Modern to contemp western: my style evolution
I’m from Buffalo, New York and went to college in Reading, PA. The styles I saw in my formative years were all under the umbrella of contemporary fashion: bohemian, modern, athletic, preppy, gothic… you get the idea. Moving from east to west brought me into a whole other world.
If I were to describe my style in high school and college, I’d say fashion forward, casual, and a bit alternative. I never liked to be too on top of the trends; I didn’t want to appear as if I was copying others. Instead of specific trending pieces, I’d stick to the general trending vibe: bohemian, preppy, etc. My favorite stores were American Eagle Outfitters, Aeropostale, Pacsun, Forever 21, and H&M.
Being from the Northeast, I’d occasionally spot someone in a pair of cowboy boots, but it was out of the ordinary. I’d only ever seen people in cowboy hats on television and in airports. When I got a job at COWGIRL and True West magazines, I saw these pieces on the daily.
Working for COWGIRL, we received apparel and accessories from time to time, and I began to accumulate quite the western wardrobe—things I’d never owned before and never thought I’d own in my lifetime: bootcut jeans, bell bottoms, cowboy boots, cowboy hats. My first pair of boots was a pair in the office, leftover from a past shoot. I wore them on my first day of working full-time. They’re knee-high, distressed Dan Posts, and they’re still one of my favorite pairs.
It’s one thing to own western fashion pieces, but it’s another to style them. Just like modern fashion rules (don’t wear black with navy, no white after Labor Day), there are rules in western fashion, and if you don’t follow the rules, basically, you’ll stick out like a sore thumb. Learning western cultural style rules was one of the biggest challenges I faced as the COWGIRL Fashion Editor. It’s tough when you haven’t grown up with it. I remember that my first attempt at wearing my pants “western style” was putting some bootcut jeans (a freebie—the first bootcuts I’ve ever owned) over a pair of Chelsea boots for the Phoenix PBR. Yikes.
Dressing western started off as a work obligation. I would put on my hat and Wranglers for events, but that was about it.
The more I learned the ropes of western styling, the more western I began to dress for events.
After accumulating a decent amount of products and learning how to style them, western fashion became less work and more personal. I began working western pieces that I usually would wear for work events into my everyday style.
I’d describe my style now as contemp western. I’m not a cowgirl and won’t pretend to be one, but I’ve grown to understand and appreciate the lifestyle as I never thought I would. I can honestly say that I love the fashion; it’s so unique to the culture and is definitely special. The western lifestyle that I now love and the contemporary fashion from my upbringing have met in the middle as a bohemian, modern cowgirl. In 2020, my favorite stores are Wrangler, American Eagle Outfitters, and secondhand stores.
My style has definitely evolved. I’m still casual and (I like to think) fashion forward, but now, there’s a new western element. I love that I’ve picked up style from a major life experience. My time at COWGIRL permanently changed my soul as well as my style, and both will travel with me through life from here. What a special thing to have a physical sign of how an experience affected me.
