The cowboy hat became quite popular thanks to Black and White movies. What is more interesting is that those who wore a black hat were the villains while the cowboys who wore the white ones were the good guys. It was in the 1900s when the cowboy made it to the movies which of course delighted those who were fans of cowboy culture, the cowboys themselves and later on, people from afar who got enthralled by the world of cowboys.

The American cowboy pride is very much alive today although there was a sharp decline. By the 21^st century, cowboy started wearing larger belt buckles. The large belt buckle influenced the Bling-bling scene in the world of Hip Hop – a rather odd influence if we may but it’s part of history.

Today, there are no longer any villains and good guys in the cowboy scene except in certain remakes and the cowboy hat has been replaced by grey and other colors –they no longer needed to be either black or white. One rule is that, felt hats were used for the winter while the straw ones were used for the summer hence the popularity of women in bikini’s wearing straw hats.

It is interesting to note however that cowboy hats have now been replaced by baseball caps –which are relatively a lot cheaper than your Stetson. The old school cowboys still prefer their cowboy hats though. As per our history, not all cowboys wore cowboy hats because some couldn’t afford them. Jeans were actually the staple in terms of cowboy fashion since cowboys need sturdy trousers and trousers that still looked great even if there are patches. Jeans, according to history, are very important symbols of cowboy couture so basically it’s not just about the cowboy hat or cowboy boots.

We’ve been talking about cowboy boots and cowboys for a very long time now but we have not yet defined what a cowboy is.

Contrary to popular belief, cowboys do not dress like the cowboys in the movies. In fact, in the 19^th century, they wore whatever was available and usually these were hand me downs from higher classes. A typical cowboy hat in that century would be hats that protected the cowboy from the elements and not necessarily something that looks nice or sexy. The cowboy boots used by cowboys at the time were boots used for the cavalry and since these were mass produced, they were quite popular. Our idea of a cowboy is someone who is tough and always rides a horse –this is true but they not only tended to farms but were also Jack of all Trades. The typical cowboy needs to know how to ride a horse, how to rope, how to saddle and to bronc. They also need to take care of animals since they could not keep calling the doctor to tend to these animals.

Cowboys in the 19^th century were also skilled in making shelters and in building them hastily. They also constructed their home fronts on their own. Basically, the picture painted by Hollywood is still very much the same especially when it comes to being macho.

By the 1900s, the duster came to the lives of the cowboy. The duster was utilized as a way for the cowboys to keep their clothes clean. It was also during this era when cowboys wore pointy-toed cowboy boots. Some cowboy boots are still pointy-toed but there are now others that have toes that are not that pointed. The reason for the pointy-toed cowboy boots is because cowboys spend a good amount of time on horseback and their shoes were always in the stirrups. 

Cowboy boots are not just good for walking they are perfect for dancing too! If you are thinking of participating in a western dance, you can make use of this as a guide.

The most popular dances in the west are social dances. Western dances usually include the Polka, the Two Step, Waltz, Cowboy Chaha, Schottische, East Coast Swing, West Coast Swing, among others. For group dances, the most popular are the following: line dance, modern western square dance, and traditional square dance.

Much like your regular cowboy boots i.e. the simpler ones, country dances are quite informal. In fact, they are relaxed and very casual. They are not as exotic or elaborate as other dances in the world but these dances are just oh-so-cowboy. If you are planning on dancing one of these dances, you better make sure that you have a good pair of cowboy boots to show off.

There is such a thing as cowboy etiquette and this usually involves the cowboy hat but if you are fond of dancing cowboy dances, you should follow the dance floor etiquette in the West too. Usually, several kinds of dancing take place in one dance floor. The progressive dances just stay outside of the dance floor itself while the others such as swing are found either right smack on the center of the floor together with the line dancers or out side of the dance floor.

It is also interesting to note that these dances involve the man setting the pace. He decides how long the stride should be and decides when to change step –the woman follows him. However, if the woman is better at dancing, she would have to do a rather tactful push and pulling to guide her partner. This should never be obvious though because as soon as the male learns how to dance a certain routine, he would take the lead.

Photo via traditionalmusic.co.uk