These Images Reveal What Life Was Like in the Wild West

Close your eyes and envision a cowboy. Chances are, you’re picturing someone with distinctive attire, right? But hold on to your spurs because your mental image might not align with the historical reality of how Wild West cowboys dressed. Contrary to popular belief, those iconic 10-gallon hats weren’t the headgear of choice.

In truth, flat-brimmed Stetsons, famously known as the “Boss of the Plains,” adorned the heads of cowboys and their contemporaries during this era. The reason we associate 10-gallon hats with cowboys is largely due to Hollywood’s creative influence. This particular style was catapulted into stardom in the 1920s, and from then on, it became the definitive cowboy look, etched into our collective memory.