Though they look very dashing and cavalier in pictures, the conquistadors may have been a more motley crew.
Officers were likely noblemen or at least wealthy, so they were better equipped with horses and gear. But the price of a full suit of armor was comparable to buying a luxury car. Besides, can you imagine riding in hot, humid Texas weather and baking inside an metal oven? A simple breastplate and helmet may have seemed like a better option.
As for the soldiers, there was no standard uniform. Each man was responsible to provide his own, though a weapon, a helmet, and a shield were often required as a minimum. The commoners who signed on as cavalry and infantry opted for a quilted cotton jacket, a leather vest, or sleeveless shirt of chainmail to protect their torsos. Price was a consideration more important than fashion, and sometimes more important than safety or effectiveness. Fortunately, there were always soldiers willing to unload their obsolete armor at a discount to poor adventurers headed for the New World.
And those “pumpkin pants” you see in some paintings? Probably not. That anachronism belongs in Elizabethan England. Even the name “Conquistador” was not coined until over a century after the expeditions.
I’ll let you guess how many changes of clothes they brought along…and then imagine how they smelled. 🙂
