Grasshopper St Lakota Breechcloth & Leggings - Full Set Version 1.0

2 piece outfit (breechcloth can be worn with or without leggings). Rigged for Jake & Gianni, may fit others. Try demo! The HUD allows you to select from 4 cloth, belt, bead, fringe, & legging colors.

These pieces were inspired by the Western or Teton (Titunwan) Sioux, often called Lakota Sioux for their dialect (the Eastern or Santee Sioux spoke Dakota, and the Central or Yankton Sioux spoke Nakota). The seven tribes of the Teton Sioux were the Minneconjou, the Oglala, the Hunkpapa, the Itzipco, the Oohenunpa, the Sihasapa, and the Sicangu. It is worth noting that the name Sioux comes from the French Nadousioux, which was their interpretation of what the Ojibwas called them: Na dou esse (other speakers). Thus the preference is to identify by linguistic group.

Men’s basic dress included a breechcloth worn to mid-thigh, typically longer in the back. Protective leggings made of deer or antelope skin had fringe at the sides and came up to the thigh. They could be painted, or in the 19th century might have beaded decorations.

Men wore feathers in their hair, generally with each feather representing some courageous deed. The symbolism varied among tribes and even individuals. Often, an upright feather indicated an enemy killed, while a horizontal one meant an enemy touched in battle.

The famous warbonnet was only worn by the bravest men of the tribe, because again each feather represented a great exploit. Those who wore it were members of the Akichita Society, and the warbonnet could be taken away if the wearer showed cowardice in battle.

A key way to achieve these feathers was to count coup, or strike an enemy with a weapon, your hand, or a coup stick. It involved great risk because of the need for proximity, and was considered a braver deed than merely killing an enemy. It was also a way to show superiority in battle without wasting ammunition.

The colorway for this series (bloodroot, sumac, sagebrush, and yarrow) comes from plants traditionally used by Native Americans for dyeing and pigments. Bloodroot produces an excellent red color. Sumac can be used to make a variety of colors, including an orange-yellow tone that comes from its spring roots. Sagebrush provides a passable green tone, and yarrow can be used to make both yellow and black.