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How the West Was Worn: Bustles and Buckskins on the Wild Frontier

It happened in Dodge City, Kansas. A stranger in town asked a resident where he could find Bat Masterson. A lawyer who overheard the question broke in and said, “Look for one of the most perfectly made men you ever saw, a well-dressed, good-looking fellow and when you see such a man call him ‘Bat’ and you have hit the bull’s eye.

Masterson was known for his trim, neat style, his derby hat, tailor-made pants and jackets, and linen shirts imported from France. He was proof that being a tough lawman did not mean one had to dress like a cowhand.

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How the West Was Worn: Bustles and Buckskins on the Wild Frontier

Grateful to be among the nominees for the Downing Award

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How the West Was Worn: Bustles and Buckskins on the Wild Frontier

On August 24, 1863, San Francisco’s elite flocked to Maguire’s Opera House. Ladies wearing diamonds and fur coats rode up in handsome carriages: gentlemen in opera capes and silk hats were also in attendance. It was an opening night such as the city had never seen before. All 1,000 seats in the theatre were filled with curious spectators, anxious to see the celebrated melodramatic actress Adah Menken perform.

Adah was starring in the role that made her famous – that of Prince Ivan in Mazzepa. It was rumored that she preferred to play the part in the nude. Newspapers in the East reported that the audience found the scantily clad thespian’s act “shocking, scandalous, horrifying and even delightful.”

The storyline of the play was taken from a Byron poem, in which a Tartar prince is condemned to ride forever in the desert, stripped naked and lashed to a fiery, untamed steed. Adah insisted on playing the part as true to life as possible. The audience waited with bated breath for Adah to walk out on stage, and when she did, a hush fell over the crowd. She was beautiful, with dark hair and large, dark eyes. Adorned in a flesh-colored body nylon and tight-fitting underwear, she left the audience speechless.

During the play’s climatic scene, supporting characters strapped the star to the back of a black stallion. The horse raced up a narrow runway between cardboard representatives of mountain crags. The audience responded with thunderous applause. Adah Menken and her revealing undergarments left the ticket holders in a state of shock – and scandalized the West.

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How the West Was Worn: Bustles and Buckskins on the Wild Frontier

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How the West Was Worn: Bustles and Buckskins on the Wild Frontier

Amelia Jenks Bloomer was a newspaper editor, public speaker, and proponent of women’s rights and other social reform. She did not design the then-daring outfit that carries her name – a short dress that reaches below the knees with frilled Turkish-style trousers gathered in ruffles at the ankles. She did promote the costume, wore it herself, and watched it become a symbol of the fledgling women’s movement

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How the West Was Worn: Bustles and Buckskins on the Wild Frontier

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How the West Was Worn: Bustles and Buckskins on the Wild Frontier

Wild Bill Hickok was an American frontier army scout, peace officer, stagecoach driver, and gambler. He was a big man and his 6-foot frame was accentuated by the long wool jackets he frequently wore. The red sash he generally sported around his waist stood out over the dark pants and vest of his everyday wardrobe.

The sash held two pistols, always pointed butt-forward beneath his coat. His giant brimmed hat was cocked on his head and his long wavy hair, parted in the middle, cascaded down his back. Many dime novel readers tried in vain to duplicate his style, but only one could do the look justice.

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How the West Was Worn: Bustles and Buckskins on the Wild Frontier