Vintage Western Clothing

  Vintage clothing is different from any other type of collectible, because most collectors acquire the clothing not only to display it, but also in many instances to wear it. Mass-produced clothing of the 20^th century is typically durable and can be worn without fear.

  What does vintage Western clothing consist of? For men, shirts with bib fronts, collarless shirts, vests of various designs, gauntlets, suspenders, silk puff ties, string ties, and silk wild rags. 

  For women, riding skirts, calico blouses, paisley jacquards, moiré skirts.....the list is literally endless.

  Vintage Western and Frontier clothing is classy, recognizable, and chock full of style. They evoke the spirit of the Old West, the spirit of ruggedness, individualism and freedom.

  Western wear ranges from accurate historical reproductions of pioneer, mountain man, Civil War, cowboy and vaquero clothing, to the stylized garments popularized by singing cowboys such as Gene Autry and Roy Rogers in the 1940s and '50s. Those elaborate outfits were created by "rodeo tailors" such as Nudie Cohn and Manuel, and are characterized by elaborate embroidery and rhinestone decoration.

  Collectors of cowboy boots also have a wealth of antique and vintage material from which to choose.

  Cowboy boots, for both men and women, were made for function during the "Wild West" but as the West died and the image was all that remained, the boots were typically colorful and extravagant and make wonderful displays for the vintage and antique collector. There are many famous designers of these boots, whose designs are immediately recognizable.

  The value of these collectible boots varies depending on when they were made and who wore them. Many boots from the late 1800s - worn by real cowboys doing real work - still exist, handed down from generation to generation. Other boots were created during the early 1900s merely for those who wanted the "look".

  The western style of cowboy boot - the "classic" style, has a tall boot shaft that extends to at least mid-calf, with an angled heel, usually over an inch high (for security on the stirrup). A slightly lower, also angled, "walking" heel was also in use. The toe typically narrowed to a point. These boots were crafted of cowhide leather, but sometimes "exotic" skins were used, such as that of the alligator or snake. The majority of these cowboy boot had topstitching, cutouts in geometric shapes (such as Texas stars), and so on.

  Two of the best known boot makers of the late 1880s were Charles Hyer of Hyer Brothers Boots in Olathe, Kansas, and H. J. "Big Daddy Joe" Justin of Justin Boots in Spanish Fort, Texas (later Nocona, Texas).

  In the 1940s, manufacturers such as Gold Bond, Stewart Romero and Rios took center stage, with two-toned boots, and boots with fancy stitching such as butterflies or snakes (depending on if the wearer were male or female).  The leather used to create the boots became patent leather, and could come in any color you could think of.

  There's a story behind every piece of clothing. Some stories you can find out about, some unfortunately you can't.

  For the vintage and antique collector of Western and frontier clothing, it's not enough to just have the vest, or the silk tie, or the boots. There's curiosity there - to know when that item was first designed and made, and why. For example the pointed toe of the cowboy boot was so that cowboy could insert it into the stirrup with no difficulty, and the angled, high-heel was created so that the boot wouldn't slip out of the stirrup at an inopportune moment.

  There's something extra special, of course, if you can know the history behind the original owner of the piece of clothing, especially if it was a noted lawman, or businessman, or politician, or just a dedicated member who provided for their family to the best of their ability. The stories behind the vintage and antique clothing pieces can resonate with the collector every time the eye passes over them.