"The Properly Dressed Cowboy " Topic

This is old, but still interesting to read if you like the Old West.

"In the 1800s, clothing choice was vitally important to cowboys riding the range and on cattle drives. Proper clothing could save a cowboy's life, or that of his horse.

In classic Western films, however, cowboys are often seen in clothing more acceptable to the times the film was made. For instance, it is a popular misconception that cowboys wore blue jeans in the 1800s. Although Levi Strauss and his partner were hard at work on a design, blue jeans were simply not available to cowboys in the early to mid-1800s.

Levi Strauss teamed up with Jacob Davis, a Latvian tailor, in 1868 to make durable pants for miners and cowboys using canvas for fabric and rivets to hold them together. The pants were not introduced in San Francisco by Levi Strauss & Company until 1873. These pants were canvas, though, and died brown, not blue. It did not take long for the popular product to make its way around the country, but these durable pants still cost money. In the early 1800s, cowboys wore wool pants purchased in second-hand stores, discards from wealthier people in town…"
Full article here.
link

Hope you enjoy!.

Amicalement
Armand

Like the cavalry & the native Americans, popular images of cowboys owe everything to the movies.

To be honest, I like the romantic look of Hollywood but it doesn't hurt to know the reality too.

Me too my friend.

Amicalement
Armand

Good sentence my friend. (smile).

Amicalement
Armand

For anyone wanting an accurate idea of the fashions of the times, seek either a copy of the Book I see By Your Outfit, which has great original stills in, or even look for either Trailblazers Re-Enactment or Lonestar Re-enactment on the web. Have to agree with original post, there has been an awful lot of controversy over the years through the Hollywood way of portraying the "Cowboy". For instance Cowboy is the term given to such Negroes (no offence) as Nat Love aka Deadwood Dick, as the coloured man were at one point the only folks who would push cattle accross the country, as it was long and arduous. But another myth is the Gunbelt, these "Rigs" you see are what is called Buscaderoes, and only were invented at the period when such Hollywood Cowboys were created, such as Tom Nicks, the real Gun Belts were simply leather Buckets, which looped over a normal belt and were called High Rigs, nothing fancy at all, anyway will dry up now as do not want to bore, as am a cowboy myself, cheers (aka Rooster)

Thanks for the info my friend.

Amicalement
Armand