Panoramic, breathtaking open range, prairie and mountain views of the American West can still evoke visions from days past of wranglers, cowboys, horses, chuck wagons, trail rides, roundups, cattle drives, trading posts, old west lawmen, outlaws, gold-seekers, ranchers, and legendary women of the west. Although a brief part of American 19th century history the cowboy legacy, legend, and lore of this time endures in the west today with liberal helpings of cowboy/cowgirl values: integrity, honesty, loyalty, hard work, courage, and compassion.

Traditional, practical, causal western wear for boys and girls, men and women are distinctive, timeless, and fun to sew. Sewing western wear continues a western legacy of hand-crafted items. Western wear apparel for men would be a functional cowboy hat, bandana or wild rag for outdoor work, bolero or historical thin neckwear tie for special occasions, long-sleeved, usually yoked, button-down western wear shirt often with contrast piping, blue jeans, vest, or jeans jacket, tooled leather belt with a never-too-big or too-shiny belt buckle, and sturdy western boots. Men’s western shirts are often identified as basic western, retro, embroidered, vintage, yoked, tailored, and western formal wear.

For women/girls - western hat, western shirt decorated with horses, hearts, southwestern flair, and fancy contrasting scalloped and swirled overlaid designs, handkerchief linen blouse, prairie or broomstick skirt or blue jeans, jeans jacket or southwestern styled vest, or riding outfit with split riding skirt and western boots. Western chaps for horse riding events and cowboy frock coat or duster are always optional apparel. Denim is part and parcel of any western wear outfit.

Contemporary western wear and reproduction clothing is characterized by western stitching, heavily embroidered close-fitted shirts with western yokes, arrow pockets and whipcord piping details. Ornamentation is often pearl snap buttons, bolo ties, tooled belts and engraved buckles, leather, silver conchos, metal studs, and rhinestones. Blue jeans are de rigueur cowboy/cowgirl fashion.

Modern-day clothing with the look and feel of the old west can be sewn from patterns offered by a variety of companies. Included below is a brief listing of a few favorites. Search the web for many more.

Buckeroo Bobbins’ Wild West Haberdashery has authentic vintage western sewing patterns.

Vintage Western Wear as seen on Pinterest.com

Sew happy, sew inspired.