Tribes in different regions of North America had different types of materials at their disposal. Tribes ranged from chilly Arctic territories to woodlands, to desserts, and tropical areas in North America. Materials used to make clothing were collected both from plants as well as animals and varied greatly due to the fact that tribes were so spread out and had different types of resources available. Traditional Native American clothes were not only important for protection from elements but also important parts of tribe culture and tradition.
To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member.
Create your account
As we look at different regions, we will find different varieties of clothing. In warm climates such as the Southwest, very little clothing was worn, if any at all. In colder regions, more clothes were worn and changed amongst the tribes and the level of temperature. As an example, in cooler climates such as the plains, Native Americans would sew leggings, skirts, dresses, and tunics for the men. The clothing was decorated to coincide with the traditions and beliefs of the tribes they belonged to.
In the subarctic, tribes were exposed to extremely cold temperatures and needed to wear exceptionally warm clothing. They used animal furs and leather to make trousers, hooded anuks (jackets), and insulated boots. Traditional Native American clothing was varied and diverse in materials, decoration, personal preference, and other uses.
In the following sections, review the clothing that was worn by the Native Americans in different regions of North America.
Traditional Native American Clothing in the North
The climate in the North is typically warmer in the summer and cold in the winter. In places such as the subarctic, temperatures can plummet to -40 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter yet reach 85 in the summer. This accounts for one of the biggest temperature swings of any of the world's climates.
The jackets of the local Inuits were fitted and the hoods were rimmed with fur from specific animal furs that would refrain from icing over from the owners exhaling. Sealskin was used for water repellent parts of clothing and caribou for insulation. The special engineering of their clothing was extraordinary and lifesaving.
Further south we find that the clothing changes to protect themselves from not only the frigid winters but also the thawing of the ground. Tribes such as the Northern Algonquin and the Athapaskan made moccasins to protect their feet from the damp cold ground. They also had a wider variety of decorative supplies in their regions such as porcupine quills and moose hair.
The development of clothing and their adaptations to fit into the environment of the region was extensive. There were also garments that were reserved purely for religious use that they used only during specific ceremonies.
 |
Traditional Native American Clothing in the South
In the Southern regions, traditional native American clothing was vastly different from the North. In the South, Native American clothing was made to reflect the warmer climates. They also used cotton and other plant materials to make fabric for dresses and tunics.
 |
In the Southwest, Men would typically wear a belt with a breechclout (loincloth) while women would wear skirts, kilts, or dresses. In the winter when temperatures were cooler, they tended to wear warmer clothing made from deer, antelope, or other native animal leather. The hair of the animal would remain on the leather and it was fashioned into robes. Footwear was made to protect their feet from dangers such as spiny plants and rocky terrain.
European Influence on Eastern Native American Nations
Once the Europeans arrived in North America, the Eastern tribes traditional clothing started to change to reflect the clothing styles worn by the European immigrants. The Europeans first influenced areas in the Northeast which consisted of two main groups separated by their languages. The Iroquoian speakers tended to live more inland while the Algonquian speakers lived along the coast and were known to be farmers and fishermen.
New materials started to be implemented in the group's clothing as well as the tools they used, such as metal needles. You started to see glass beads, ribbons made of foreign material like silk, and metal pots. Some of these materials were seen as status symbols among the Native Americans.
To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member.
Create your account
The Materials that were used in traditional Native American clothing varied with the regions and the resources that were available. Sometimes you would see materials from other regions like beads and seashells in the plains due to trade with the Eastern Native Americans. For the most part, they would use plants and animals to make their clothing. They used all parts of the animals that they hunted including the hair/fur, hides, teeth, claws, and intestines.
Plants such as mulberry, sage, and redwoods were stripped of bark which was used to create different traditional clothing. Bark from trees was an important resource, they would strip the bark, dry it, and then shred it into fibers. The fibers were woven into different articles of clothing such as shirts, belts, hats, skirts, and raincoats. On the plains, fibers from plants were much harder to find, so it was unlikely that you would find clothing made from fibers.
Even before the Europeans influenced fashion in North America, the people of the Southeast had learned to weave fibers into cloth using looms. They would use cotton, yucca, human hair, wool, and feathers to create a fabric that could be sewn into different garments.
