how the west was worn

On August 24, 1863, San Francisco’s elite flocked to Maguire’s Opera House. Ladies wearing diamonds and furs rode up in handsome carriages; gentlemen in opera capes and silk hats were also in attendance. It was an opening night such as the city had never before seen. All 1,000 seats in the theater were filled with...

In the 1850s, outfits for women and men were topped off with a hat. Most children and all adults wore some kind of head covering in public. The bonnet was the most common hat worn by women. Made from a wide range of material from calico and straw to velvet and silk taffeta, the brim...

Maneuvering through the dusty streets and rough terrain of the Wild West proved women’s complicated wardrobe of hoop skirts, elaborate jewelry, and long gowns impractical. A lady’s traditional floor-length garments hampered her ability to move freely, and in some instances were health hazards. Many women were disfigured or killed because of burns suffered when their...

A magnificent palomino carried its rider past a regiment of soldiers marching toward their quarters at Fort Phil Kearny, a rugged Wyoming outpost. The soldier’s heads turned to watch as the curious rider sauntered up the dusty thoroughfare to the post mercantile. The figure in the saddle pushed back a wolf fur hat and squinted...

Women of the mid-1800s considered ornamental fineries like the handkerchief an easy piece of their wardrobe to part with.  Men carried such items into battle, out to sea, and across the difficult terrain of the West. Often these small squares of material were sprayed with perfume.  At the time, perfumes and colognes were worn mostly...