The well-dressed cowboy

The basic clothes of an American cowboy in the second half of the nineteenth century consisted of a cotton shirt and woollen trousers. Levi jeans, now part of the cowboy image, did not become popular until the early twentieth century. Most of the thngs a cowboy wore were determined by the nature of the job he was doing Waistcoats with deep pockets were popular because it is difficult to put your hands in your trouser pockets while on horseback. Cowboys often had to ride through thorn bushes, which would tear clothes and skin, so they wore long leather leggings or 'chaps' (from the Mexican word chaparreras). A cowboy's hat was a good guide to where he was working. In the south-west, hats were high and wide to provide good protection from the sun. Further north, hats were smaller and therefore less likely to be blown off by strong cold winds. Hats could also be used to carry water and to start a fire. Cowboys wore bandannas round their necks as a protection against sunburn and also to cover their mouths when the cattle kicked up a lot of dust. Contrary to popular belief, they rarely wore guns as guns were too heavy and uncomfortable to wear when riding a horse all day.