Urban Cowboy

photo by Philip Heying, ljworld.com

This season, Western clothing and accessories are country-chic and anything but hokey. The Midwest is known for its rural, low-key attitude. The heartland is stealing the runway, finally making waves with its very own, in-the-now, urban-country fashions that are catching on in herds from coast to coast. New Yorkers and California kids alike are incorporating our home-style clothing and jewelry into their big city wardrobes with a modern twist. So, folks, show ‘em how we do in Kansas!

Cowgirls make better outlaws:
Ladies, look for leather vests, fringed jackets, beaded accessories, turquoise rings, silver bangles, cowboy hats, tassle purses, and cut-off shorts. Mix and match your western pieces—wearing a few together is fabulous, not over the top. For a modern look, incorporate black lace, sheer tops, smoky eye make-up, studded accessories, clothing and shoes with zippers, black denim, fitted vests, and metallic scarves, tights, or shirts. Think about raiding your parents’ closet, but mix each vintage find with your own updated apparel. This new Urban Cowboy fashion concept is all about home-spun country, edgy rock ‘n’ roll, and the contemporary embrace of our profoundly American lifestyle.

Rodeo Stars and Good Ole Boys:
Gentlemen, this fashion trend highlights the simplicity of a country life full of big-city style; still, such classic, Western dressing expresses the dangerous spontaneity of a cowboy lifestyle without flamboyancy. Use outerwear, detailed blazers, and denim, to add effortless style to your ensemble. Pick out a fabulous pair of boots and beat ‘em to hell. A distressed pair of work jeans, plain t-shirt, and rockin’ jacket can easily transform your look. Your style can be updated with a crisp, vintage Western shirt for the evening, too. For an urban look, do make certain your color palette includes more strong greys and bold blacks than the neutrals associated with Western-wear. Avoid brown leather jackets and over-the-top embroidery on dress shirts. Basically, I am not telling you to pull on your Wranglers (which are one size too small), strap on your chaps, or top the whole thing off with an out-of-shape cowboy hat. Your look should emphasize a transition—a country man turned European turned New Yorker—never turning his back on his roots, more rocker than cowboy, more trendsetter than herd-member.

Down to the Knitty Gritty:
-clothing should focus on more urban, industrial elements
-down-home colors (tan, brown, taupe, etc.) are a NO unless lightly incorporated…
-…think Black, White, Grey, Metal, Silver, and Bright!
-include Western jewelry, hats, scarves, vests, boots, etc.—just be sure they fit into a rock ‘n’ roll genre also