Phil in SF quoted The Anatomy of Fascism by Robert O. Paxton
His squads wore the cowboy garb and ten-gallon hats that the marquis had discovered in the American West, which thus predate black and brown shirts (by a modest stretch of the imagination) as the first fascist uniform.
— The Anatomy of Fascism by Robert O. Paxton (Page 189)
Huh. So western gear has a much earlier connection to fascism than I was aware