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One of the most salient characteristics of a cowboy in the wild west was his cowboy hat. It developed from the Mexican Sombrero and consisted of grey or brown felt. The broad brim protected the cowboy against rain and sun. In addition, the hat was purpose-alienated. Thus it was used as water watering place for humans and animal, or as fan for the campfire. First the hats where not good enough for the rough climate. In particular, rain deformed the hats in such a manner, that one could hardly use them. Later John Stetson - digging for gold in Colorado - experimented with numerous hat models . After he has had luck with his gold search, he established his company in the year 1865 in Philadelphia, and rented a small area for $100 dollars. It provided the devices, which he needed for a hat production. Here the typical cowboy hat, with it's broad brim, was developed, and the cowboy and gold diggers were now really protected against rain.. |
The material of the shirts consisted either of cotton for the summer or of fleece wool for the winter. They were simple clothes without collars and without any ornament. They were often cross-hatched. The vests kept warm, also they had another practical use, since they had deep bags inserted, in which the Cowboy kept smaller articles such as purse, tabacco, etc.. In the trousers were also inserted bags, but they were hard to use in the riding position. |
The most well-known trousers of the cowboys were the Blue Jeans, which were manufactured by the German Levi Strauss. He had recognized fast, that the California gold diggers needed strainable trousers, since their cotton trousers were not very durable. In the beginning Cowboys also wore those cotton trousers, before they learned to know the Jeans . They had to fit tightly at the hip, since the cowboys didn't wear suspenders - they scrubbed at the shoulders - but belts. However the EWU in Germany probably doesn't know this historical fact, and asks their members, not to start with blue jeans! |
Often the chaps were worn in addition to the trousers. They are leathern over-trousers without butt, which should protect the legs against the horns of the cattle or the thorns of any bushes. Further they prevent the expensive jeans from being chafed through. Wide chaps, called batwing chaps, there was, so-called Batwing Chaps, protected also the flanks of the horses. In colder areas the cowboys wore Chaps from goat or buffalo fure, called Woolies. However these had the disadvantage, that they became full of water in rain. In addition they separated a very bad smell with humidity. |
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The Duster was a long coat, which the cowboys had fastened to the Skirt. It was used during sandstorms and rains. The coat is well closed and has a back split, sitting on the horse was thus no problem. There was cotton and leather ones. |
Beside the saddle the boots were the most expensive properties of the cowboy. A good pair of boots did cost up to 30 dollars. At the beginning the heels were relatively flat, they became higher in the middle of the 19th century. That had the advantage that one did not slip from the stirrup when riding. The sole of the footwear was rather thin, so the cowboy could feel the stirrups. In addition the boots approached in front pointedly. Also that had its sense. The cowboy could enter fast into the stirrups and come out again. The high shank of the boots prevented from dirt. The boots - as already mentioned above - were very expensive, some cowboys slept therein, and many were also buried in them. |
The spurs served as longener for the heels to give riding aids. Since the workhorses of the cowboys were very small and durable, a man with normal size couldn't reach the horses' belly comfortably. Thus an extension had to be achieved, which ensured the aid giving. The salient wheel of the spurs is not not brutal at all. The wheel ensures with too much pressure, that the spore unreels! |
