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Native American people have many destinctive traditional dress and fashion styles. Tribes could be identified by these clothing fashions, hair styles, and personal ornamentation. The most destinctive aspect of Native American fashion was probably headdress whih inclide hair styling and ornamentation. The breechcloths or loin cloth was a clothing stape among Native American men. This is a long rectangular piece of hide or cloth which has tucked over a belt, allowing the flaps fell down both in front and behind. This was so common in large measure because weaving technology was so primitive and more complicated garments required extensive labor. Leather leggings were also common, especially during cold seasonal weather. Another common garment was a short kilt-like garment. Again the reason for this was in large measure a result of weaving technology. Like the breechcloth, the kilt was a fairly simple garment to weave. The short was not a common market. Many Native American peoples did not even have shirts. The Plains warriors did wear shorts, buckskin war shirts which were highly decorated. The decorations were highly variable. Common decorations were animal tails, fur, and destinctive, intricate quill and beadwork. Native American women often wore skirts and sometimes leggings. This varied widely from tribe to tribe. The length, design, and material of these skirted garments varied considerably among tribes. There were shirt-loke garments for women, but this varies substantially anomg tribes. Some Native American women wore no such garmdent. Others had them, but wore more in the nature of coats. A commomn approach in many tribes was a kind of tunic garment which might be described as a long shirt. Another option was a long dress. Footwear was more uniform. Most Native Americans wore a soft shoe called a moccasin. While the basic moccasin was a Native American standard, the decoration of the footwear was highly individualistic. Another type of footwear was the mukluk, a heavier boot-like garment. Another common garment was the cloak which was common in cold weather. Again this was a very simple garment reflecting weaving and sewing technology. The more northerly tribes needed a warmer garmer than a simple cloak. The northern people developed the parka--perhaps the most destibctive of all Native American garments. The arrival of Europeans caused major clothing and fashion changes. The Eastern tribes were displaced west causing previously isolated tribes to come into contact with each other. The result was culltural borrowings. And of course there was borrowing from the Europeans. A HBC reader notes, "Young native American children, at least during the summer often did not wear clothing. As far as I can tell in available drawings and photographs, older native American boys when dressed, were oufitted in much the same way as their fathers. I do not notice age-specific clothing. That is cerainly the impression I got from the Fleming and Luskey book."
Native American people have many destinctive traditional dress and fashion styles. Tribes could be identified by these clothing fashions, hair styles, and personal ornamentation.
The most destinctive aspect of Native American fashion was probably headdress whih inclide hair styling and ornamentation. The breechcloths or loin cloth was a clothing stape among Native American men. This is a long rectangular piece of hide or cloth which has tucked over a belt, allowing the flaps fell down both in front and behind. This was so common in large measure because weaving technology was so primitive and more complicated garments required extensive labor. Leather leggings were also common, especially during cold seasonal weather. Another common garment was a short kilt-like garment. Again the reason for this was in large measure a result of weaving technology. Like the breechcloth, the kilt was a fairly simple garment to weave. The short was not a common market. Many Native American peoples did not even have shirts. The Plains warriors did wear shorts, buckskin war shirts which were highly decorated. The decorations were highly variable. Common decorations were animal tails, fur, and destinctive, intricate quill and beadwork. Footwear was more uniform. Most Native Americans wore a soft shoe called a moccasin. While the basic moccasin was a Native American standard, the decoration of the footwear was highly individualistic. Another type of footwear was the mukluk, a heavier boot-like garment. Another common garment was the cloak which was common in cold weather. Again this was a very simple garment reflecting weaving and sewing technology. The more northerly tribes needed a warmer garmer than a simple cloak. The northern people developed the parka--perhaps the most destinctive of all Native American garments.
Native American women often wore skirts and sometimes leggings. This varied widely from tribe to tribe. The length, design, and material of these skirted garments varied considerably among tribes. There were shirt-loke garments for women, but this varies substantially anomg tribes. Some Native American women wore no such garment. Others had them, but wore more in the nature of coats. A commomn approach in many tribes was a kind of tunic garment which might be described as a long shirt. Another option was a long dress.
The arrival of Europeans caused major clothing and fashion changes. The Eastern tribes were displaced west causing previously isolated tribes to come into contact with each other. The result was cultural borrowings. And of course there was borrowing from the Europeans.
There do not appear to hsave been destinctive children's clothing. Children simply wore scaled-down adult styles.
A HBC reader notes, "Young native American children, at least during the summer often did not wear clothing. As far as I can tell in available drawings and photographs, older native American boys when dressed, were oufitted in much the same way as their fathers. I do not notice age-specific clothing. That is cerainly the impression I got from the Fleming and Luskey book."
Fleming, Paula Richardson and Judith Luskey. The North American Indians in Early Photographs (Harper & Row, New York, 1986).
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