What redblooded woman doesn’t get tingly all over when a
broad-shouldered man in chaps rides into town?
And who wouldn’t want to read about him? :) We’re talking some drool-worthy characters
here: Rowdy Yates, Paladin, Maverick, and of course the sexiest of them all,
Cheyenne Bodie. How about John Wayne,
Tom Selleck, and Sam Eliot?
But if you read or write historicals, there are issues. Yes, cowboys aren’t as simple and you’d
think. We have a whole lot of mythology
from the B-Westerns mixed in with our modern notion of what a cowboy really
was. The heyday of the cattle era lasted
from shortly after the Civil War until about 1890, although make no mistake
about it—real cowhands do exist today.
Just not many of them.
What Did You Call
Me???
First of all, in the 19th Century, men who worked
with cattle weren’t called cowboys. The
term was in use, but was pejorative, usually referring to greenhorn, Indian, or
African American cowhands. Preferred
terms were cowhand, ranch hand, vaquero, drover, cowpuncher, or just plain
rider, among others, a lot depending on what the job was and the location. But not cowboy. And anyway, in the dime novels, they wrote
“Cow-boy” (much like we write “Web site,” which will change to “website” in a
few years once someone ever figures out that “web” is a common noun). Ranch owners were called ranchmen or
cattlemen.
How did the belt
break the law?
It held up some
pants.
But not before 1920!
Second, good luck finding photographs for a book cover if
authenticity is important. First of
all—no belt loops, so also no fancy buckles, except maybe for the gunbelt, but fancy
things were only worn by dandies. Shiny
objects made you too good of a target. Belt loops came on the scene in the
1920s. Before that, men wore suspenders
if necessary.
Billie the Kid wore a
derby.
About hats—lots of cowboys wore derbies or boaters. Stetson made the Boss of the Plains starting
in 1865 but most cowhands who wore them didn’t the crease the crown or curl up the
sides as did the B-Western cowboys, which influenced what you still see now. Of course, creases and curls happened with
use, and a “broken-in” hat was prized. Batwing chaps were around but most working
cowhands wore stovepipe chaps—that, too, depended on the area and the weather. Woolies were only worn in colder weather, and
mostly in the north.
Need your neck
warmed?
Bandanas varied depending on the area, but most were plain
unbleached cotton or linen. Some
cowhands wore more colorful bandanas, but the bandana wasn’t considered a
fashion item until, you guessed it, the B-Westerns. Before that, the bandana was simply a
tool. You could tie it around your head
to keep the sweat out of your eyes, tie it over your head to keep your ears
warm in the winter, or you could use it to strain drinking water, or for a
washcloth. You could use it for a filter
over your nose, especially riding drag on a cattle drive. And of course bandits found them quite handy
as masks.
Collars and buck
straps—not just for horses.
Most shirts came without collars—you had to buy a collar
separately. Collars were usually saved
for town wear, if a cowhand had one at all.
Bib shirts were popular because of the extra protection the bib
provided, plus, if the bib got dirty, they could just turn it around to the
clean side. Trousers were high-waisted, had
a button fly, four buttons on the front waistband and two buttons in the back
to hook suspenders (sometimes called braces).
Many had a buck strap across the back just under the waistband so
skinnier men could tighten the girth.
See that scrawny
feller over there?
Most cowhands tended toward the sinewy side rather than the
buff look we love so much because a lighter-weight rider made for less wear and
tear on the horses. And the men kept
their shirts on; otherwise, their skin would be bloody shreds within
minutes. I doubt many of them waxed
their chests, either. Them’s fightin’
words.
But hey, it’s a real
fantasy!
I’m not covering boots, spurs, dusters, and underwear, but
you get the picture—a real cowhand just didn’t look as good as today’s romance
cover models. But you know what? Romance is fantasy, so while the story has to
feel authentic, I’m not so sure the hero has to meet the same criteria.
What do you think? What’s
your ideal of the most romantic western hero?
- - - -
BLURB:
Much Ado About Mavericks (http://amzn.com/B008EDN9T4)
* FIVE STARS!
Jacquie Rogers writes some of the best Historical Romances on today's market.
Not content to simply write a plot and toss in a lot of bed scenes and/or
filler, this author adds in subplots, humor, action, suspense, and some
endearing strays. ~Detra Fitch, Huntress Reviews
* When you read a
Jacquie Rogers book, you know you're in for a fast, fun ride! ~BookwormForever
Overview
A sexy ranch foreman who just happens to be a beautiful
woman
A Boston lawyer
who wants to settle his father's estate and go back East.
Rustlers who have another agenda in mind
Mayhem endangers them all--but can the foreman and the
lawyer ever see eye to eye?
Benjamin Lawrence is a highly respected attorney in Boston,
but in Idaho Territory,
they still think of him as that gangly awkward boy named Skeeter. When he goes
back home to settle his estate, he's confronted with a ridiculous will that
would be easy to overturn--but can he win the regard of his family and
neighbors--and the foreman?
The Bar EL's foreman, Janelle Kathryn aka J.K. aka Jake
O'Keefe, is recognized as the best foreman in the territory. But being the best
at her job still isn't enough--now she has to teach the new owner how to rope,
brand, and work cattle before she receives clear title to her own ranch, the
Circle J. The last thing she expects is rustlers. Can she save her ranch
without losing her heart?
- - - - -
BIO:
Jacquie is a former software designer, campaign manager,
deli clerk, and cow milker, but always a bookworm. Reading
is her passion--westerns, fantasies, historicals of any era, and all with lots
of adventure and a dash of romance. If an author can make her laugh, she'll buy
every book that writer ever wrote. One
of the first western historical romances she read was Hondo by Louis L’Amour
and she’s been hooked ever since. While
a country girl by birth, she currently lives in the Seattle
suburbs with her husband who knows if she’s on deadline, he cooks. Can you ever take the country out of a girl's
heart? Probably not, and that’s why her
stories often take place in Idaho
where she grew up. Much Ado About Marshals (Hearts of Owyhee
#1) won the 2012 RttA Award for Best Western, the CTRR Award, and garnered a
NOR Top Pick. She owns the Romancing The
West blog which features a western writer (all sub-genres) each week, started
the Western Historical Romance Book Club on Facebook, and works hard at
rekindling the western audience.
Website: http://www.jacquierogers.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/JacquieRogers
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/jacquierogers
Romancing The West: http://romancingthewest.blogspot.com
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