Saturday, August 2, 2008

A Fashion 911

Roy Rogers and Dale Evans

What do you wear to a Cowboy Night? We're invited to a gala event up the canyon at a posh cabin, with a lot of upscale people who actually hang out with celebrities and know what Western Dress means.

It's a charity event to raise money for Children's Books and Literacy. There will be food of every variety, a children's art auction, cowboy story-telling, a kid's rodeo, and general mucking about in cowboy boots, with hoe-down music echoing in the barn.

These folks take the grandkids up to their ranch to castrate cows, and have cattle drives for family fun, and then bunk down in a huge lodge reminiscent of Yellowstone. They have the old west stamped into their DNA and also know how to be chairmen of boards at universities, CEO's in businesses, and rustle up a few head of cattle during the afternoon to Bar-B-Que for dinner.

It's not my natural crowd. I once broke my arm rolling off the gentlest horse in the neighborhood. I got scraped all over my face when a feisty horse ran away with me through low branches in the woods. Then I got thrown. I stick with Merry-go-rounds, now, where there's no dress code.

Even so, I'm very excited to be cool enough to be invited, and I want to take a giant step and be cool enough to actually be there.

So, fashionistas, advise me on what to wear. These folks will be totally legitimate and comfortable in Cowboy hats and boots. Will I look like a wanabe? Should I wear boots, dangle a hat, dig up some turquoise jewelry? I can imagine gorgeous fashion plates wearing white sun-dresses, flowers in their hair, espadrilles and a cowboy hat behind their neck. I want to look with-it, casual and chic, appropriate, but natural.

Give your fashion suggestions on this blog and it will count on my concurrent fashion book giveaway. I need a posse out scouting for my Roy Rogers approved cowboy duds. Any ideas?

♬Happy Trails...♬♬♬...to you!

8 comments:

ELLOUISESTORY said...

Sounds like quite a party - lots of fun and stories for you to tell afterwards. My suggestion - wear experienced clothes - you know, the kind of broken-in gear you can find in a thrift shop - look like you're at home on the range. Ellouise

kenju said...

That's right....maybe you can find something already broken in at a thrift shop. No need to spend a fortune on something you may never wear again, is there?

Keri said...

I would wear a shirt that looks like one of these:

http://cowboyoutfitters.com/dewesh.html

Then, I would find a lovely vintage broomstick skirt and the coolest old scuffed-up CowGal boots in town.

Due to the heat, and your fabulous hair-do, I wouldn't wear a hat.

Keri said...

Oh, I forgot to mention. The shirt left untucked would be a more comfortable and casual look!

Travelin'Oma said...

Whoa!!! You guys know your stuff! Thanks for these great suggestions!

Ronni said...

Denim or broomstick skirt, tank top or shell in a solid colour, and a western shirt thrown casually over all.

Definitely thrift shop.

Sandals are OK if boots aren't comfortable.

Don't wear a watch.

Kay Dennison said...

Sounds fun!!!! And I don't have a clue as to what to wear.

I remember going to a my first country-western concert a few years ago in my usual preppies and feeling totally out of it!

I learned from that and bought a cowboy hat and boots and added a camisole top and tight jeans and made my hair big when I attended future such events.

Probably a variation on that would work.

Joy Des Jardins said...

I love thrift stores Marty. You wouldn't believe the great stuff you can find there for hardly anything. That's definitely the route to go sweetie.