Cowboy boots are the next priority. In the earlier Old West, boots were clunky-looking by modern standards. They were not sold in left/right configuration, because the boots were expected to gradually conform to the wearer's feet as a result of daily use. High heels and pointed toes came later.  Surplus Civil War army cavalry boots were popular. They had a knee guard, broad, squared toes, and low heels (as cavalrymen frequently dismounted, marching and fighting on foot.) By the 1880s, western boots began to resemble something that we're more familiar with these days, with scalloped tops, a seamed vamp in front, fancy stitching, and higher heels. You can buy "shooters'" boots that are fairly good representations of Old West boots, although the uppers tend to flare, because many folks these days have bigger, heavier bodies than our forebears and have thicker calves.

 

If you don't like "high heels" and prefer a broader toe area, I recommend Ariat boots. I have a pair of Ariat ropers for riding that have served me well for over ten years. They have thick, stiff leather over the toes. Wearing these boots, my feet were protected several times when stepped on by horses, and I even withstood a heavy steel-plate target that fell on my foot. I otherwise would have broken my feet/toes wearing lesser boots, not to mention street shoes, for sure. The boots are scuffed, scratched, and misshapen, and the original, attractive sueded exteriors have long since worn smooth. With ropers, you need to wear your pants legs over the boot-tops (Texas style) because the shafts are shorter. With tall shooter boots, you stuff your pantlegs inside the boots.

 

WARNING! If you ride horses, NEVER wear steel-toed boots!!! If a horse steps on your foot, the steel inserts can cut right through and amputate your toes. Steel toes are for construction sites, not horse-back riding.

 

19th century-fashion trousers are widely available and aren't too expensive. You can get by with denim jeans, however, although the style of jeans we wear nowadays weren't available in the Old West. If your intent is to make a B-movie impression, then wear jeans, roll up the bottoms into cuffs over your boots, and you'll look like a young John Wayne. Seriously, denim jeans are usable if you buy them in some color other than blue (brown, tan, black.) Some are even available with button flies. You ought to cut off the belt loops, however, to have them look right for the 19th century (or even the early twentieth century.) Trouser belts, and, thus, belt loops weren't commonly available until the 1920s. Sew on some suspender buttons or use clip-on suspenders if you want. If you buy a vest, the suspenders won't even be visible and folks won't know your clip-ons aren't period correct.

 

Most cowboys and men of other 19th century professions wore vests (called waistcoats in those days.) If you were a member of the latter group, you probably also wore a woolen sack coat (suit coat,) even in summer. In Victorian times, it was practically scandalous for civilized men to go into town in their shirt-sleeves, ie. equivalent to showing your underwear in public. Vests were made of wool or cotton, rarely were they made of leather, as in the TV westerns and old movies. I have a couple of different vests, and I found a nice herringbone wool sport coat that resembles an old-fashioned sack coat closely enough (see black and white photo of Lawdog in header.)

 

There are many decent 19th century-style shirts out there, although some feature breast-pockets or full front buttons, which were not common 19th century practice. Most shirts (if not all) were pull-over shirts that buttoned from the neck down to mid-torso. They didn't feature pockets (that's what vestpockets were for.) Bib-front shirts were popular with cowboys, firemen, and even soldiers. Many old time shirts had collars (contrary to what contemporary purveyors of  "old time" cowboy shirts would lead you to believe.) Once again, a vest will cover up that shirt pocket or those full-front buttons.  If you already own a Sears or Cabela's canvas work shirt or plaid flannel shirt, you're already in business, if you wish to portray a cowboy or other day-laborer in the Old West. Just put a vest over it and it'll look fine. Whatever you do, avoid button-down collars! But even button-down collars can be concealed by the judicious wearing of a neckerchief (bandana.)

 

If you want to make a realistic, historical  impression, do the research (mostly perusing old photographs on-line or in various books of the Old West.) Research is more than half the fun of creating a realistic impression. By the way, take a look at what Civil War sutlers have to offer to reenactors. They're usually pretty close to the mark on military clothing, accessories, and civilian fashions.

 

A few comments on women's 19th century fashions...I don't know much about women's clothing, but one of the best sources of information is in the excellent book Montana Western Heritage Project, edited by Todd D. Kesner and Wm. Abbott, with special contributions on women's clothing by Katelyn Andersen. In a nutshell, however, women's split riding skirts weren't socially acceptable until the late 1890s and early 1900s. Western women usually wore the Victorian fashions of their time if they could, but often simple calico garments (prairie dresses) were the rule. Many a dress for mom and daughter was sewn from recycled flour sacks. Women, as a rule, didn't wear pants, but when they did, they more than likely wore their husbands' old, worn overalls for especially  dirty outdoor chores around the farm or ranch. In the 1900s, riding skirts, raised hems, and even slacks became acceptable western fashion for women thanks largely to the influence of female Wild West show performers, as well as B-movie actresses. The old time cowgirls (or cowboy-girls as they were once called) influenced the development of large cowboy hats and fancy embroidered western-wear in the 20th century, a style picked up by their male counterparts. It's also possible that the low-slung holsters of movie cowboys may have been influenced by the female Wild West show performers, who wore their gunbelts low across their hips because of fundamental anatomical considerations. (However, some old time cowboys also wore their guns low, with the gunbelt at an angle.)

 

Finally, the Kesner and Abbott book mentioned above is an excellent resource on firearms, cowboy equipment, and period clothing for both sexes. Another excellent book (out of print but available) is Cowboys & the Trappings of the Old West, by Wm. Manns and Elizabeth Clair Flood.