Costume Cowboy

Wild West Fancy Dress - 5 Accessories to Make Your Cowboy and Cowgirl Outfits Look More Authentic
By Dan Fresh

From an early age boys and girls just love dressing up in Wild West fancy dress costumes. Playing Cowboys and Indians is probably the second most common children's dress up game after Doctors and Nurses.

Well, if the costume parties over Halloween and New Year's Eve are anything to go by, this childhood obsession is perhaps something that never quite goes away. Cowboy and cowgirl outfits seem to be getting worn more and more at these parties, as well as at Carwash Nightclubs, meaning that Wild West fancy dress appears to be more popular than ever before.

So if you have decided to go to the upcoming party as a cowboy or a cowgirl, then you now need to make the decision as to whether or not you are going to buy your Wild West fancy dress costume online or have a go at making your own. Whatever you decide to do, you should still consider the following accessories, in order to transform your outfit into a realistic looking cowboy or cowgirl costume.

Cowboy hat

Perhaps the most obvious accessory to go with your cowboy/cowgirl outfit is a Western style hat. If you have purchased your costume, then there is a good chance that you will get a hat as part of the ensemble, however, if you are making your costume yourself then this is obviously something you are going to need to buy.

Holster and gun

Toy guns are not everyone's cup of tea, but if you have already made the decision to go to the party in Wild West fancy dress, then the chances are that you are going to want to buy a toy gun to compliment your outfit. Most specialist cowboy fancy dress websites carry a range of toy pistols and holsters to choose from, but the Pecos Hand Gun, crafted from die cast metal and plastic, is particularly realistic looking.

Neck scarf

An accessory that is often overlooked in this genre, but one which can really add a lot to your outfit, is that of the neck scarf. In the dusty plains of North America, the neck scarf was as an important item to the cowboy as his holster and gun, so adding one to your costume will help make it look that little bit more authentic.

Make-up

Ironically, it is more likely that the guys are going to be needing to apply make up to enhance their costume than the girls, because here I am actually talking about adding some stubble to give your character a more realistic hardened, Wild West look. Alternatively, there are some great looking cowboy-style moustaches that you may consider purchasing.

Cowboy boots

Undoubtedly the most expensive accessory you are likely to buy to go with your costume are a pair of Western boots. However, these are also the one item that will really add that extra something to your outfit and you may be surprised how reasonably priced they can be.

Cowboy Hat

Cowboy Hat Guide - The Most Fashionable Hat to Wear

By Ilse Hagen

The cowboy hat is one headgear that never goes out of style. You don't have to be a cowboy in order to wear one. In fact, you can wear a cowboy hat whenever or wherever you please for the sake of being stylish. Aside from being fashionable, the cowboy hat protects your face and your eyes from the sun especially if you love strolling or working outdoors during sunny days. Not sure which style to choose? Here is a cowboy hat guide to help you out.

Qualities of the cowboy hat

Cowboy hats are also referred to as "Stetsons" and they are characterized by their rounded pinched crowns and wide brims. The brims are usually worn differently. For instance, there are those that are upturned on the sides while there are those that are pulled down similar to the bucket hat. There are also variants that are flat and straight.

Styles to unleash the cowboy in you

This cowboy hat guide can name 3 types based on the material that the hat is made of including felt, straw, and half-breed. For better protection from the sun's UV rays, the felt cowboy hat is a good choice and they are also durable. However, they may lack the proper ventilation so it may be uncomfortable to wear them when it is too sunny.

For something cooler to the head, you can opt for the straw cowboy hat that is lacquer-coated to hold the shape and stiffen it. However, sunlight can easily seep through the weaves leaving you with sunburns and inadequate glare protection.

Concluding the cowboy hat guide: Half-breeds are best?

So for the best protection against the sun with enough ventilation on your head, the half-breed cowboy hat should be a good choice especially for hot climates. Just make sure you choose one with a larger brim that is at least 4 to 6 inches. Also, go for a hat that is stiff enough to hold the shape but still comfortable to wear. Refrain from hats with hard crowns since they are likely to have poor ventilation.

Cowboy Up! Western Wear: From Cowboy Boots to Stylish Western Handbags
By Chris Robertson

Western wear isn't what it used to be - it's much more than a gal or girl could have ever imagined years ago. Not only can western wear fans find unique cowboy boots and cowboy hats today, they can now accessorize their western wardrobe with many other stylish items, such as western handbags and western wallets. Here's a quick guide to some amazing western fashion products that have come on the scene in recent years.

Western Handbags and Western Wallets

For the ladies, western handbags have become a necessary part of their western ensemble. Who wants to carry a purple or black beaded purse when wearing western clothing, cowboy boots and a cowboy hat? With western handbags, ladies can carry all their personal items, cash, and identification along to the rodeo or anywhere else without sticking out like a sore thumb! They can now carry a western handbag to match their western clothing and blend with the others.

