Although not acknowledged publicly, Jean Arthur was seven years older than John Wayne in this film, and despite every possible attempt to disguise the fact that she was by now 42 years old, the difference in their ages is constantly apparent.
The story takes place in 1938 many years before wash and wear and permapress, yet Jean Arthur's single outfit remains constantly clean and wrinkle free despite her many misadventures, including sleeping all night on the open desert.
The only time Jean Arthur is seen carrying a purse is in the brief sequence when she goes into the grocery store to purchase the lamb chops. Yet her make-up, lipstick, false eyelashes and hair style remain intact throughout the film, and she doesn't even take off her shoes when she sacks out on the prairie.