Welcome to Westworld

White Hat or Black Hat?= WHITE HAT OR BLACK HAT? Welcome to Westworld: a land without limits driven by your decisions. Before entering the park, you must first choose how others will first see you. Are you looking for something simple to blend in as you experience the park for the first time, or is sending a message with your attire more to your liking? Getting dressed for your adventure can be as unimportant or intentional as you like, but we at Westworld understand that some might prefer a little guidance or insight before picking out a pair of boots and a hat. Here is some general information on Western wear.

In the Old West, one’s attire varied greatly depending on the individual’s socioeconomic standing. Choices in fabric, quality, cut, and style all said something about where someone had come from, where they were, and where they were likely headed. A banker newly arrived from back East might be initially found wearing something more metropolitan, that is to say, a strictly fashionable display of wealth. Finer blends of cotton or wool that easily showed filth might have made up his suit while a derby hat looked sharp but hardly shielded out the harsh sun. Pocket watches on expensive chains or fobs hinted he had deep enough pockets to afford such a timepiece. Such a man’s lady wouldn’t be left wanting either! In an age of strict social codes and manners, a man could only wear such finery after dressing his wife in a wardrobe befitting the new nobility of the recently reunited nation. Fabrics imported from overseas meant bragging rights in social circles and lovely accessories such as parasols and delicate hats marked a doting spouse worth envy.

In contrast, the wife of a sharecropper would wear something far more functional. Knee-length “Plains skirts” would be a norm while homespun shirts were both as much as could be afforded and acceptable to dirty in the field alongside her husband. His clothing would also be durable, simple, and functional. Shoddy cuts of cotton, wool, wooljean, and denim were typical to the roughly hewn men and women of the frontier. Nature was as dangerous as the next man wearing a gun, so wide-brimmed hats were worn to safeguard against the sun that filled “big sky country.” Footwear had to rise to the occasion, be it something that could muck about the pig pen, shield toes against a snake’s bite, or allow a rider to take his horse through heavy brush. Appearances were less important to workhands on a ranch, but nevertheless, men often wore vests and waistcoats to avoid showing the front of their shirt. They never forgot to don a frock coat or jacket before riding for town, as no gentleman – rich or poor – showed his sleeves unless working.

In picking out your garb, who will you be to others? A hard-working rancher in a wide hat and chaps, a prospector in denim coveralls soiled with the grime of hunting for gold, or perhaps a snappy-looking card shark whose character stops at his gentlemanly appearance? Remember, a “ten gallon” hat might look iconic, but Hollywood forgot that tall crowns are easy to spot when hiding behind rocks during a shootout in the gully. Spurs don’t just sound menacing when desperadoes slink into town; they drive a horse to give all it can when you’re escaping from the arrows of the Ghost Nation. That black suit looks both cool and foreboding as a dangerous gunslinger, but it’s far from cool under the high noon sun. White easily soils, so an earthy tone is both more comfortable and easier to clean.

We’ll be waiting in the next room, where your second major decision awaits.

EXAMPLES OF WESTERN ATTIRE Tombstone &copy; 1993 Hollywood Pictures Diablo &copy; 2015 Orion Pictures Deadwood &copy; 2004 Paramount/CBS Deadwood &copy; 2004 Paramount/CBS Deadwood &copy; 2004 Paramount/CBS Hell on Wheels &copy; 2011 AMC Studios

PACKING HEAT Now that you’ve picked something to wear, you must pick something to stay alive with. The Old West was a dangerous place and even in the early days of governance, the rule of law was shaky at best. Anyone who wanted to succeed in such conditions knew that security and justice came in the form of a gun. An armed society was a polite society, as everybody knew that rudeness or injustice had a chance of being answered with a bullet.
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That said, socioeconomic standing, one’s line of work, and appearances all played a factor in what someone might be found carrying. It was unladylike to lug around a brutish saddle gun, but a Madame wouldn’t dare start her day without sliding a pocket pistol somewhere discreet. Perhaps a daring immigrant from the “Old World” knew he needed protection, but could only afford something tucked into his boot. Better-off folk from other parts of the world might have carried something from their home country, a truly peculiar specimen among arms. A common sight would be something of military surplus, either converted to accept metallic cartridges or still in “cap and ball” configuration. Many men had “seen the elephant” and not only had their old gun from the war, but knew how to use it to deadly effect too.

A card dealer could prefer to wear something easily seen that meant business, but might not need something with enough power to drop a buffalo. Be it a 12 gauge slug or a .32 caliber ball, punch a hole in a man and he’ll bleed. Unless you aim to end his life, making him bleed will more than likely end the confrontation. However, a rancher could justify needing a saddle pistol capable of putting down a lame horse. Every homestead outside of town has reason to stow a shotgun next to the bed and hang a hunting rifle over the door. A man armed to the teeth is either a soldier or lives by killing those out for his bounty. Carry what you want, it’s a free country, but don’t let yourself be found under-gunned or turning uneasy heads.

Be it brawn, wit, or gunpowder and lead, once you’re armed we’ll see you on the other side. If you have any other questions, now is the time to ask them. Once you step through that door, your adventure begins. Welcome to Westworld…

HANDGUNS LONGARMS