Western handbags come in an array of designs, colors and sizes to coordinate with almost any western outfit. Mahogany, Ebony & Ivory, Chocolate, Retro, and even Texas Flag styles are all available in "western" style along with many others! Other accessories to go along with western handbags include belts, jewelry, and wallets. Western wallets for the guys also come in different styles and colors.

Western Cell Phone Cases

Now, modern cell phones can blend with western attire with western cell phone cases. These are practical, made with leather for durability and flexibility, and come in different styles and colors. Men and women alike can carry their cell phones without doing injustice to their western clothing!

Western Tack and Western Saddles

Many cowboys and cowgirls won't dress in western wear unless their horse can too! That's why horse tack and western saddles have been made in all sorts of styles to fit every taste. The horse might not understand, but many owners want their horses to look great as well. Western tack and western saddles, along with unique halters, spur straps, and bridles, help to complete the rider's (and horse's) image.

Western Decor for the Home

Many western fans love to decorate their homes with beautiful western decor items such as paintings of horses, Native Americans, western scenes, or farms. Western decor goes wonderfully with paneled, dark brown or pastel room colors. Rustic furniture and tables also look great with western decor accessories.

Gift Ideas for the Western Fan

Western decor items and western clothing make great gifts for the holidays, birthdays, graduation and other special occasions. Shoppers can find all sorts of western products and gifts at online western wear retailers. Many small towns don't have a specialty western product retailer, so the Internet is a convenient solution. And, shoppers never have to leave their home to find great western handbags, clothing, horse tack and other western products.

Western handbags and other items are a great way to express one's love for the Old West!

Cowboy Clothes

History of Western Wear

By Nishi Kapoor

You don't have to look to far to find out the origins of western apparel, whether you listen to tales of the wild west, watching those old cowboy films or listening to the stars of country music. Western wear derives its name from a unique style of the clothes worn by men and women in the 19th-century American West. It has undergone many changes since the early days of the Wild West with its open ranges, wagon trains, cattle drives, and notorious outlaws. The apparel worn by legends of the west such as Wyatt Earp, Billy the Kid, and Wild Bill Hickock is decidedly different from most of today's western fashions, but it was this era that laid the foundations to the western fashion we know and wear today. The cowboy way was a way of life throughout the American west up until the early 1900s.

Western apparel got started along with those who were known as cowboys after the American Civil War. Ranchers in Texas had to find a market for their large excess stock of cattle. Meanwhile, on the east coast beef was in short supply. Thus, the ranchers drove their cattle north to the nearest railroads, for example Fort Worth, which became a major shipping point for livestock in 1876. This prompted plans in 1887 for the construction of the Union Stockyards about two and one half miles north of the Tarrant County Courthouse. It went into full operation about 1889.

Mexican vaqueros and Americans fleeing the law also made up a large number of cowboys roaming the untamed west. The attire of these early cowboys was usually very plain and simple. Full length trousers made of canvas were tucked inside their cowboy boots, allowing them to ride several rough trails before their jeans wore out. Shirts of the early cowboy were usually cotton or wool, sometimes with simple pin striping, and had no collar. These shirts pulled over their heads with buttons running only partially down the front of the shirt. A bandana was worn to protect the neck of the cowboy from the elements while riding the trail, which was also used as a mask in dust storms as well as outlaws using them as a mask during bank raids and hold ups. A cowboy's hat was very practical and used for everything from protecting them from the sun, to providing them with something to drink out of when fresh water could be found. This is how, allegedly, the name the "Ten Gallon Hat" was born because of its ability to hold water.

The early days of Hollywood revived the old west spirit, the cowboy way of life, and sparked new interest in western wear across the nation. Gene Autry, John Wayne, and Roy Rogers lit up cinema screens and those of a certain generation will never forget our television screens filled popular western series such as Rawhide with Rowdy Yates (Clint Eastwood), Gunsmoke with Dennis Weaver as Chester and Bonanza with Little Joe (Michael Landon) all dressed in western apparel.

Western wear became prominent in pop culture during the 1960's with even the Beatles wearing cowboy boots. Western apparel popularised by this era included cowboy hats, fashionable cowboy boots and jeans, as well as collared shirts featuring designs and patterns.

Some of most articulate western wear is the custom work created by rodeo tailors such as Nudie Cohn and Manuel, which is characterised by elaborate embroidery and rhinestone decoration. This type of western wear, popularised by country music performers, is the origin of the phrase rhinestone cowboy.

Nashville's country music scene with has kept up the interest in the western fashion industry and the western way of life, and its artists, with such country stars as Garth Brooks, Tim McGraw and Dwight Yokam all sporting cowboy hats, cowboy boots and clothing' have heavily influenced the western wear of today. Sand-blasted jeans, distressed leather, and ultra-casual dress have become the frontier in modern western apparel; which has become popular with line dancing, western riding, and western fashion together with country music fans all over the world. Classic western wear is still commonplace in American culture.

Some western companies focus on maintaining cowboy authenticity in their events, to support re-enactments, staged events, film and theatre. Western wear ranges from accurate historical reproductions of pioneer, mountain man, Civil War, cowboy and Mexican vaquero clothing to the stylised garments for the show business world.