You don’t have to look far to discover the origins of Western clothing, whether you’re listening to tales of the Wild West, watching those old cowboy movies, or listening to country music stars. Western clothing derives its name from a unique style of clothing worn by men and women in the 19th century American West. It has undergone many changes since the early days of the Wild West with its open fields, wagon trains, cattle drives, and notorious outlaws. The clothing worn by western legends like Wyatt Earp, Billy the Kid, and Wild Bill Hickock is decidedly different from most western fashions today, but it was this era that laid the foundation for the western fashion we know and wear today. The cowboy style was a way of life throughout the American West until the early 20th century.

Western clothing began along with those who were known as cowboys after the American Civil War. Texas ranchers had to find a market for their vast excess of cattle. Meanwhile, on the East Coast, beef was in short supply. Ranchers therefore drove their cattle north to the nearest rail lines, for example, Fort Worth, which became a major shipping point for cattle in 1876. This prompted plans in 1887 for the construction of the Union Stockyards about two and a half miles north of the Tarrant County Courthouse. It became fully operational around 1889.

Mexican cowboys and Americans on the run from the law also made up a large number of cowboys who roamed the Wild West. The attire of these early cowboys used to be very plain and simple. Long pants made of canvas were tucked into their cowboy boots, allowing them to ride several rough trails before their jeans wore out. Early cowboy shirts were usually cotton or wool, sometimes with simple stripes and no collars. These shirts are pulled over the head with buttons that extend only partially down the front of the shirt. A bandana was worn to protect the cowboy’s neck from the elements while riding the trail, which was also used as a mask in dust storms and was worn as a mask by outlaws during bank raids and holdups. A cowboy hat was very practical and was used for everything from protecting them from the sun to giving them something to drink when they could find cool water. This is how, supposedly, the name “Ten Gallon Hat” was born due to its ability to retain water.

The early days of Hollywood revived the spirit of the old west, the cowboy way of life, and sparked a new interest in western clothing across the country. Gene Autry, John Wayne and Roy Rogers lit up movie screens and those of a certain generation will never forget our television screens filled with popular western series like Rawhide with Rowdy Yates (Clint Eastwood), Gunsmoke with Dennis Weaver as Chester and Bonanza with Little Joe (Michael Landon) all dressed in western clothes.

Western clothing became prominent in pop culture during the 1960s and even the Beatles wore cowboy boots. Western clothing popularized in this era included cowboy hats, cowboy boots, and fashionable jeans, as well as collared shirts with designs and patterns.

Some of the most articulate western clothing is the custom work created by rodeo tailors like Nudie Cohn and Manuel, which are characterized by elaborate embroidery and beaded decoration. This type of western clothing, popularized by country music artists, is the origin of the phrase rhinestone cowboy.

Nashville’s country music scene has kept an interest in the western fashion industry and western lifestyle, and its artists, with country stars like Garth Brooks, Tim McGraw and Dwight Yokam all sporting cowboy hats, cowboy boots and clothes. it strongly influenced western clothing today. Sandblasted jeans, distressed leather, and ultra-casual attire have become the frontier of modern western wear; which has become popular with line dancing, western riding and western fashion along with country music fans all over the world. Classic Western clothing remains commonplace in American culture.

Some Western companies focus on maintaining cowboy authenticity at their events, to support reenactments, staged events, film, and theater. Cowboy apparel ranges from historically accurate reproductions of pioneer, mountaineer, Civil War, cowboy and Mexican cowboy clothing to stylized showbiz apparel.