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Cowboy vests

2K views 14 replies 8 participants last post by  Gabby 
#1 · (Edited)
I just wonder why cowboy movies almost always have the cowboys wearing a vest? I did notice Lucas never wore one, not that I remember seeing anyway. He did wear gloves often though. I also noticed Nick Barkley and Little Joe almost always wore a vest and gloves.
Here in Texas I often would see a lot of cowboy hats but never a vest being worn in the country western bars. I think if they want to play the cowboy part they should start wearing vests like real cowboys wore. From what I was told by a Texan cowboys don't wear their hats indoors either. Those that do are concrete cowboys and don't know better. I did notice the Cartwrights didn't wear their hats and guns inside the house. But they usually had vests on.
So why the vest anyway? I can see the wide brim hats for the shade and rain protection though. Funny in the real old westerns two men could be fighting and falling down but their hats stayed on somehow.
 
#2 ·
I Wanna be a Cowboy

Little Joe wore a green jacket, over and over and over again. Don't think I ever saw him with a vest. He was a left handed gun.
Hos, don't remember much about him but he was a right handed gun as were the other Cartwrights.
Adam, the man in black. Yes he was a vest man also. He was the one to 'think it through' and keep the others from making a fool of themselves.

Ben (paw) had at least two gun belts, one for dress and the other for around the ranch.
He wore a vest and sometimes a colorful bandanna.
I think the bright bandanna was for the new In Color Episodes. Or maybe for people with new color TV's. Not sure.

One thing about that show, any girl set to marry one of Ben's boys was good as dead........


Lucas boy: (That's what the used to be drunkard sheriff Lucas saved from the bottle called him).
The Rifleman never wore a vest best I can remember. But he did wear Wrangler jeans???
Funny, he would spin that rifle, work the lever and every time after that it would fire with each lever pull.
Never figured out why it didn't fire on the first lever pull?

Buster, tune into Me TV at 1:00 PM tomorrow for more important information about Ben and his boys.

And you're right, a cowboy will still have his hat on at the end of the fight. I know I always do.

Speaking of me, I actually have a tan leather vest I wear with my silver and gold bull riders belt buckle.
Looks real good with my fixed blade stag handled hunting knife. People sometimes seem to be bothered by the knife so I seldom wear it.
My feet no longer tolerate cowboy boots so I wear sneakers. Oh well, nothing is perfect with the possible exception of my Stetson......

Me? I'm all hat with no cows. But I do love my single action revolvers.
Tune in next week for all you never wanted to know about...... Wanted, Dead or Alive. :popcorn:
 
#3 · (Edited)
Now that you said that I do remember Little Joe didn't wear a vest but a jacket. I wonder why that was when the others wore vests? Maybe Joe didn't want to look like a biker? LOL
I read that cowboys of old days were actually very poor and mostly bought second hand clothes. The vest was worn basically as a way to keep warmer without hampering arm movement. The vest was usually unbuttoned because it would cause the cowboy to sweat if buttoned while working. If it was cold weather the sweat would make the cowboy feel colder. It was said many that tried to be a cowboy often quit their first try at the job because it was dangerous hard work for very little pay.
 
#4 · (Edited)
We wear vests around here often. Mostly in winter.
Keeps us warm enough with pockets to keep stuff in yet gives arms the freedoms we need to work.
Can't say that's why they used to wear them but we both choose them quite often.
In the old days hats were ALWAYS removed when indoors. It wasn't a question you just did it. Now not so much. My 95 year old fellow rancher still is firm on it. Lol!
 
#7 ·
Believe it or not, most pants that cowboys wore didn't have back pockets therefore the vest made for extra carry room. Saloon gents, gamblers and con men wore the long split back coats with pockets on the inside of the coat. The vest usually carried a pocket watch, if he could afford one, his tobacco if he was lucky and a few silver dollars as many cattle drives didn't pay a whole bunch while on the drive. Most got paid about a dollar a day if he could survive the drive.

