Are you interested in stories about Wild West costume?
You might enjoy reading How the West Was Worn:
Bustles and Buckskins on the Wild Frontier, by Chris Enss
Historians and fans of cowboy clothing will find a variety of ideas for wild west costume, including an array of fun fashion facts in the pages of How The West Was Worn. Did you know that pioneer women sewed lead in their hems to keep their dresses from billowing on the trail? Or that hatless men had to wear bonnets to protect their eyes from the scorching sun?
Costume that was in fashion in the East was highly desirable to pioneers in the Wild West, although not very practical for the men and women who were forging new homes for themselves on the frontier. From old familiar Levi’s to the short-lived “instant dress elevator,” How the West Was Worn examines the sometimes bizarre, often beautiful, and highly inventive costume of the Wild West. You’ll learn how a cowboy’s home state determined the way he wore his pants and hat, as well as how to distinguish one Indian tribe from another by their moccasins. Meet John B. Stetson, leading maker of cowboy hats; Adah Menken, whose flesh-colored nylon costume left an audience gaping at her underwear; and Amelia Jenks Bloomer, the promoter of – you guessed it – the bloomer.
