Cloth or skin coverings for the legs. Leggings were worn by both Indian men and women of most tribes. Men's leggings reached from the ankles to the hips, while those of women usually reached only to the knee.
Men's leggings were open both in front and back and were fastened to a belt by thongs. They were worn with a breechcloth. The cloth or skin of the leggings of the western tribes projected beyond the seam on the outer side and were cut either into a triangular flap or into fringe. In the leggings of the eastern tribes the seam was up the front and had no triangular flap or fringe.
The leggings of men were loose and much like the cowboy's chaparejos, or "chaps."
Those of women were close fitting, either wrapped or buttoned. In some tribes, such as the Ute and Apache, women's leggings were fastened to the moccasins and formed a part of them.
Leggings were decorated with quillwork or beadwork or with painted designs.
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