Animals were also utilized to create traditional Native American clothing. Their hides and fur would be used for warmth, footwear, capes, and more. The different hides were used for different types of clothing such as water-resistant materials. Intestines were strong and used as thread to sew the material together. Seal intestines were used by the groups of the far North to make water repellent clothing.
To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member.
Create your account
Most of North America experiences all four seasons, and just like current citizens, Native Americans needed to adapt their clothing to the changing seasons. In the summer, those in the Southwest would wear close to nothing due to the hot sun, while in the winter they dawned on animal skin robes to stay warm.
The winter months in the North proved to be frigid and clothing was adapted to fit the needs of the people living there. Animals such as buffalo were hunted and not only was their meat consumed but their hides were used to make warm clothing.
To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member.
Create your account
To better understand the types of clothing that were worn we will review some of the names of the clothing that would be seen in the times before Europeans came to North America.
- Breechclout- loincloth
- Moccasins- leather shoes that would sometimes be decorated with beads, porcupine quills, and hair
- Mukluks- boots from the Arctic soled with sealskin
- Leggings
- Buckskin shirts
- Belts
- Dresses
- Anoraks- jackets of the Arctic tundra
To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member.
Create your account
Most Native Americans believed that all plants and animals contained spiritual power, thus wearing different parts of the animal would allow the wearer to gain some of the powers and strength of that animal. Because of this belief, traditional Native American clothing was more than just a garment for warmth or protection, it became a religious practice.
Some clothing was reserved specifically for religious ceremonies such as specially embellished and stranded belts made of shells and beads. These belts typically represented specific events in their history such as treaties between the Natives and Europeans. These belts were known as wampum belts. Feathers were also important and used almost exclusively used during ceremonies in headdresses. Feathers were highly prized and those that wore a headdress of feathers were seen to be of high status.
Native American Clothing Today
In current society, most Native Americans wear western-influenced clothing. Traditional clothing is reserved for religious events and ceremonies while elders pass on the local traditions to a new generation.
Traditional Native American clothing has also impacted the designs of western clothing, especially in the Southwest. Jackets are covered in leather fringe, jewelry, chaps are worn by horseback riders, and more. Geometric patterns are found on shirts that come from the Navajo nation being worn by people in today's society.
To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member.
Create your account
Many different types of clothing wore worn throughout the Native American regions. In the Southwest, breechclouts (loinclothes) were worn and in the far North, they wore jackets such as anuks. Many regions utilized different types of moccasins to protect their feet from the terrain and elements.
Many different materials were used to create the clothing that was worn and it was mainly influenced by the available materials in the different regions. Once the Europeans arrived, clothing started to morph to utilize different materials and embellishments. Today, there is a native American influence in fashion and traditional clothing is typically reserved for religious ceremonies.
To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member.
Create your account
Video Transcript
Native American Clothing
Today, when we talk about the clothing of North America, we could end up imagining anything from the business suits of Wall Street to the board shorts of San Diego. Clothing in North America today is diverse and varied, depending on the climate and the needs of the wearer. However, this tradition spans way beyond the modern era.
Before North America was unified into nations like the United States and Canada, it was home to dozens of unique Native American nations. Along with their own languages, customs, and traditions, each nation had its own distinctive take on fashion. So forget Paris or Milan; if you want to examine an intricate history of clothing, start with Oklahoma.
Overview
In this lesson, we'll be dealing with clothing styles of many different Native American cultures, and it's important for us to remember that they did not share a sense of pan-Indian identity for most of history. These were diverse cultures, each with their own unique sense of fashion, but we can start by examining some commonalities across the continent.
Wherever you went, clothing was defined largely by the climate. In warmer months, most Native American men wore little clothing, perhaps just some simple short-like coverings called a breechclout and leather shoes called moccasins. Women wore a little more, often covered by a full-length dress, but also frequently wearing nothing more than a skirt. In winter months, people covered themselves in long-sleeve shirts, coats, and robes. It's important to remember that, given the largely nomadic nature of most Native American societies, most people only owned a single set of clothing.
