We recently attended a Miranda Lambert concert at one of the area’s local fairgrounds. It was a great show, we had a blast, she can really sing, blah, blah, blah, etc. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Let’s get to the point.
I am always amazed by the quality of the people-watching when I go to a concert by an artist in the country music genre. First of all, judging by the quantity of brand new cowboy boots, cowboy hats, plaid shirts, and ruffled/flouncy-hemmed dresses, it is clearly the time to own a Westernwear store. Some people go all out to look as if they “belong”, and of course, they have to have a different outfit for each such concert, because that other outfit? Well, it’s been seen before. (Speaking of looking like one “belongs”, one of these days, I’ll have to share some pics I snaped at the Snoop Dog concert a couple of years ago. Seriously!)
It’s also interesting to see the large numbers of people who seem to subscribe to the philosophy that once one puts boots on with an outfit, that outfit is instantly “Western” in nature. Boots with designer blue jeans and a blinged out tank top? Western. Boots with a miniskirt and too-short, too-tight, tube top? Western. Boots with a maxi dress? Western. Boots with anything ruffled? Western. Boots with anything with metalic thread? Yep, Western. Boots with lace shorts? Still Western. Boots with sequined shorts? Western again. Boots with plaid (even if it’s burberry plaid)? You guessed it: Western. Boots with a skirt suit? Okay, fine. Maybe I’m making the last one up, but only the last one.
News flash, folks: All boots are not created equal. While I am supremely envious of your Tori Burch or Frye boots, they are not western, and putting them on with denim cut-offs doesn’t make you look “Western” or “Country”. It makes you look silly. And the combination of your super cute chevron dress and your awesome, high-dollar, (non-Western), designer boots (that also look great with your skinny jeans or leggings), Do not make you look Western. Frankly, you just look overdressed at a bring-your-own-chair-or-blanket concert near the animal exhibition building. Just sayin’…
And just so everyone’s clear: boots with a pair of “mom” jeans and a really stupid, we-think-we-are-being-clever t-shirt idea? Yeah, still not Western…
Wear what you want to wear and look how you want to look. I am going to, and I understand that someone somewhere may be snapping pictures and snarking about me. All I’m saying is, where the objective is clearly to sport a Western/Country look, it isn’t as simple as throwing on a pair of boots. And since you aren’t performing at said concert, what’s wrong with just wearing your flip-flops?
Judged by Jenn 