Pony Express National Historic TrailPage 6 of 27
National Historic Trails Fashion Inspiration
What inspires your sense of style?
Historical fashion trends? Natural environments? Style icons?
During NPS Fashion Week, we are exploring some ways fashion inspiration may be found on National Historic Trails (NHTs). On NHTs you’ll find intriguing colors, shapes, textures, histories, and stories. From golden sunsets to feathered hats, NHTs have diverse natural and cultural environments that can inspire the fashionista in us all!
Colors of the Trails
Did we just (color) forecast your fall palette? National Historic Trails (NHTs) can be found across the United States. They wind through beautiful, diverse cultural and natural landscapes. Explore these color palettes inspired by NHTs and you just might find your fall look—inspired by Trails!
National Historic Trails Color Palettes from the California, El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, and Pony Express National Historic Trails Image/NPS
National Historic Trails Color Palettes from the El Camino de los Tejas, Oregon, and Old Spanish National Historic Trails Image/NPS
A woman wearing historic bloomers. Currier and Ives/Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain/Bloomers Costume
The past is so hot right now
Aside from their natural beauty, NHTs offer another form of fashion inspiration through their history. Fashion trends of the past played a role in creating the fashions of today. Some NHTs helped spread fashions across the US—and even the world!
Bloomers were a “shocking” fashion trend worn on the NHTs including the California, Oregon, and Santa Fe Trails. Defined by puffy pantaloons under a short skirt, bloomers were a practical choice on the trails. They prevented skirts from snagging on vegetation and dragging across damp or muddy ground. More conservative travelers mocked the bloomer girls for their "immodesty," however, so most women stuck with their long skirts. The dress reform movement which inspired the “bloomer costume” led to US women’s fashion as we know it today.
Feeling inspired?
Feeling inspired by National Historic Trails? Design your own NHT fashion look! Download the template below or start from scratch. Then, share your NHT-inspired designs with us.
Design your own park-inspired outfit template NPS - Karen Ceballos
Learn More
Learn more about historic trails!
National Trails
Explore history on the Trail
California National Historic Trail
Explore history on the Trail
El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro
Explore history on the Trail
El Camino Real de los Tejas
Explore history on the Trail
Oregon National Historic Trail
Explore history on the Trail
Old Spanish National Historic Trail
Explore history on the Trail
Santa Fe National Historic Trail
Explore history on the Trail
Pony Express National Historic Trail
Explore history on the Trail
Where this belongs
- California National Historic Trail
- El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail
- El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail
- Old Spanish National Historic Trail
- Oregon National Historic Trail
- Pony Express National Historic Trail
Where this page came from
This page was imported from National Park Service. Produced by the U.S. National Park Service and, as a work of the United States government, in the public domain.
Nobody has written it yet — it is the source material at a new address, which is why search engines are asked to skip it and why no one earns from it. It is up for grabs: take it on, and it is yours to rewrite and to earn from.