Cherokee Indian Clothing

Native Americans are a very important part of the American culture. One of the most well-known of these tribes is the Cherokee tribe. Each tribe of Native American has unique traditional clothing styles, and the Cherokees are no exception to this rule.

Traditional Cherokee Indian clothing certainly has its own distinct flavor. The women of this tribe wore short skirts wrapped around their waists. These were usually made of a combination of the skins of animals and the materials of plants. These organic clothes showed the tribe's connection to nature.

The men of the tribe wore more comfortable clothing that made it easier for them to move around. They wore breechcloths that covered the parts of the body that needed protection. A breechcloth is a rectangle-shaped cloth. It is slid over and kept in place by a belt. Once this is done, one of the flaps of the cloth hangs over the front, and the other goes over the back. They also had leggings to cover and protect their legs.

Both sexes wore footwear called moccasins. These are made of leather and wrap around the feet quite comfortably. Cherokee women often used colorful beads to decorate their moccasins.

The young Cherokee children often did not wear clothes in mild temperatures. Older children wore shirts woven from cloth and were draped in garments of fur during the cold seasons. Once these youths reached a certain age they were given the clothes that the older people wore.

A specific tribe's Peace Chief would wear a long robe that is either white or dyed yellow. They wore feather on their robes and bells on their moccasins. Their attire was much more elaborate than the rest of the tribe.