American National Clothing?

[DWFII]

I heard one of those "talking heads"...a supposed expert...on the radio the other day say that there is no truly America Identity. I can see his point. If there is no American Identity, how can there be a national "costume?"

[macwilkin]

Perhaps historically, but I really don't think coon
skin hats are worn enough to say they are the national hat.

Aye, Ted...considering Daniel Boone never wore on, and David Crockett only did so when he was playing up to the myth surrounding him.

T.

[EagleJCS]

Perhaps, the traditional, American national clothing is attire that has mixed clothing from many other cultures together. That doesn't help though; that seems to be the problem I'm having with this in the first place.

I think, Ted, part of the problem with trying to identify just one set of clothing as the "American National" standard (for the U.S.) is that there are so many regional stereotypes we have to account for. As has been pointed out, there are certain types of clothing (in addition to our accents when speaking) which may identify us regionally. There are also ethnic/cultural differences within and across each of these regions affecting and informing the regional differences. (For example, it's unusual to see turquoise and silver jewelry in the Midwest - Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio - but it's my understanding it's very common in the Southwest - Arizona and New Mexico in particular).

Would our international brethren try to describe clothing that would immediately identify a stranger in their community as an American (U.S. citizen), or has that already been covered?

[Bugbear]

I think, Ted, part of the problem with trying to identify just one set of clothing as the "American National" standard (for the U.S.) is that there are so many regional stereotypes we have to account for. As has been pointed out, there are certain types of clothing (in addition to our accents when speaking) which may identify us regionally. There are also ethnic/cultural differences within and across each of these regions affecting and informing the regional differences. (For example, it's unusual to see turquoise and silver jewelry in the Midwest - Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio - but it's my understanding it's very common in the Southwest - Arizona and New Mexico in particular).

Would our international brethren try to describe clothing that would immediately identify a stranger in their community as an American (U.S. citizen), or has that already been covered?

Jeans and cowboys, but cowboy garb is exclusive to cowboys.

So all we got is the jeans. I don't seem to feel protective about jeans and how they are worn in other cultures.
Strange...

[davedove]

Jeans and cowboys, but cowboy garb is exclusive to cowboys.

I don't know. One sees a lot of cowboy garb in the southwest and I would bet that I have been on more horses that a large number of them, and I'm from Illinois.

[Bugbear]

Sorry, let me restate that. Cowboys identify themselves with the clothing, and, in my experience, many feel quite protective of the garb; especially rodio buckles etc.

I wouldn't feel right donning the whole get up.

I do wear jeans and also overalls and straw hats, though, because I am a farmer. I just don't feel protective of straw hats and overalls... They really aren't American inventions anyway!

So it's back to being a collage of everything as the American national costume. I don't even feel protective about collage garb...

[Downix]

And the jeans came from the California Gold Rush when a man named Levi Strauss showed up with a wagon full of denim to make tents. No one needed tents, but they did need good trousers that would stand up to the rigors of the mining work. Definately an all-American garment.

Untrue, the first Jeans were created in India for their navy a full 200 years before Levi Strauss created his pants. What Levi did was add the metal rivets to reinforce the design for miners wear. And he did not even invent that, one of his customers Jacob Davis did, but did not have the money for the patent, so went into business with Levi to secure the patent (#139121)

[Bugbear]

See, that's what I'm saying!!! It all came from somewhere else. I did look into the history of jeans a little...

Still, jeans have become connected to American clothing.

I'm interested in the whole range of clothing styles whether they are traditional or not, formal or casual, even weird mixed up stuff.

[macwilkin]

Untrue, the first Jeans were created in India for their navy a full 200 years before Levi Strauss created his pants. What Levi did was add the metal rivets to reinforce the design for miners wear. And he did not even invent that, one of his customers Jacob Davis did, but did not have the money for the patent, so went into business with Levi to secure the patent (#139121)

There is also a material from the mid 19th century knowns as "jeans wool" or "jeans cloth" that was a wool-cotton blend; it was used for uniforms primarily by Southern states during the Civil War. Confederate troops from Missouri, for example, were issued undeyed jeans-wool uniforms, and were "bleated at" by other soldiers for their resemblance to unshorn sheep! When the 3rd Louisiana Infantry was issued a similar uniform, they had to be forced by bayonet-point to wear it!

T.

[Bugbear]

Well, I guess that means that we, the Americans, have either nothing or everything as national costume.

Is that our tradition? To combine many different clothings of many different cultures into something new made from the old?