BETTY'S TRAIL RIDES Not Just Another Trail Ride

WESTERN CLOTHING

Betty is pleased to introduce her line of western clothing called "Betty's Trail Riders". There will be old west clothing in the styles of the mid-1800's through the 1940's, modern day western clothing and used western clothing for men, women and children. All items (except for the used) will be sewn by Betty and her staff. They will be made by cowgirls in the U.S.A. We will be adding new items and our inventory will be growing, so keep watching.

Riding Skirts

Western ladies generally enjoyed more freedom and sometimes had more responsibility than their eastern counterparts. Often they were left alone at home with small children to care for and defend and the farm or ranch to run while their husbands were away on business and they often had to take over men's responsibilities permanantly when husbands were killed or died prematurely from hard lives. As a result, they became very independent and practical. Although my husband's grandmother and others like her actually broke horses in a sidesaddle, this was not a very practical way to do it. Cumbersome skirts were not very good for working with livestock and on farms or ranches. Some enterprising lady during this era developed the split skirt for riding, a much more convenient alternative, which was adapted quickly by women all over the west. These riding skirts were actually wide trousers, made to look like skirts and resembled the modern day culotte. As it was not the custom for ladies to ride astride or wear trousers, they were considered quite scandalous at first.

Our skirts are exact replicas of those worn in the 1800's and early 1900's, with authentic detailing.

We are offering two styles of riding skirt. There will be others later on

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Featured above is a sidesaddle skirt made from an 1883 pattern. It is cut longer on the right side (note hem in first picture) and there is a curve in the skirt for the knee to fit when hooked over the saddle (picture four) so that when a lady is mounted on the horse the skirt hem will hang evenly all the way across. When walking, the excess material is gathered up and drawn around to the back and buttoned for ease in mobility. The skirt forms a graceful drape in the front and beautiful cascade in the back. There are four buttons on the placket on the left side.

Because of the large amounts of fabric in sidesaddle skirts, caution should be used if actually riding in one of them, as it is possible for the material to get hooked around part of the saddle if one should fall and a rider could find herself in difficulty and unable to fall free of the horse.

Available in black wool. Fully lined. French seaming. Price $150.00

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This style riding skirt is very full, making it difficult to tell that it is actually a split skirt. It is also extremely comfortable to ride in, as our wrangler and model, Candance Martinez, will tell you. Although Candace and Betty have had no problems riding in this type of skirt, please remember that it is very full and if the wind is blowing, a skittish horse could possibly become frightened.

Available in red print cotton or solid black, trail brown or navy. Price $90.00

Also available as a regular skirt in above fabrics and colors.

Sunbonnets

During the 19th century, no lady ever ventured outdoors without some kind of hat or bonnet. This was not only to save her face from the sun, but going into public with her head uncovered was not considered lady-like. When writing her memoirs, Josephine (Sadie) Earp, wife of Wyatt Earp, mentioned that when she heard the gunshots the day of the fight at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, she knew exactly what was happening, dashed outide without first covering her head and then worried later about what people would think of her for doing so.

One of the most popular styles of bonnet out west was the sunbonnet. Older ladies here in Arizona commonly wore them up into the 1950's. My mother-in-law was one of these ladies and she made her own bonnets in her own style and wore them up into the 1960's until she passed away.

The sunbonnet we are offering is called "Viola's Bonnet", and is an authentic replica patterned after a type of sunbonnet commonly worn throughout the west. The bonnet is made from a pattern used by a lady named Viola, who lived in Wyoming in the 1800's.

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Available in adult, children's or infant's sizes. Cotton Price $25.50

Blouses, Shirts and Skirts

During the late 1800's, romantic blouses with wide sleeves, high collars and tons of lace and trimming were popular. Pictured below are two of these blouses.

Green print blouse: cotton $49.95.

White blouse: muslin Attached capelet vintage black and grey oak leaf print Price $55.00

click to enlarge BLOUSE Price: $49.00 plus S&H

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Modern Gear

Cowboy Coolers

These "Cowboy Coolers" are handy little ties that swell when you put them into water and they will retain the moisture for hours. They really help keep you cool when worn around your neck. We use them on the trail and find them remarkable for helping us to beat the desert heat.

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Great for cooling off on a sweltering day! Simply soak these colorful ties in cold water for a few minutes and their absorbant filling will swell and soak up moisture. Remove from water and tie around your neck and your Cowboy Cooler will help you feel comfortable for hours. Choose from the following:

Order by number and pattern name. Left to right:
1 Cherokee
2 Stars
3 Horses
4 Apache
5 John Wayne Blue
6 Chili Peppers
7 Arapahoe

Price: $4.95 ea. or $11.95 for 3

To order please e-mail us at rbj335@msn.com or call 928-501-7272.