Western wear began its decent into history during the 19th century in the American wild west. The apparel was worn by famous cowboys such as Billy the Kid and Wyatt Earp. Their style was much different than the western wear worn now, but it laid an important foundation for how western wear is worn today.
Western attire in the early days was typically very plain. They wore simple trousers, with canvas tucked inside their cowboy boots so they would not wear their pants down. Cotton shirts normally had a simple style to them, and no collar. This allowed them to quickly pull their shirts on and off with out having to deal with buttons down the front.
Early cowboys wore bandannas around their neck. Bandannas were a popular choice because it kept them safe from the elements. It could protect their throats from dust storms, and protect their necks from the sun.
They also wore cowboy hats. Cowboy hats were useful because it provided protection from the sun reaching their face. It also made it easy for them to drink out of when they needed some water from a stream.
When films came in to the picture the western wear was revived once more. Popular western movie stars, such as John Wayne, made cowboys popular once more. The western style and cowboy hats became easily recognizable to the public because of these films.
In the 1960's western style clothes became popular to the general public. Cowboy hats, cowboy boots, cowboy jeans, and flannel collared shirts were making their way into clothing stores. Even the Beatles were seen wearing cowboy boots from time to time.
Then Nashville music came to the scene. The western style clothing industry changed again to more sporting styles. Distressed leather, casual dress, and different styled cowboy boots and cowboy hats were introduced.
Now there are a variety of options to choose from with western wear. Clothing and accessories can be replicas of authentic pioneer style clothing, or stylish clothing that Nashville country music stars wear today. There are plenty of options out there for young and old alike to choose from, so they are able to find something that suits their style best.
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