Tommy
 
#8 · (Edited)
The reason the old timers wore vests was because shirts back then seldom had pockets sewn onto them, and most didn't have collars like today either remember most were home made back then "store Bought" cost money! So the Bandana's were a neck scarf to keep warm with or a dust mask if needed. As mentioned earlier pants often didn't have back pockets and if you were in the saddle all day you wouldn't want anything back there anyway, so front pockets and vest pockets were much needed items to carry small things like jack knives and tobacco and perhaps a couple of loose cartridges in case you popped a snake and needed to reload. Some Vests were of fancy Brocade cloth and were a fashion statement, while a cow man might make his own from the hide of a cow that had to be destroyed for one reason or other, broken leg comes to mind, I'm sure it would be after they salvaged all the meat they could first. Buckskin and old blankets or pieces of canvas could be made into vests as well. Look at my avatar, the real Gabby always wore a vest and long sleeved shirt as shown. Farmers and cowboys tans always stopped at the wrist and neck. LOL
Gabby
 
#11 ·
I wonder if wearing a handkerchief around one's neck today would make people wonder if you were going to pull it up as a mask to rob someplace? It wouldn't surprise me.
 
#13 ·
Do any of you remember as I do that the big ring rifles were never seen before Lucas McCain came on the scene as "The Rifleman"?, then they caught on and even "The Duke" used one in Rooster Cogburn.
They are nothing but Hollywood, as is a lot of the stuff we take as real west but isn't. Some strive for realism and you can tell, especially some of the really early westerns with high cantles on their saddles and tall dally horns. Saddles with low roper cantles and big hard and fast horns were as a result of competition in the rodeos. I have one in my living room by a famous old maker made around 1919 and it's so small I can't even get my butt bones to fit and it wasn't a kids saddle either, most men were less than 5-8. I remember them from when I was a kid when everyone would get duded up for the Forth of July Rodeo. And for you city folks that is pronounced Rode-e-o, not Ro day o like Hollywood would have you say it. :hammer: My whole family rode in the parades and my Dad was breaking a rough horse the day I was born, darn near made me an orphan too!
The Mare's Leg cut down rifle sold as a pistol is another TV western creation. Quick draw holsters, hardly the old timers needed a pouch that would protect their hog leg from being flipped out when chasing cattle through the brush on horseback, and it also protected it from damage somewhat. They didn't need to get it out very quick because most times they only used it to put critters with broken legs out of their misery, and maybe to pot a rabbit for supper if they could spot one hunkered down under a bush "invisible" maybe an old wolf trying to get a sheep or calf but damn seldom for war with another man ah la the westerns. So now I've popped your bubbles, but don't forget I grew up with all this too but I just happened to learn the truth. I still tried to count all the shots when Lucas ripped them all off with his rifle, I couldn't believe it held that many because I grew up with 30-30's and they didn't hold but a hand full, so I figured it was fake, until I learned of the 44-40's and such.
Enough for now, I'm living up to my nick name again.
LOL
Gabby
 
#14 ·
I wonder if wearing a handkerchief around one's neck today would make people wonder if you were going to pull it up as a mask to rob someplace? It wouldn't surprise me.

I see wild rags on sidewalk Cowboys all the time. No one blinks an eye.
We just chuckle. Lol!
I wear actual bandanas around my neck for protection from the sun and to cover my face when moving cows when it's dry. Keep the dust out of my nose n mouth. Also can get it wet in a trough to cool off on a hot day.
I'm not sure if people even give it a thought but then I dress in jeans, boots, hat or ball cap etc. Maybe if I didn't look like a rancher? Not sure. I've gone to the big city before dressed normal. Don't think people worry but really not sure.
 
#15 ·
I wonder if wearing a handkerchief around one's neck today would make people wonder if you were going to pull it up as a mask to rob someplace? It wouldn't surprise me.
I doubt it, you should see how all the street people (homeless) we have here they wear everything you can think of including long scarves that would suffice in that regard just fine, no one takes a second look.
(except me that is)
Gabby
 
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