The Role Leather Chaps Have Played Throughout History

Leather is a great material that has been used for Centuries. It has always played an important role in western wear. Leather western wear items include cowboy hats and cowboy boots. Today we are going to focus on leather chaps and their history in western wear.

Leather chaps have been around for a long time. Starting from the 1600s there have been plenty of reports about the use of leather chaps, and they have continued to be revamped. If there has been any livestock handling the leather chaps have been around to help out.

During the Nineteenth century is when leather chaps become a little more well-known. Armitas were leather chaps that people in Mexico wore. Armitas were usually attached to a belt that a person had to step in to to wear. Armitas were made out of leather of calfskin, deer or sometimes even goats.

Through the Armitas the Texas cowboys developed their own style. Called the Shotgun style, Texas cowboys were some of the first to use full leather britches. The disadvantage of having full leather britches was that they did not have a seat and they were hard to move around in easily.

In the 1880s chap makers went to work to solve this problem. One way that fixed the stiffness was to make the chaps come in pieces now instead of one piece. They then curved the waistband to allow more movement for the cowboy.

The next chaps that were used were chaps that were used a lot during the popular Wild West Shows. Batwing Chaps, as they were referred as, allowed more movement for riders because they provided a wider cut then other chaps. They also were more elaborately decorated so riders could be recognized during Rodeos or Wild West Shows.

Chinks were made during the 1940s to provide more movement for riders. For hundreds of years riders that work in hot, harsh climates have had a hard time with full length chaps. Chinks were shorter versions of normal chaps, that only went a few inches after the knee.

Leather chaps have continued to play an important role in western wear. Chaps have been used during herding and outdoor yard work for hundreds of years. They may continue to be used for Centuries after today.