WESTERN LIFESTYLE

The Western style was born towards the end of the 1700s when Europeans went to conquer the Far West. Necessity pushed the conquerors to equip themselves with comfortable and resistant clothes.

Until then the Western style remained confined to those areas but towards the mid-20th century, thanks to cinema, the popularization of a style began which then found more and more appreciation in fashion. Over the years this style has evolved. Worn by stars like John Wayne, Clint Eastwood and then moving on to music with Elvis Presley and Jonny Cash up to Dolly Parton and then arriving today with artists like Lady Gaga.

Even in Italy we have had the contamination of this style. How much we laughed at the films of Bus Spencer and Terence Hill and how much we were passionate about the masterpieces of Sergio Leone with the music of Ennio Morricone in the background.

What are the cornerstones of the Western style?

Boots are definitely essential. Created to provide protection from snakes and abrasions during riding, they have been proposed in many variations. We can appreciate the Texans with the turned up toe created to facilitate climbing on horseback, the camperos with the round toe or the more common western boots which the longer they have lived the more beautiful they are and are the most used for horse riding. 

The Jeans which in 1800 during the gold rush replaced wool trousers thanks to their durability and practicality, initially born as dungarees, then evolved thanks to brands such as Wrangler and Levi's which gave them the look they have today.

The denim or flannel shirt with embroidery or fringes or simply with squares.

The belt strictly in wide leather and with a showy buckle.

The wide-brimmed hat must be a must. Towards the mid-19th century, the American hatter John B. Stetson designed the first cowboy hat, calling it “Boss of the Plains”. It is said that on American ranches you could tell where a person came from simply by looking at what hat he was wearing. 

For women, this type of look can range from the creations of fashion designers who are inspired by clothes inspired by "Little House on the Prairie" films of the 70s to the Cowgirls of American ranches. Fringes on jackets are widely used. (https://bandanashop.it/collections/western-donna)

Versatile and comfortable, the Western Lifestyle has the advantage of never going out of fashion but enriching and evolving with the passing of the years.