In the late 1700s cattle herders of Spanish descent spread throughout the west with their horsemanship and indefatigable attachment to the land and came to define a certain way of life that occupies a distinct part of the American and Mexican imagination.

The vaquero of New Spain in the 18th and 19th centuries was the forerunner to the American cowboy of the Old West who symbolized the freedom and spirit of the frontier enterprise. He was identifiable by the dexterity of his horsemanship as well as the cut of his clothing.

The vaquero’s typical outfit included a bolero style short jacket made of silk, velvet, or wool with embroidered detailing that was often decorated with silver buttons. The style of the vaquero or charro jacket had its origins in the short waist jackets worn by Andalusian cattle herders who brought their knowledge of herding and their distinct attire with them to the New World. The pants worn by the vaqueros were usually made of coarser fabric, such as canvas, or leather and would also be adorned with silver buttoning. They would be fitted at the waist and upper legs for better facility in riding. The cattle-herder’s recognizable sombrero as well as his half-boots and chaparraras (chaps) were the other quintessential parts to his costume.

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The dangers of the frontier as well as the nature of cattle herding (which included the struggle to maneuver barely domesticated animals while contending with opposing Indian tribes and living a life of exposure to the elements) wore hard on the vaqueros. Nevertheless, the vaquero wore his costume, with the noble cut of the vaquero jacket and the silver-studded pants, so that it rose above the purely functional.  His outfit became a display of status and elegance as he advanced toward his dream of becoming a landowner–a ranchero–in his own right.

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