The Humble Beginnings of Western Apparel

Although you might be seeing it on the runway, being produced by some of the top designers in the country, western wear is not, by nature, a highly fashionable style. Now, over the years, as the west has gone from newly explored territory to established twenty-first century America, western apparel has gone from being the truly functional clothing style worn by those working hard to a more socially generic style, worn by all different classes of people. That should not really come as any surprise, as this style is the one truly American style that we can claim as our own. It wasn't brought over from any other countries, it was a style that developed out of the needs of those living on the land- secondary to the natives of course, but that is an entirely different subject.

Let us take the example of cowboy boots to look at how the changes in western wear occurred. Prior to the existence of cowboy boots, most cowboys were wearing boots that were very similar to the military riding boots worn during the Civil War. Legend has it that it was a custom boot order from a single cowboy that changed the face of western wear boots. The bootmaker who filled this order- located in either Texas or Kansas, depending on which version of the tale you hear- made a knee-high, pointed toe pair of boots in response to the cowboy's specifications.

What made these boots different? Let's take a look:

* Mule eared straps for pulling the boots on. This style of pull-on boot meant that the boot could also be pulled off the foot if it became tangled or trapped, which helped prevent riders from being drug behind or pulled under a horse if they were thrown.
* Pointed toes afforded an easier time sliding the boot into and out of stirrups.
* Underslung heels meant that the boots wouldn't slide out of the stirrups during rough terrain, something that helped the cowboys keep control in the saddle.
* Stitching on the outside of the boot kept the boot from buckling and prevented the stitching from rubbing against and irritating the rider's leg.
* Thick, durable leather prevented the ankle from rubbing up against the stirrup leathers or being bruised by wooden stirrups.
* The high shaft of the boot protected the leg from snakes, thorns, underbrush, rocks, barbed wire and more.
While this style of boots was born of necessity, it has become a very popular fashion item. There are still plenty of folks working with these boots on, and using them for their original purpose, and plenty of others who don their cowboy boots just because they like how they look and feel.

Written by Kacy Suther. Brand name cowboy boots and western wear at The Boot Store online store for western apparel. Ariat boots, Justin boots more at western-wear-store.com