What to Wear Wednesday or Not

I usually save Wednesday for What to Wear, meaning things that are new and fun, however today's what to wear is a blast from the past. Let me preface the what to wear with a little background history. There were some of us visiting at the hat bar about this and that and the conversation turned to some of the outrageous things that we have worn (hence yesterday's post on Tenny Lamas) Well, who could forget the leisure suit of the 1970's. That was a gem for sure. Bill, our Serratelli Hat Guy and all around fashion guru proceeded to tell Kody and I about his best leisure suit.


Imagine if you will, a navy blue double knit blazer with a slight white and red plaid pattern. Silver buttons that Bill paid big bucks for. Fire engine red, double knit, bell bottom slacks. White full quill ostrich cowboy boots with the absolute most pointy toe you can think of. Completing the look a high 7" tall crown cowboy hat with a rounded front. And imagine all of this on a man that is 5' 3" if that.

Now I totally believe that Bill was rocking the leisure suit, because he is a very nice dresser. But the entire idea of the get up had Kody and I almost rolling on the floor. Now I'm sure the idea of me in my "totally awesome" valley girl get up of the 1980's would probably cause Bill the same reaction.

I am loving the nostalgia that we brought back for that little bit of time this weekend. It makes life fun to look back, think of the things we've worn because they were the style and laugh our heads off :)

Tenny Lama's

I got an education this weekend, I had never heard of these. Tenny Lamas, tennis shoes that have a boot top. Really?? No Way, Oh Yes Way!!!


I pulled this picture from the internet, (hopefully it will help the guy trying to sell them on ebay) because I could not believe it. Where was I when this was the "in" thing? Apparently Braydan had a pair in High School circa mid 1990's and Kody always wanted a pair for PE Class. I'm not sure that this was an absolute "in" thing, so I went on a www. search to see what I could find out.


On page 4 of my bing search I did find at Yahoo! Answers, that Tony Lama produced a pair of boots for singer Willie Nelson that were inspired by a pair of sneakers. Other than that nothing, not even on Tony Lama's website. So I submitted a question. I will let you know if I hear back.

MIA

Sorry I went blog missing again. Things got a little crazy with the Barrel Race this weekend and I was unprepared. I do have some great posts coming up this week with things that happened and stories told that I hope you will find as entertaining as I did. Stay tuned :)

What to Wear Wednesday

Here is the top from the August Cruel Girl collection that I was telling you about last week. I have such an adoration for baseball style tees. This one features a great combination of a burn out watermelon body and gray raglan sleeves.

The collar has rhinestone and custom stud detailing for that extra touch of fun. Simple but eye catching.

End of an Era

I've sat down to write this several times, each time thinking that I am not quite getting it right. It is a privilege to me to have the opportunity to pay tribute to an absolutely amazing woman. On August 9th, Donna Burns made her last seat cover, ending a 40 year tradition of custom Indian Blanket seat covers made by Burns Saddlery.

This chapter of the Burns story was made possible by one hard working, creative, outstanding woman, Donna Burns. When asked over the last few weeks if we are going to replace her, I always reply that "Donna is irreplaceable" and it is so true. Donna taught herself to sew and with her meticulous eye and high sense of perfection she built a quality product that has retained it's unmatchable reputation. Donna has touched every seat cover that has ever left the building.

I asked Donna where she came up with the idea for the seat cover she told me that Uncle Don Burns approached her about repairing a seat in his pick up. She thought it would work out better just to cover it. It took her a full day to figure it out, but that she did and within 1 week she had 7 orders, of which she could tell you the names of those 7 people. She related to me that the first seat cover she made was orange and what do you know the last seat cover she made was also orange.

It didn't take long for people to realize what a gem the Burns Custom Seat Covers were and business boomed. At one point in time there were 20 sewers working shifts around the clock to keep up with the demand. And for 10 years there were no other Indian Blanket seat covers offered anywhere. When word spread that Donna was going to retire, the calls flooded in. She was swamped with orders for 2 months straight, with some people ordering multiple sets.

Over the years several people have come and gone, adding their talents to the seat covers, but 1 remarkable woman has been by Donna's side since the age of 18. Sue Williams has sewn more seat covers that any employee. This dynamic duo has run the show for the past 15 years with the help of James Sorensen. James comes in at 5:30 am to cut and sew ends and keep things running smooth. Sue and Donna just worked together so well, they just had a flow about them and made an unbeatable team.

It is with sadness that we close this chapter, but with sheer awe, amazement and appreciation that we pay tribute to a woman that has accomplished and contributed so much to the legacy of Burns Saddlery.

Friday Favorite

I asked our cute road guy, Denton what his favorite thing we had in the store is and he promptly replied, "Anything hornback is always cool. " So here are 2 of our most popular hornback boots that are in the main store.

They come from the Lucchese Cowboy Collection. Both the Cigar and Black boot feature a full hornback vamp with a coordinating elephant heel counter for durability. The quarters are a matching goat with a heavy silk stitch pattern. Both very cool looking boots for sure.

