Buckskins and Broadcloth: Attire of the Mexican Borderlands

There’s generally something to be said when a particular fashion remains in use over the span of many decades and across the greater part of a continent. Sure, there are distinct nuances to pinpoint a specific era or region in the timeline, but overall things remained more similar than they were different. Such is the case for the fashions of the nortenõ vaquero. “The best society in the interior of New Mexico is fast conforming to European fashion, in the article of dress, with the exception of the peculiar riding costume, which is still worn by many caballeros. This generally consists of a sombrero — a peculiarly shaped low crowned hat with wide brim, covered with oil cloth and surmounted with a band of tinsel cord nearly an inch in diameter: a chaqueta or jacket of cloth gaudily embroidered with braid and fancy barrel buttons: a curiously shaped article called calzoneras, intended for pantaloons with the outer part of the legs open from hip to ankle — the borders set with tiny filigree buttons, and the whole fantastically trimmed with tinsel lace and cords of the same materials. As suspenders do not form a component part of a regular Mexican costume, the nether garment is supported by a rich sash which is drawn very tightly around the body, and contributes materially to render the whole appearance of the caballero extremely picturesque. Then there are the botas which somewhat resemble the leggins worn by the bandits of Italy, and are made of embossed leather, embroidered with fancy silk and tinsel thread and bound around the knee with curiously tasselled garters. The sarape saltero (a fancy blanket) completes the picture. This peculiarly useful as well as ornamental garment is commonly carried dangling carelessly across the pommel of the saddle, except in bad weather, when it is drawn over the shoulders, after the manner of a Spanish cloak, or as is more frequently the case, the rider puts his head through a slit in the middle, and by letting it hang loosely from the neck, his whole person is thus effectually protected.”-Josiah Gregg (1839)

It should be plain to the reader that the above quote is specific to New Mexico, nevertheless, save for the detailed decorations mentioned, the quote could more broadly apply across the length of the Southwest.

The hat most often associated with the Spanish Southwest is the sombrero cordobes. The low flat crown and flat wide brim are hard to mistake and it saw use from the dawn of the 19th century to well after the 1860’s in some locals.

While certainly being the most ethnic, these were not the only hat styles in use. The more anglicized round hat ( a forerunner to the top hat) saw use until sometime in the mid 1830’s.

The chaqueta worn by the vaqueros had several distinct features and designs.

They were typically made of braintan buckskin, wool broadcloth, striped cotton, or even velveteen. They were either of open or closed construction, but many of them were cut quite high, leaving a great deal of shirt exposed. This design allowed a significant freedom of movement and helped the vaquero perform his daily arduous tasks less impeded. The leather variety were very commonly decorated with “pinked” edges while their cloth counterparts had “V” notched edges or fancy tape borders. Many would be made with shoulder caps and cuffs and the open variety would either have a plain or notched lapel.

There was another form of cuera also worn frequently up until the 1840’s. It was made of leather and was always split in the front. The body was very long reaching below the knees and even sometimes to the ankle, affording better protection in brush country. The decorations and shoulder cap style remained the same.

The pants or calzoneras worn are thought to be adaptations of European cavalry trousers. The outer “seam” is not a seam at all but instead was held together by buttons or even hooks and eyes. They originally only came down to the knee and were called calzones, this design helped provide a greater range of motion, but some started to become full length in the latter part of the 1810’s. Both styles would persist throughout their use. Most would have no fall or fly but handful of them did have a fall front. The most common color seen in period depictions was blue and they were either left plain or trimmed along the outer seam with a contrasting color, with either a straight or scalloped edge. When the full length variety were left unbuttoned, as was nearly always the case, the legs would flair in a bellbottom fashion, but in actual fact the pant legs themselves were cut straight. These pants would be held up by a tightly wound sash, there are many colors depicted with the most common being red.

Under the Calzoneras the vaquero would wear pantalones, a cotton underpant that would be exposed to tearing if the wearer did not have botas de alas, winged boots. These were simply a buckskin wrapper cut in a shape nearly like a large candycorn. They would be wrapped around the leg with the “point” folded down and to the back of the leg and gartered tightly in place. The final wrap would be placed forward and to the outer edge of the rider while on horseback. This visible portion would be highly decorated either with embossed designs or even embroidery. 20th Century depictions show conchos or primitive leather buttons employed to hold the botas together, neither of these things are historically correct however and are figments of the artists’ imagination. Truthfully the single garter was a inadequate means to suspend the botas and many vaqueros would find themselves constantly adjusting their leg wear when walking or even dancing! Botas would be a predominant clothing item until made obsolete by tall riding boots around the 1860’s.

The most common shoe depicted from in the early 19th century artwork has a flaired top which is always shown to be open and possibly a low heel. There are no known examples to the author that survive to the present day. Along the most northern borders teguas, which are an adaptation of the Navajo kaibab would be a homemade variety of footwear. Riding boots would soon replace both these items as soon as they became commercially available for a decent price.

The early 1850’s would mark the beginnings of a noticeable style change. The overall decoration and cut would start morphing into the more recognizable “charro” dress and eventually the stereotypical, ethnic mariachi garb. Nevertheless, elemental details such as the short jacket and the trimmed leg border with vestigial buttons hearken back nearly 200 years to a time when the Norteno vaquero roamed the Southwest, from Texas to California in as recognizable an attire as any of the Borderlands.

”If a mountaineer and a mountain company are laughable objects, a Mexican and a Mexican company are triply so. The first thing that excites attention upon meeting one of this mongrel race, is his ludicrous apology for pantaloons. This is generally made of deer or buffalo skin, similar to our present fashion, except the legs, which are left unsewed from the thigh downwards; a loose pair of cotton drawers, cut and made in like manner, and worn beneath, imparts to his every movements a most grotesque appearance, leaving at each step of the wearer his denuded leg, with that of his pantaloons on one side, and drawers on the other fluttering in the breeze! The next thing that meets the gaze, is his black, slouching, broad-brimmed hat, (sombrero) though little darker than the features it obscures, and far less so than the coarse, jet-colored hair that protrudes from beneath it, and falls confusedly upon his shoulders. Next, if the weather tolerates the habit, a coarse parti-colored blanket (charape) envelopes the body, from his shoulders downwards, fixed to its place by an aperture in the centre through which the head is thrust, and securely girted at pleasure by a waist-band of leather. “-Rufus Sage