Leather chaps have played an important role in western wear items. They have become a part of the Western lifestyle of cowboys. Leather has been a great material for many western wear items, including cowboy boots, cowboy hats, and the item we are going to talk about today: western wear chaps.
Leather chaps have been around for Centuries. They have continued to be updated through out the ages. They have remained a major component in helping with livestock handling.
During the 19th century leather chaps were mostly stepped into garments. This meant that they were usually attached to a belt that the cowboy stepped inside. Armitas were the leather protectors Meican's wore, and were normally made out of deer, calfskin, and goats.
Texas cowboys during this time took it one step further. They were the first to wear full leather britches. They provided a lot of protection, but because they had no seat they were stiff profiled.
In the late 1800s chap makers started to evolve chaps. They started to make them in to separate pieces, instead of one. The separate pieces provided more ease, solved the stiffness problem, and fitted the cowboys better.
Batwing chaps provided cuts that were wider, which provided more movement for the cowboys. This was needed for cowboys that needed to perform stunts in Rodeos or Wild West Shows. Batwing chaps were also decorated more than other chaps because the performers wanted to be noticed more.
The hot summers were miserable to cowboys with normal chaps, especially for cowboys working south. In the 1940s this problem was solved by Chinks, a new take on chaps. Chinks were only a few inches past the cowboy's knee, making them less restrictive and not as hot.
Leather chaps have continued to evolve since then. They are still used today to help with herding, yard work, outdoor work, feeding, fencing and branding for many cowboys and ranchers today. Leather is a great material to use with western wear items, and leather chaps are no exception. |
