Help with attire…1810 trapper

[brazosland]

One of my kinfolk was on the Corps of Discovery and stayed on the frontier after they got back…was eventually killed at 53 years old on the upper Missouri in 1838.

One of my focuses is about 1810 when he (maybe) would have been headed back out after buying some new clothes in St. Louis

What would a literate, semi well dressed trapper be wearing after cleaning himself up and live in town for a spell?

 

[William Hagewood]

You can get some pretty good ideas in The Mountain Man’s Sketch Book

 

[tenngun]

Some years after 1810 the first rendezvous took place. And were held yearly till 1840.
The fur companies were supplying the men in the field.
When Miller went to voo he painted almost everyone in buckskin clothing. However records of the fur companies show boots, woolen and cotton trousers and shirts, with heavy woolen tailored capotes.
In 1810 narrow fall trousers would be a basic. Almost all men had a waist coat. In 1810 they were cut a couple of inches above the tops of the trousers
Tailed coats even for working men was common, though a working man would have a single or double breasted coat to the tops of the hips.
Over the next few years waist coats got longer, to just past the trouser waist band.
Coats still tended to be short. Broad fall pants and side button was seen.
The riflemans shirt was at it top of evolution and very similar now to the common pattern sold.
Jefferson booties was common foot ware.
Machine knitted woolen stockings and caps was now available.
Slouch felt hats was typical
Classic voyagers caps had yet to come in style
Scotts bonnets, and wheel hats are seen but seemingly rare.
Mittens and half fingers gloves were in style
Wool and now cotton shirts were available, while linen was still popular.
It was thought that even in warm weather exposing the neck would make you catch your death. Some sort of neckchief is required

 

[Goldhunter]

You

One of my kinfolk was on the Corps of Discovery and stayed on the frontier after they got back…was eventually killed at 53 years old on the upper Missouri in 1838.

One of my focuses is about 1810 when he (maybe) would have been headed back out after buying some new clothes in St. Louis

What would a literate, semi well dressed trapper be wearing after cleaning himself up and live in town for a spell?

Check out the book "Lewis & Clark Tailor made, trail worn" if you haven't already.

​

 

[Hiverano]

Look at the pictures by Alfred Jacob Miller, and other artists of that period.

Look at the pictures by Miller, and other artists of the early western frontier - Yahoo Image Search Results

A great reference for living history performers, museums, and military historians.

 

[BillinOregon]

Goldhunter, thank you for that recommendation. Ordered a used copy from the Zon.
Miller is a wonderful resource all right, but he was born in 1810.
Here's a peek at what city fops were wearing in the first decade of the 19th:

The Writer’s Guide to 1800-1810 Men’s Fashion

Men’s fashions of the first decade of the 19th century were buffeted by the same winds of change that influenced women’s styles. The French Revolution had an outsized impact although the revolution…

rebeccashedd.com

And the following decade:

1810-1819 | Fashion History Timeline

fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu

 

[Mgbruch]

After returning to civilization and "cleaning himself up", he would have worn whatever was in vogue for a man of the area. He would, most likely, dress like any other man.

 

[Hiverano]

After returning to civilization and "cleaning himself up", he would have worn whatever was in vogue for a man of the area. He would, most likely, dress like any other man.

Like said "Look at the pictures by Alfred Jacob Miller, and other artists of that period." They also did many paintings of folks in the settlements, villages and cities. Lots of paintings of how folks dressed - done at that time period, not what artists of today think they should have looked like ...

 

[LongWalker]

OP wants to know what was in style in 1810. AJM's paintings would be of little help in this: he was born in 1810. Bodmer was of much the same age. You'd need to be looking at pictures painted by folks back east around the year being researched, or slightly earlier. You might be able to stretch things a bit looking at War of 1812 uniform pictures; most of them dated from 1795-1805.

There were a lot of changes in fashion 1810 to 1835-40. (Well, not a lot a lot. Just in shoes, pants, shirts, waistcoats, jackets, coats, hats. . . not much else.)

 

[Tim_IA]

One of my kinfolk was on the Corps of Discovery and stayed on the frontier after they got back…was eventually killed at 53 years old on the upper Missouri in 1838.

One of my focuses is about 1810 when he (maybe) would have been headed back out after buying some new clothes in St. Louis

What would a literate, semi well dressed trapper be wearing after cleaning himself up and live in town for a spell?

There is this book available on archive.org that discusses that period, although not specifically trappers. My guess would be they wore similar clothing, although it would have been well worn and tattered from outdoor use. Otherwise I am sure the trappers just improvised with whatever they had or could trade for.

Hopefully the link works
Historic dress in America, 1800-1870 : McClellan, Elisabeth, 1851-1920 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive