Traditional Dress

The People of the Plains dressed according to tradition and had a great deal of pride in their dress. Styles and ideas were often inspired by visions and dreams. The dress consisted of handmade clothing, necklaces and belts made from natural materials as well as the wonderful, prized beads, shells, teeth, feathers and hair.

Clothing preparation was exclusively women’s work, from preparing the hides to the final adorned dress or moccasin. After an animal was killed, the hides were scraped and cleaned of fat and tissue. Removing the hair was the next step and thinning the hide down to an even texture. Deer and antelope hides were thrown over a beaming log and a beaming tool was used to remove the hair. Some hides were tanned on the flesh side only leaving the hair on the outside for warmth. Once this was done, hides were smoked or treated with various natural concoctions to maintain their pliability.

Artifacts courtesy of the Glenbow Museum Collection,
Calgary, Alberta

After the hides were prepared, they were used either for tipis or for clothing. The men wore shirts, breechcloths and full-length leggings while the women wore dresses and short leggings. Moccasins served as footwear.

Clothing embellishment and design varied from tribe to tribe and included painting, shellwork, beadwork and quillwork. Items worn daily were left quite plain, with a narrow band of beading or fringes. Ceremonial clothing for special occasions was elaborately decorated. Other common articles of women’s clothing included belts, headgear and necklaces. Small pouches for sewing articles, herbs, or for awls, were carried from a belt or tied elsewhere on the dress. Armbands and anklets were worn by men for dance outfits not used as everyday dress. These bands were decorated with quill or beadwork or made from strips of fur.