Truth and Fiction in Frontier Clothing
On the frontier, native American clothing soon replaced "civilized" clothes.
The image of the frontiersman carried by most people is a mixture of fact and fiction. For example, it is true that early fur traders and trappers dressed primarily in fringed buckskin. But the handsomely tailored, honeygold buck-skins of television and movies bear little resemblance to the loose-fitting, grease-stained, gray-black skins found in museum collections and early journal accounts. Clothing, more than any other aspect of the life, reflects the position of the frontiersman-suspended between primitive and civilized worlds.
Types of clothing
The clothing of the trader or trapper was a mixture-part native American and part Anglo-Saxon. When available, wool trousers and wool flannel or linen shirts were preferred. Coats made of blanketing, called capotes, served as outer wear. A low-crowned, broad-brimmed hat protected the wearer from the prairie sun. Boots were favored when starting out, but they wore out quickly. Away from the settlements they were soon replaced by moccasins.
While crossing rough terrain, trousers fell victim to brush patches, wet weather and scorching heat. Without protection, cloth shirts suffered the same fate.
As "civilized" garments disintegrated, the trader or trapper turned to the clothing of the native Americans he lived among. Trousers were replaced by buckskin leggings and a breech-clout (a long, wide cloth passed between the legs and suspended in front and back from a leather belt). The leggings were held up by the same belt that supported the breech-clout. Strips of colored cloth called garters were bound around each legging just above the knee. When the leather became wet from wading or walking in wet grass, garters absorbed some of the additional weight, preventing the soggy leather from pulling loose at the belt.
Loose-fitting leather shirts replaced cloth ones. They sometimes consisted of nothing more than two tanned deer hides sewn or laced together, with openings left for head and arms.
Both leggings and shirts were decked with fringe. The fringe served to wick water away from soaked leather, which could be cold, clammy and uncomfortable. Fringe also served as decoration and a ready repair kit since individual strands could be cut off as emergency lashing material. The fringe may have acted as camouflage, breaking up the distinctively human silhouette of the wearer.
While leather garments were simple, they were not without style. The mountain man and trader acquired some native American tastes in decoration. Beads and quillwork brightened many garments. Designs were also painted directly on the leather using dyes made from native plants. Necklaces of animal teeth, claws, cast metal objects and bones provided ornamentation.
A wide leather belt held the loose-fitting shirt to the body. Into the belt were thrust a knife, a tomahawk, pistols and a leather pouch containing fire-making materials, a pipe and tobacco. French voyageurs and coureurs de bois wore a brightly colored cloth sash in place of a leather belt.
Accessories
Over one shoulder went a hunting pouch containing bullets, a bullet mold, patching material, spare flints, a patch knife, a screwdriver, a powder measure and more. Over the other shoulder went a powder horn filled with gun powder. In addition, he often carried a small leather bag fastened to his belt. This possibles sack held items such as a fire-starting kit, eating utensils, pipe and tobacco, pocketknife and other essentials. Thus equipped with such accoutrements, the mountain man was not only a walking fortress, but also a hardware store, tailor shop and butcher shop.
Clothing construction
Powder horn
Construction of leather garments began by preparing the hide. The animal was skinned and fleshed (a process of scraping all connective tissue and muscle from the skin). If desired, the hide was dehaired by soaking it in water or a mixture of water and wood ashes. The hide could then be dried to make rawhide. Or, the hide could be tanned and worked over a rope or wooden beam for greater softness and permanence. (For more information on skinning, see the units Trapper Education or Hunter Education.)
Tanning
For most clothing, the hair had to be removed from the hide.
Tanning was done by taking a mixture of animal brains and fat, and working it into the hide. The hide was then stretched and worked over a beam to soften it. This method, a so-called "Indian tan," is still superior to most modern chemical tans. (For details on tanning a hide, see Project 6.)
Once tanned, the leather was cut and sewn into garments using sinew-strands of animal tendon that served as a very tough thread.
Decoration
Leather garments were decorated with dyed porcupine quills, beads or painted designs. Native Americans used quills before glass beads were introduced by European traders.
Trading beads to native American tribes was a big business. In Europe, where the beads were manufactured, beadmakers' guilds protected production secrets. Anyone who revealed his methods was severely punished.
Beads were often sewn directly on the leather. (Beading techniques are discussed in Project 12.) Quillwork, while still practiced among native American tribes and historically inclined craftspeople, is not included in this unit.rade silver was a general term covering a variety of metal jewelry. Animal figures, religious symbols and other designs were cast or cut from pewter, tin or lead. These were sewn directly to garments, leather bags and rifle cases. Tin cones about 2 inches (5 centimeters) long were often affixed to garment fringe. They made a tinkling sound as they knocked together when the wearer walked. Native Americans sometimes wore rifle parts or pieces of mirrors as decoration.
Clothing was decorated with a variety of items--bead, quilts, bones, shells, teeth, metal and painted designs.
Painted designs were made using dyes manufactured from local plants. Designs were artistic or, if the trapper or trader had adopted some of the native religion, symbolic. (See Project 13 for instructions on how to make native dyes.)
The prevalence of native American dress and decoration expressed both the inclinations and the lifestyle of the wearer. Many traders and trappers took native American wives who were skilled in beading, quilling and sewing. As civilization spread westward, tailored buckskins appeared on the frontier. These combined the with the durability of leather.
Not all garments were made of leather, however. Heavy coats made of wool blanketing and shirts made of linen, wool flannel or cotton could be obtained from settlements or trading posts. Cloth shirts were loose-fitting with dropped sleeves and narrow cuffs and collars. Patterned fabrics had simple designs with only two or three colors. Colors were subdued because of the poor quality of dyes available.
Trousers were either drop-front or French-fly (fly front with buttons instead of a zipper). They were made out of wool, linen or cotton broad-cloth and usually held up by cloth or leather suspenders (called galluses), instead of belts. Patterns and instructions for making leather and cloth garments are in Projects 7-11.
