Buckskins

Buckskins are often trimmed with a fringe – originally a functional detail, to allow the garment to shed rain, and to dry faster when wet because the fringe acted as a series of wicks to disperse the water – or quills.

[1] They also served as a form of camouflage when hunting, by breaking up the outline of the wearer and allowing them to blend in with their background.

[2] Buckskins derive from deerskin clothing worn by Native Americans.

Buckskin jackets, often dyed and elaborately detailed, are a staple of western wear and were a brief fad in the 1970s.

The American jacket/tunic known as a wamus was originally made from buckskin with fringe.