How To Wear Western Wear

Western themed clothes are having a moment in the fashion world.  Western clothes appeared on the runway last year, but this fall, they are all the rage.   Obviously western clothes are always in style in certain parts of the country, but when they start appearing on a runway, they are trending.  I must admit, I've never been a huge fan of western wear.  Probably because I live in a area where a lot of people wear cowboy boots and, well, I'm a city girl at heart.  But, I enjoy once in awhile stepping outside my comfort zone and wearing something different.

When my husband and I were on vacation last week, we went to an old western town called Deadwood.   I thought, "What better time to experiment with the western wear trend?".  I did not want to buy anything new, since it's not my style and I knew I wouldn't get much use out of western clothes;  so I just pulled together some items already in my closet to create this western look.

Western and Bohemian styles are very closely related.  In fact, google western clothes and a lot of bohemian styles will pop up.  So when putting together my outfit, I picked an embroidered bohemian dress from Francesca's from my closet.  I then added a denim vest for what's more western than denim?

For jewelry, I chose a denim choker and a blue stone bracelet that I actually picked up in a western gift shop in Colorado on a previous vacation.

I do not own cowboy boots, but I do own these cute suede booties with fringe on them.  Suede and fringe have a very western feel.



My cross body bag is the only truly western item in my outfit.   The bag I picked up at the same western gift shop in Colorado that I got my bracelet.

The closest thing I had to a cowboy hat was this brown felt hat with a braided trim;  but it worked!  It finished my western look.

 So here you have it:  my western outfit created with only one true western piece.  Now, maybe your not comfortable looking as western as I do in the photo below, but you do want to incorporate the fashion trend into your wardrobe this fall.  Try just one piece, like the purse, with a fall outfit.

In a town like Deadwood, I fit in quite well wearing this western outfit.  But I would not want to be walking in downtown Chicago dressed like this.  If I changed the shoes, lost the hat, and just carried the western bag, it would be more appropriate for a city western look.

 It was fun dressing a part for a day.

How To Wear Western Fashion Tips:

Wear only one or two western pieces in your outfit.
Wear a western print.
Wear suede or denim, with a western piece or accessory.
Add something with fringe to your outfit.

And now for some western fashion inspiration from Pinterest to help give you more ideas of how to incorporate western fashion into your outfit without looking like a cowgirl.

Western Belt & Jewelry

This is a beautiful western outfit without looking over the top.  Her only two western pieces are the necklace and belt, but combined with the denim and striped shirt, and she is rocking a western look.

Western Print

Here is a obvious western print on a clothing item that definitely is not western:  the kimono.  But the print, when combined with jeans and some western accessories gives a cool western vibe with a boho touch.

Boho Clothes With Western Accents

These lovely ladies are giving a boho vibe with their clothes, but their accessories are western.  I love the fun bag with the fur and feather accents. 

Wear Only A Western Print

Maybe western accessories aren't for you, but you do want to join in on the western fun, well, just wear a top with a fun western print.

Wear Western Colors With Fringe

I absolutely love this cardigan.  It incorporates all the colors you'd expect to find in a western landscape, plus it has the fringe.  

Western Accessories

Maybe you're like me and western wear isn't your thing, but you still want to be up on the trends, just wear western style jewelry or carry a western bag.

Wear Turquoise 

Turquoise is the color of the west.  You can not enter one gift shop in the west without seeing a ton of turquoise jewelry.  If you want to embrace this western trend, wear something turquoise!

So what about you?  Is western wear a trend you will be embracing this fall?  I'd love to hear from you!

Have A Great Day!  Amy

Linking Up with these Fabulous Blogs HERE!

A Burgundy, Black and Plaid Outfit

Last weekend my husband and I went on probably our last fall hike of the season.  That's not to say were done hiking for the year, as we've been known to put on our parkas and snow boots and hike even in the winter!  But, it was probably our last hike to enjoy the fall foliage as all the leaves have already dropped from the trees.

