Theres no mistakin a cowboy or cowgirl when you see um. Maybe there are some folk that don't quite understand why we are the way we are or why we wear the things that we wear. To common folk it may look a lil silly but to us it is as important as the armor a soldier puts on to go into battle. We are proud to be called Cowboy/Cowgirl, and thus we show it in everything we do, even down to the clothes and articles we wear....it all has a great purpose and meaning. So I designed this page to clue folks in on why we wear the things we do.
Hope you enjoy!
The Cowboy/Cowgirls Wardrobe
"The Hat"
A cowboy or cowgirl will put up with a lot of horseplay and practical jokes, BUT, don't ever mess with the hat. It is a good way to get your head knocked off your shoulders, in a hurry! Our hats protect our heads from heat, cold, wind, rain, snow, branches, etc...., just to name a few. It is the oldest form of "hard hat" I think there is. Some folks say that the first thing we put on is our hats....but the trueth is, it probably never came off, especially if we are sleeping out in the wilderness, or on the range!
The Brim of the hat can be used to swat at flies, help to get a campfire going, keeps the sun out of our face, and keeps rain from running down our face, it can fan the heat off you or your special someone, and it also blocks wind and snow in a blizzard when head or hat is tilted. The brim can block just about anything.
The Crown of the hat protects against anything we could hit our heads on out on the range, trail, etc...it works as insulation to keep our heads warm, and also ventalation to keep our heads from sweating too much, you can carry water, oats, food and other things in it.
The Boots"
The boots are made of rugged but supple leather and range in height. They in addition from protecting our feet, they protect against snakes and other biting critters, they keep the legs from gettin scraped up from a multitude of different bushes and brush, boots protect our pants from wearin out too quick and keeps your pant legs from gettin wet, etc...if you tuck the pant leg down the boot, however there seems to be a huge debate on the subject of..."Should you ...or Should you not tuck your pant leg down your boots." There is no right or wrong answer to this question, it is personal preferance, However there is a proper and improper way to wear these different styles.
The Heel of the boot is good for keepin our foot from accidentally slippin through and gettin caught up in the stirrup.
The Sole is made of smooth leather provides us a better feel of the stirrup and allows us to be able to easily and quickly slip our foot into the right possition.
"The Shirt"
The Long Sleeves protect our arms from sun exposure, cuts and scraps, and helps keep us cool when we sweat.
The Yoke is the strongest part of the shirt and gets the most abuse. That is why the yoke shape is used because it is in the shape of a triangle and any contractor will tell ya that the triangle is the strongest shape structure there is.
Flaps and Snaps .....Flaps on the pockets keep a multitude of objects from falling to the ground, snaps are easier to open and close with one hand than buttons, which is important when riding.
"The Pants"
Some of today's cowboys and cowgirls wear blue jeans(wranglers), however in the old days jeans didnt exist. The old styles can still be found but are much more expensive than jeans are. Well, whats there to say about the jeans but that....we wear them to protect ourselves from bein thrown in jail for indecent exposure!
The Gloves"
Gloves are worn to protect the hands from the sun, bites, leather and rope burns as well as brandin iron burns, blisters, cuts and scraps, etc... There are a number of different styles to choose from, usually made of deer skin and are durable. Most fit snuggly so to not get in the way of work.
"Bandannas and Scarves"
Bandannas and scarves are worn to keep us warm in the cold weather and cool in the hot weather, they keep a multitude of different things from getting past the collar and down the shirt. They can be used as a face mask, they can filter dirt and bugs out of water, they make great tourniquets and bandages for injuries, and they can also carry food.
"The Chaps or Chinks"
The chaps are made of rugged and tough leather and can take a lot of abuse before gettin worn out. They protect the legs and pants from barbed wire, cactus needles, brush, branches. Keeps clothes from getting too wet, The fringe helps water to run off quickly. Keeps us warm in colder weather.
"The Duster"
The long dusters are great for cold weather, the slit in the back from the bottom to almost half way up allows the coat to be worn while riding and also works as an extra blacket at night. Keeps bugs and mud off, among other things.
"The Spurs"
Some of us wear them and some don't. It depends on the horse. They come in different sizes depending on how aggressive you want them to be.
So......the next time you see a cowboy or cowgirl don't snicker anymore because we are just dressing for sucess just like anyone else! |
