Calico dresses and buffalo robes: American West fashions from the 1840s to the 1890s

What would you have worn if you lived in the Old West?

It depends on who you were! For example, Native Americans made clothing from rabbit fur, deerskins, buffalo hides, and plant fibers.

They decorated their clothing with beads, porcupine quills, fringe, and feathers.

However, cowboy gear included leather chaps, boots, and bandanas.

Cowboys used their tall, wide-brimmed hats for protection from sun and rain and sometimes to carry water.

Read more about fashions of the Old West-from buckskins to sunbonnets to sombreros-in this fascinating book!