The day I wore this outfit was a Sunday;  so we decided to go to a church in Red Wing, Minnesota (about an hour and ten minutes from our house), out-to-lunch, and then hike up Barn Bluff to see the gorgeous views of the city of Red Wing.  I will be doing a separate post on this hike on Sunday's Lifestyle Post if your interested.  In the meantime, this is what I wore for all the fashionistas that follow my blog.  

I didn't want to have to change from church clothes to hiking clothes, but I did change into my hiking shoes after lunch because I knew we'd be walking up some steep inclines.  Thankfully, the church we went to was very casual (aren't they all now-a-days?),  so I fit in just perfectly.

Everything I'm wearing is old except the jeans, black tee shirt,  and the shoes.  The jeans are "Curvy Skinny Jeans" by Levi.  I picked them up on clearance for only $13.49 at J.C. Penney (sadly, they are no longer available at that price).  When I saw the description, I thought for sure they wouldn't fit because I'd hardly use the word "Curvy" to describe my body.  But I think Levi's description of "Curvy" and my description are two different things, because they fit perfectly.

I don't know why in the picture they look so ill-fitting...see all the lines of 'extra material'?   In real life they feel quite snug.  I asked my husband about it and he noticed the same thing.  He said in real life, I looked great in them, but yes, in the pictures they look big.  It must have had something to do with the lighting, I don't know.  I really like the jeans and found them very comfortable and flattering in real life.

My vest and top are a few seasons old.  The top is from Express, it is a soft, thin flannel with black lace insets. I previously showed it you in THIS POST.  The vest is from JCP and is very thin so it doesn't add a lot of extra bulk as most puffer vests do.  I last showed you the vest in THIS POST.

Our Target recently remodeled and sent me a $5.00 off a $10.00 purchase coupon in the mail to entice me to visit their store.  I've been boycotting Target for awhile now for ethical reasons, but that coupon was enough to at least get me in the door and see their new store.  I really didn't see a 'remodel'.  It looked to be like they just rearranged everything, which I didn't like, because now I couldn't find anything!  Ugh!  Anyway, I did check the women's clothes and I was really impressed with the styles and prices.  I especially loved the "Who What Wear" line.  I ended up buying this black long sleeve tee shirt for $12.00, but it was also on my winter clothes shopping list.  I really love this long tee.  It's super soft and comfortable and it reminded me of Covered Perfectly MicroModal Collection but only a fraction of the price.

 I showed you my new burgundy booties in Monday's Fashion Post, and I'm sorry to say you're going to have to get used to seeing a lot of them in all my fashion posts for the next month or so!  I just love them, they are so comfortable, and they go with everything!

I just love the extra splash of color they bring to any outfit!

I chose to carry this western black cross body bag so I could comfortably carry it on our hike.  I accented it with silver bracelets and a black and silver choker from Forever 21.

Here's a close up of the fun lace sleeves on this unique flannel shirt.

We had such a fun day this day, the pictures bring back so many fond memories.  Not long ago I had to work almost every weekend and my husband had to teach a Sunday School class, so we never had free time to do fun stuff like this.  I'm so happy we have our weekends to ourselves again.

All these pictures were taken in front of a gorgeous historic old church in Red Wing, Minnesota.  This town is filled with so many pretty old churches!

Levi Curvy Skinny Jeans,  J.C. Penney :  HERE,  Black Puffer Vest (no longer available), similar HERE,  Plaid Shirt (no longer available), similar HERE,  Burgundy Booties, DSW:  HERE,   Montana West Crossbody Bag (no longer available), similar bags:  HERE, and Black Choker, Forever 21:  HERE,  Black Long Sleeve T-Shirt, Target:  HERE. 

Come back on Sunday to see more pictures of this pretty town!  Till then,  Have a Great Day!  Amy

Linking Up with these Fabulous Blogs HERE.