Historic Period Clothing (Western Costumes – Part 2)

Loren Bridge has the confidence to match Tom Selleck’s movie characters and often models country and western costumes for www.wyomingclassics.com.   His wife Elaine Bridge, the seamstress for Bridge Over Time & Wyoming Classics creates period clothing that could walk off any Hollywood set.  Depending on Loren’s wardrobe he might play a Mountain Man, a wealthy Cattle Baron, Taylor Made or Stampede Pete.    His personality quickly transforms when he dons a 19th Century outfit for his Cowboy Action Shooting persona Taylor Made.

Country and western costumes are truly period clothing made specifically for reenactments, historians, museums or vintage collections. The Cowboy Action Shooting persona, Taylor Made, appears to have stepped from the stage coach having enjoyed the ride with Wild Bill Hickok to Deadwood, South Dakota for a weekend of gambling.   His persona is a fictional character Loren created, from the late 1800s. His clothes are “made” by his wife and he plays a Taylor guitar hence Taylor Made.  Bridge Over Time & Wyoming Classics has several clients who are Cowboy Action Shooters that desire specialty made country and western costumes.  One particular character walked right off the sheet music…

1915 Stampede Pete and Pattee Canyon

With the discovery of the 1915 sheet music written for the Missoula Stampede (Montana) the character Stampede Pete and his female companion Pattee Canyon came alive in 2009 at the Western Montana Fair with Kirchmann Media Group.  The lyrics provided the clues for Elaine Bridge to sew period costumes for both fictional characters.  The lyrics taken from the original sheet music paint the picture even further of the rowdy Montana cowboy:

• Stampede Pete wore two big six shooters and rode a buckskin steed. He was headed to the Big Stampede (rodeo). Pete was wild, rough and crude. He liked to shoot and watch others dance from the bullets.
• One day he went to a movie picture show and he didn’t like how the villain treated the ladies.
• Later he went to a swell Cafe, a cabaret where the girls were happy. He showed off by dancing the Stampede Stalk. Stampede Pete and his buddies shot up the town. He made such a fuss when he lassoed up a Jitney bus.
• Stampede didn’t have a fear, he rode broncos and bulls. He even took a chance riding the old Milwaukee (iron horse,RR), prairie schooners (covered wagon) and sailing schooners.
• He’d been kidnapped on a whaler as members of the crew. He rode in a big balloon but he drew the line in riding in a Ford.
• Stampede Pete is known for putting the “hell” in Hell Gate.
• Stampede Pete on his little old Cayuse (Indian pony) – Cut’er Loose

Elaine Bridge is an excellent resource for creating country and western costumes to fit time periods with both design, fabric and craftsmanship.  She is also very knowledgeable about Stampede Pete’s fictional girlfriend Patte Canyon.  Miss Canyon was raised back East and she has a sharp eye with her needle and thread as well as with her pistol. “I have come to embrace,  Pattee Canyon as a strong Godly woman who supports Stampede Pete on the frontier,” stated Elaine.   The duo are a delightful pair that truly embraces living history.

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