Leather Jackets

This first deerskin jacket to the left shows a beautiful example of out fine beadwork appliqued onto a 3/4 length jacket. This jacket also doesn't have the traditional collar in order to show off the beadwork to it's full advantage. The long hand cut leather fringe follows all around to the back yolk beneath even more floral beadwork across the shoulders. The long fringe is also all along the underside of each sleeve. The inspiration for this particular jacket came from the Smithsonian Institute Museum of the USA, where the original resides today, made in the early 1800's. The original jacket had brass railroad buttons, traded for tack in the early days. Our jacket however has the traditional leather rolled buttons, so they would not detract from the lavish beadwork. Because of the extreme amount of time involved in producing an heirloom such as this, please allow a minimum of 8 months for delivery.

This brown leather jacket is made of cowhide, this being the only leather that may come in a rainbow of colours. All of the leather we use is of the upper grains, the only time you will see the suede side is when it's been turned inside out, such as this here. This model has extensive hand lacing in a chocolate brown leather above all the fringed area, on the cuffs, and up the side splits. The extra long fringe extends all around the hemline, down the sleeves, back and across the chest. The jacket was also left unlined for an authentic look. Leather buttons were also used down the front and on the cuffs.



This deerskin jacket borrows it's look from an old military design. The front has black piping under the deerskin around the collar, cuffs and down the front bib section. The front and cuffs also have dome closures in antiqued color. They are also used around the outer edges of the collar, cuffs and bib. The fringe runs over the shoulders and along each of the sleeves. It also comes fully lined. This model is shorter than most we make, but not as short as a bolero would be.

This model is made out of cowhide, using both sides of the leather, suede and smooth for a nice contrasting effect. The main body is in the smooth grain while the fringe and chocolate lacing are in the suede leather side. The fringe, cuffs and collar on this jacket are all hand laced, using a chocolate color lacing. You may choose another shade for this purpose for a different look to the jacket. This jacket comes with the old leather rolled buttons and is unlined but may have silk lining added if needed.


This lovely Deerskin Jacket has become our most popular style, a great starting point at which you can mix and add fringes on the sleeves, pockets, beadwork etc... to create your own unique Jacket. This model has extra long fringes all around the chest, over the shoulders and across the back. The smooth upper grain leather side is faced out on the whole Jacket, including fringes, rolled leather buttons and pockets. This design also is silk lined and can have an inner pocket as well as different styles of outer pockets and buttons.

Design Choices:

For more photos and prices, please Email or phone us.

Leather Shirts

The deerskin shirts shown are not the only styles available to you, they are only limited by your imagination.
The deerskin pullover on the left has the suede side facing out, with the smooth leather side used on the collar, buttons and cuffs for a nice contrast. It also comes with a wide row of beadwork across the shoulders, with fringe and glass trade beads on both ends. We have used the old style rolled leather buttons down the front and on the cuffs. For a different look using this style of shirt, you may just switch the leathers around, add more or different beadwork, long fringe across the back etc. So you now can see the endless possibilities available for just this one style alone.


The second deerskin pullover comes with laced sleeves, collar, side vents, and a smooth leather bib with fringe on the front. The deerskin has been turned around (suede side) on the shoulders and fringe for a nice subtle contrast. Doing just this, takes away the plain look without being to flashy. The fringe also extends around the shoulders, down the sleeves and around the front bib.

We show these two deerskin shirts for a few reasons. The main one being to show the different shades the deerskin comes in, the first colour being sand, the other golden deerskin. Each of these colours looks equally fantastic in any style of shirt or jacket chosen, it's just a matter of taste. Also we try to show you how similar but very unique each shirt becomes, just by a few subtle changes made in the design. As a general rule, no two deerskin shirts or coats we make are the same, something is always a bit different, made the way you want it.

This wonderfully unique Deerskin Pullover has a Woodland Indian floral design painted on the front and back, using the same bright colors to match the loom beadwork running down the side of each arm. At the bottom of the beadwork on the sleeves are glass Trading Beads and tin cones strung on several leather thongs. This Pullover comes unlined and has contrasting chocolate hand lacing above all of the fringes, around the bib area, cuffs, back and hemline . Paintings can vary in your choice of colour, from flowers to animals, all of which can be matched to the beadwork.

Design Choices:

For more designs, photos and prices, please Email or phone us.

War Shirts
Practically all of the Indian tribes wore some form of shirt, this garment was usually mistaken for a War Shirt. In reality it was a ceremonial shirt usually worn by the older men or Chiefs of authority on solemn occasions. The Dakotas and Cheyenne trimmed their shirts with hanks of horsehair, sometimes even human hair was used. These shirts were called ‘Scalp Shirts' by the White man, who believed that all of the hair decorations were from scalp locks. The Blackfoot and some of the other tribes decorated their shirt with strips of white weasel skins (as shown here), or any other animal thought to pass on their spirit and power the wearer.

Our War Shirts can be as individual as you are in design, as no two are ever the same, be it with the beadwork, hand paintings and fur trims, just as the originals were! We can also start from an old photograph or a hand drawing facsimile and build your shirt from there. Also used are a variety of materials, from horse hair, human hair, tin cones, hand painted animal images, feathers, beadwork, and fur strips etc..... to make an original keepsake for years to come. This is but only one fine example of what can be created with us.

Return to Homepage

Shoppers Links

For more information or prices please contact us, as the availability of some items will vary with our costs of the raw material. Also, custom designs and sizing will also effect our pricing. In most cases we may have a photo to email or mail to you of your request or something close to it.

Mailing Address: 8239 Hwy 7, R.R. 3 Havelock, Ontario K0L 1Z0 Canada	Location: South Side Hwy. 7... 10 km. E. of Havelock, Ontario K0L 1Z0 Canada
Telephone: (705) 778-3760 Fax: (705) 778-3760 (9am - 5pm) Email: info@highspringtradingpost.com