a waistcoat (similar to a vest), and denim or buckskin trousers. Chaps were made of leather or animal hide, often with the fur left on the outside, and covered only the front of the legs to allow for freedom of movement. Chaps were attached by a belt at the waist and tied along the back of the legs. Some early chaps were fringed at the seams.
Another essential component of cowboy style was the wide-brimmed hat, designed to protect the wearer from the harsh elements of the open plain, especially the blistering sun. A kerchief tied loosely around the neck performed a variety of functions for the cowboy. He could use it to protect his mouth and nose from dust, cover the back of his neck to prevent sunburn, or tie it around his head to keep his hat from blowing off on windy days. It could even be used as a makeshift sling for a broken arm. Red was the preferred color for these versatile bandanas, often called wipes.
Still popular in the twenty-first century is the cowboy boot, the most expensive part of the cowboy’s wardrobe. A high “Cuban heel” prevented the wearer’s foot from slipping through his stirrup. When dismounting from a horse, the heels dug into the ground to ensure good footing. Early cowboy boots had square toes, though round and pointed styles eventually came into fashion. By the 1890s, fancy cowboy boots were being sold through mail-order catalogs.
While the cowboy era lasted barely a generation, the cowboy style lives on in the form of dime novels, movie serials, and television programs and remains a popular style of dress for many people in the United States.
