Will Rogers's Western wear would inspire the clothing of the singing cowboys of the 1940s

Western wear is a category of men's and women's clothing which derives its unique style from the clothes worn in the 19th-century American West.

Western wear ranges from accurate historical reproductions of pioneer, mountain man, Civil War, cowboy and vaquero clothing to the stylized garments popularized by singing cowboys such as Gene Autry and Roy Rogers in the 1940s and '50s.

The most elaborate western wear is the custom work created by rodeo tailors such as Nudie Cohn and Manuel, which is characterized by elaborate embroidery and rhinestone decoration. (See also Nudie suit.) This type of western wear, popularized by country music performers, is the origin of the phrase rhinestone cowboy.

Some western companies focus on maintaining cowboy authenticity in their events, for example like Happy Pappy's Holdup outside of Hardin, Montana for reenactments, staged events, and history tours.

[edit] Further reading

• 100 Years of Western Wear by Tyler Beard and Jim Arndt (Photographer), Gibbs Smith Publishers (1993), ISBN 0-87905-591-X.
• How the West Was Worn by Holly George-Warren and Michelle Freedman, Harry N. Abrams (2001), ISBN 0-8109-0615-5.

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