Materials
One of the clearest ways to distinguish between kinds of Native American clothing was by the materials. One you should be familiar with is cotton. Cotton was first domesticated in central Mexico but was being harvested in the American Southwest by about 1200 CE. As a lightweight, breathable material, cotton was highly prized by the cultures of the hot Southwest and used for socks, skirts, and leggings.
In areas that didn't have the climate for cotton, or which couldn't trade with the settlements of the Southwest, other plant fibers were available. Nations of the Southeast used mulberry bark, those of the Northwest used redwood, and some in the Plains used sagebrush. The bark was peeled and pounded into a soft fiber that was woven into leggings, dresses, jackets, and shirts. Some cultures, notably those of the Southwest, also spun plant fibers into sandals.
The other ubiquitous material among Native American nations was animal skin. Particularly in the Great Plains, where plant fibers were scarce, animal skins were worked into a soft, suede-like material that was durable, warm, and long-lasting. The fabric was then sewn together using animal sinew and porcupine quill-needles. Many Native American nations also learned to treat leather to make it waterproof, which was essential for staying warm and dry. That same idea is also why many animal-skin clothing articles are covered in fringe; the design helps pull water off the fabric so it dries quicker.
The Roles of Clothing
With some of these materials and styles in mind, we need to consider what role clothing played in Native American societies. Just think of how much clothing means to us today; it was no different back then. An article of clothing was designed not only for its utility but also to communicate vital information about national and personal identity. What tribe did you come from, what family or clan did you belong to, and what was your personal story? All of that information was encoded in the style of clothing you wore - and the way that clothing was decorated.
Of course, some clothing had extra-special significance. Ceremonial shirts were worn only during religious rituals, for dancing, or for warfare. These shirts were made and decorated in ways that carried deep spiritual significance. Many Native American cultures also utilized headdresses as an important form of ceremonial clothing. Being so important, these headdresses often used one of the most valuable materials coveted across North America: feathers. Feathers were highly prized items, in some places only worn by rulers.
Native American Clothing History
When looking at the history of Native American clothing, we have to recognize at least three distinct phases. First is the pre-contact phase, which is what we've mostly been dealing with so far. Clothing before the arrival of Europeans utilized local materials and techniques in a variety of ways.
After Europeans arrived in North America, Native American societies began incorporating new materials and techniques into their designs. This included things like glass beads, silk or satin ribbons, and even metal pots, which were worn as jewelry and status symbols in some Eastern cultures. Of course, the introduction of things like metal sewing needles was also adopted by many societies as an extremely useful tool.
The third phase covers the late 19th-century through today and is characterized by both appropriation and revitalization. From leather jackets dripping with fringe to shirts with Navajo-inspired geometric patterns, mainstream American society began incorporating a number of Native American aesthetics into local fashions. This appropriation was prominent in places like the American West and continues to this day.
At the same time, fashion has been a form of resistance and cultural continuity for many Native American societies. By maintaining ceremonial clothing, many nations work to pass on their traditions to the next generation. Additionally, new waves of Native American fashion designers have been gradually gaining international prominence since the 1970s. These designers incorporate aesthetic traditions from their cultures into modern fashions, creating distinctive and unique contributions to both regional and global styles.
Lesson Summary
Let's take a couple of moments to review what we've learned. Clothing and fashion have been important parts of Native American societies for millennia and continue to be today. Traditionally, most Native American cultures relied on some combination of leggings; breechclout, or simple short-like coverings; and shirt or jacket for men, and leggings and a full-length dress for women. Leather shoes, known as moccasins were also worn.
Styles varied by climate and available materials, which could include cotton, which was first domesticated in central Mexico but was being harvested in the American Southwest by about 1200 CE. The materials would also include tree bark fibers, animal skins, and even feathers. Animal skin clothing was frequently covered in fringe, where the design helps pull water off the fabric so it dries quicker. These styles adapted to the arrival of European materials, tools, and techniques, and later influenced several mainstream fashions across the United States as well.
Today, many notable Native American designers are reclaiming their culture's traditions through new fashions as well. There's a long history of fashion in North America, and it's one that's only continuing to grow.
To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member.
Create your account
