Men's and Women's Clothing

DAKOTA

Clothing was made from tanned buffalo hides. Dakota people also used the skins of other animals such as deer, elk, moose (when available). The styles of clothing differed from nation to nation, especially in the types of decorations and accessories that were used.

Men's and BOYS' Clothing

BREECHCLOTHS & LEGGINGS

When the weather was warm, men and boys dressed lightly. They wore breechcloths and aprons. A breechcloth was a long strip of soft leather that went between the legs and under a belt and then draped over it. An apron was made of two panels of leather that were tied to a belt and hung down in the front and back. In cooler weather, both men and women wore ponchos or shirts and fur robes. On their legs, men and boys wore leggings made of long tubes of leather that were attached to their belts. Leggings kept legs warm and protected them from scrapes and cuts.

REGALIA

Men's clothing was often decorated with feathers or fur items. These decorated articles of clothing are called regalia. Men's regalia consisted of items that showed the military rank or achievements of the wearers. Some showed their membership in a society. These special items were worn in ceremonies and in battles, to protect the wearer from harm. Regalia items included belts, shields, breastplates, bear-claw or porcupine-quill necklaces, lances, and headdresses.

Girls' & Women's Clothes

Dakota women wore simple leather dresses that tied at the shoulders. Extra leather could be attached to dresses to make a cape or long sleeves for cooler weather. The clothes were made from buffalo hide, elk hide, or deer hide. Women often wore belts from which they hung leather pouches that contained useful items such as knives, flint, and sewing awls.

Women would often decorate the clothing of their with a geometric beadwork pattern.

BUFFALO ROBES

Both Dakota men and women wore buffalo robes in the cold winter months. To make winter buffalo robes, the fur was left on the hide, and the robes were worn fur-side in. People also used the robes as covers or mattresses. Sometimes men painted pictures on their robes to show dreams they had or to tell a story.

MOCCASINS

Dakota men and women wore moccasins during the cold weather months to protect their feet. Moccasins were made out out buffalo hide because it was a durable leather. The moccasins worn by the Dakota were sewed together in a fashion similar the shoes we wear today--the soles of the shoes are flat and are attached to the top layer. The moccasins were also decorated using bead-like materials found in nature.

bead work

The Dakota were very artistic and used bead-like material found in nature to decorate their clothing. The bead work design used by the Dakota reflected the environment in which they lived--the open prairies. The open prairies, where there were few trees, was depicted as straight lines. As a result, the bead work pattern that is characteristic to the Dakota is geometric. See the examples below and notice how there are very few curved lines decorating their clothing and other garments.

Additional Resources

Sources

Kalman, B. (2003). Life in a Plains Camp. St. Catherines: Crabtree Pub.

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