The Western Shirt

Origins.

The western shirt appeared at the beginning of the 19th century, during the conquest of the West. The outposts that welcomed the settlers were cosmopolitan; a cultural mix conducive to the creation of the first western shirts. The shirt is the result of a cultural mix: inspired by the traditional Mexican shirts worn by the vaqueros (made of silk or very light cotton) and the combat shirts worn by the Confederate soldiers during the American Civil War.

Yet the western wear we know was born out of isolation and experimentation. Now with a reliable supply of woven fabrics, frontier tailors were tasked with constructing durable, yet comfortable shirts particularly suited for working miners and cattlemen. It was during this period in the early 1900’s that the iconic western shirt began to take shape. Tailors introduced longer tails so that shirts wouldn’t pull loose while on horseback – as well as five-button cuffs for posterity. To provide more support and durability, they also gradually adopted the signature pointed yoke across the shoulders and chest. If nothing else, this distinct nuance is arguably the most quintessential and persistent design element of the western shirt.

Eventually snap buttons became synonymous with western shirts for safety more than fashion purposes. The snap buttons prevented the clothing from getting caught on saddles, fenceposts or anything else that could snag a cowboy. These pearl snap buttons have now become an iconic addition and necessity of modern western wear fashion.

In the more modern era.

It wasn’t until the 1920’s, when western culture made it’s way onto the big screen, that the shirts carved their niche in the fashion world. Catering to a widespread fascination with the frontier, filmmakers were quick to adorn America’s favorite protagonists with rugged, well-worn clothing that characterized the previous era of westward expansion. The western shirt first appeared in the high fashion world during the 50’s, predominantly on the backs of movie stars and prominent musicians.

And now, many decades later, workers, celebrities, and everyone in between still tap into a rich heritage of pioneering individuality and uncompromising detail.

Coming soon.

Kapra is proud to announce that we will soon be carrying a variety of unique pearl snap buttons from Italy in our online store. Stay tuned.