What you need to know about leather chaps. 

When you think of leather chaps the first thing that comes to your mind is likely a cowboy. Have you ever wondered what they are used for and why cowboys are so often depicted wearing chaps? In more modern context you likely imagine seeing motorcycle riders wearing them also, but why?

Well, leather chaps where developed as a protective barrier for your legs. When cowboys would ride through brush and rough terrain the thick leather protected their legs from scratches and gouges and even from injuries from the cattle they where herding. This is the same reason motorcycle riders wear chaps, to protect their legs from abrasions, scrapes, scratches and so forth in the event of a crash. Depending on the type of terrain you ride on you can look at different degrees of leather thickness, the thicker and tougher the leather the more protection the chaps will provide. Chaps are a very important accessory as they protect a very large amount of skin from the ankle to the hip, and then another very important form of protection the leather jacket from the waist to the head, and of course the most important safety feature the helmet protecting your most valuable asset, you head. Your skin is your largest and one of your most important organs and it is very delicate and important to protect.

Chaps are a simple way to add protection, depending on your style of choice the complexity involves all of attaching them like a belt and then securing them to your leg through either a zipper or a few straps. The most common styles of chaps today include bat wing chaps, these are the quintesential western chap with the leather flaring off of the side of the leg and leaving the backs of the leg fairly exposed, and shotgun chaps. Shotgun chaps wrap the legs completely, they are a slimmer fit and can look like similar to a pair of trousers. Shotgun chaps are often seen more in the winter as the provide more insulation than the open backed bat wing chap.

Not only are chaps a huge aspect of protection, but they are also a way to express your individual style. There are different colors, cuts, and ways to customize like patches, branding, buckles, and so forth.