What Do We See in Western Wear?
In learning more about what cowboy boots mean to us as a culture, it helps to look at what we think of when we are talking about cowboy boots. Is it western wear as a whole? Is it the job that gets done will in cowboy boots? Is it the fashion aspect of western apparel and boots? Is it the history? The Hollywood appeal of the wild west? There are many different reasons why people develop and affinity for a particular fashion. From the look of the lines to the implied meanings we ascribe to types of dress, fashion is a way to explore art and express ourselves creatively.
For some, the appeal dates back to a time when the cattle drives were taking place, when there was wide open range and men whose job it was to ride it, bringing the cattle to the rail towns for transport. This was a time of creating the rules anew, apart from society. It was also a place of extraordinarily hard work in conditions that were always variable. While the cattle drives were decided rough and tumble compared to what was considered to be proper in polite society, the reality is that they had no more, if not less, crime than the large cities back east.
Cowboy movies looked back to this time and captured a feeling that more than one generation fell in love with. The ability to romanticize the past is a skill that comes at least partly from being able to look through time at it with a lens that captures those things we feel we may have lost, without examining the parts that were really sub-par when compared to our current experience of life. Looking back, life often seems to be simple, and of course, this is both true and not true. Sure, there may have been less technology and a different pace of life, but of course, people were no less busy because when you spend your time just making sure you're providing for your own survival, you don't exactly have much spare time, or the ability to put your work off for later. Life may be more complicated in some ways now, but there is no less to do for the majority of people.
When it comes to fashion, there is the implied meaning of a look, but then there is the style of a look- the lines created by items, the way they work together with other parts of the wardrobe. You may notice that cowboy boots are easily pulled into other looks that don't become "western" just based on the boots. That doesn't really happen with western wear shirts, so some of it all depends on the item, and of course, the wearer.
About the Author
Written by Melanie Rivers. Buy high quality cowboy boots through western wear store online. Women's and men's western apparel, cowboy apparel, hats, accessories.
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