Clothing Definitions — definitions of garments and clothing terms from Apparel Search
Chaps, pronounced 'shaps' and short for chaparajos, are sturdy leather coverings for the legs. They hang from a belt, but unlike trousers they are not joined at the crotch, so each leg is an independent shield worn over jeans or work pants. Developed in the cattle country of Mexico and the American West, chaps protect the rider's legs from brush, rope, weather and the friction of the saddle. This page explains the main styles — full batwing and shotgun chaps and the shorter chinks — and how they are fitted and worn.
Chaps (pronounced 'shaps', and short for chaparajos) are sturdy leather coverings for the legs. They hang from one's belt, but unlike trousers they are not joined at the crotch. The most sturdy kind are made from single pieces of leather that wrap around to protect the fronts and sides of each leg. Since they need not be joined at the back of the leg they are considerably cooler than one might imagine. Their purpose is to protect the legs of cowboys and other people who work with cattle and horses from contact with daily environmental hazards. They help to protect riders from the thorns of cacti and other thorny vegetation on the open range, the horns of cattle being herded or rounded up, and other such environmental hazards. They protect the legs of farriers from getting scratched or cut up in the process of shoeing or otherwise treating the hooves of horses.
| The above article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/chaps). Definition modified by Apparel Search 12/11/06 |
A working pair of chaps is fitted at the waist and thigh and long enough to cover the boot top when mounted, so brush and rope ends cannot slip underneath. Leather weight is a trade-off: heavy hides shrug off thorny brush and last for years, while lighter, softer chaps are cooler for long days. Rodeo chaps are a decorative offshoot — brightly colored, fringed and made to be seen — but they descend directly from the working garment and keep its belted, open-seat construction.
Care is leather care: brush off dirt, condition before the hide dries and cracks, and store hung by the belt so the legs keep their shape. Looked after that way, chaps outlast the jeans worn under them many times over, which was the point of the design from the start — a renewable shield between the rider and a hard landscape.
Chaps are bought by waist and inseam much like trousers, but the fit is checked mounted: a pair that feels right standing may pull when the leg bends in the saddle. Working riders often prefer a slightly longer leg that covers the boot to the heel. Zippers, snaps and conchos along the leg are not decoration alone — they are the fastening system that lets each leather leg be put on quickly over boots.
Chaps is pronounced 'shaps.' The word is a shortening of the Spanish chaparajos, the leather leg coverings of Mexican vaqueros, named for the chaparral brush the leggings protected riders against.
Chaps are not a complete garment: each leg is a separate leather covering hung from a belt, open at the seat and crotch, and always worn over trousers. That open construction keeps the rider cool, allows full movement in the saddle, and lets the leather take the wear instead of the clothing beneath.
Batwing chaps have a wide, flared leg that fastens with snaps or buckles and gives broad coverage; shotgun chaps are narrower, zip close along the leg and suit work in thick brush; chinks are a shorter version ending below the knee, often fringed, popular for warmer weather and range work.