Personal Style

Last week, I began my journey into personal style. I have a little story to share. I often check out our vendors facebook pages to first see what they are doing and what is new and second to get ideas. I happened to be on the Cruel Girl facebook page and they had just posted their August photo album. (The August line is darling by the way, I have a shirt we got in that I can't wait to post.) Anyway, back to the point, there was a comment left about the model wearing high heels and Cruel Girl being a western brand along with a comment about the big bracelet that the model is wearing.

This gave me a little insight when it comes to personal style. Who is to say that girls that wear western branded clothing don't wear heels or chunky jewelry? Or girls that wear heels and chunky jewelry don't wear Cruel Girl? There are a lot of girls that lead a "double life" as quoted by our Miller International Rep., Shane. He was referring to those girls that work in an office during the day and are cowgirls in the evenings and on the weekend. And it makes perfect sense to me that the two can overlap.

It is no secret that I am not a cowgirl, but I love my boots and jeans that are made by "western" brands. I like combining different "styles and brands" for instance I am wearing a baby doll top from Buckle, my skinny jeans by Rock & Roll Cowgirl and flats by Roxy today. I think the overall look is great. All I need to do is change one component of the outfit, such as swap my flats for boots and I have an entirely new and just as great look.

So the point of my post being, don't limit yourself in thinking that because an item comes from a certain brand of clothing that it must be worn in conjunction with only articles of clothing from the same "style or brand". Combine components of an outfit in a way that you like, and change them up for an entirely different look.

What to Wear Wednesday

Here are 3 great tee's from Rock & Roll Cowboy. Each features a unique screenprint design for the guy that is a little country and a little Rock & Roll.

Friday Favorite

Today's Friday Favorite is a storewide favorite. Dan Post Cowboy Certified and Cowgirl Certified Socks.



They feature reinforced toes, low profile flat seam, ribbed comfort fit arch support, reinforced heel, added support on the calf and a certified stay up top.

They come in 3 lengths, Over the Calf, Crew and Quarters. And also 3 styles, Men's, Ladies and Youth. One great thing for us girls is that the Cowgirl socks are specifically designed for a woman's narrower foot so they are less likely to slide or bunch up in the toe area.

They are made from a combination of the finest quality cotton and Sorbatek to keep the feet a more consistent temperature and to absorb, move and release moisture away from the skin. As well as Lycra to ensure the sock keeps its shape and continues to fit well. They also feature AntiMicrobial Yarn that permanently inhibits the growth of odor causing bacteria,

With all of the technical stuff said, these socks rock. They are comfortable, fit well, don't fall down and help keep your feet from getting smelly. A definate must for anyone wearing boots.

What to Wear Wednesday

We have been getting in a lot of new things for fall the past week , and these two from Rock & Roll Cowgirl caught my eye.

I love the look of baseball tees and these are both a great take on that style. With the black burnout raglan sleeves and bright screen prints, both shirts add a fun and funky touch to your wardrobe. Perfect for back to school.

Personal Style

What is a personal style? I know in a previous post some time ago, I examined trends and how they come and go, but I am now thouroughly interested in developing a personal style.

Style as defined by my friend dictionary.com is a mode of fashion, as in dress, especially good or approved fashion; elegance; smartness. The definition doesn't help much, so I went to my next best world wide web friend Bing. I typed in How to develop personal style. This was a little more helpful.

According to wikihow, which is toted as a how to manual that you can edit, there are some pretty reasonable tips to developing your personal style. Here are a few.

*Be observant of fashion, both around you and inside of you. Your interests can lead you to clothing choices that can work for you.
*Don't let trendy things scare you off.
*Don't force yourself to wear something that you are not comfortable in
*Find a few style muses, allow someone elses quirkiness or elegance inspire you
*Most importantly, wear your clothes with confidence- don't let them wear you.

Pretty good tips for beginning a personal style development. I think I have already begun by being observant of fashion, hence my sudden interest in personal style. However I am going to become more aware of the fashion around me. I am excited to share my observations and thoughts with you and hope you'll share yours :)

Friday Favorite

I thought it would be fun to spotlight a customer favorite. By far we sell the Wrangler 13MWZ Western Cowboy Cut Original Fit Jean more than any other single style of men's jean.

The 13MWZ is a heavy weight, broken twill denim, made from 100% sanfordized cotton which is treated to resist shrinking. It is the official Pro Rodeo Competition Jean and is worn by 8 time world all around cowboy, Trevor Brazile. It comes with a one year warranty on defects in materials and workmanship as do all Wrangler products.

Just a few random fun facts about Wrangler

*The first pair of Wrangler Jeans was made in 1943

*In 1947 Wrangler Authentic Western Jeans, designed by celebrity tailor, Rodeo Ben are introduced to the American Consumer. Professional rodeo cowboys Jim Shoulders, Bill Linderman and Freckles Brian wear test the 13MWZ and endorse the Wrangler name for durability.

*In 1974 the Pro Rodeo Cowboys Association officially endorses Wrangler Jeans

* In 1996 1 out of 5 pairs of jeans sold in America features a Wrangler label.

Wrangler is also having their Everything Wrangler Sale. For every 2 pieces of Wrangler Apparel you purchase over $14.95 each, you can get a $10 rebate from Wrangler by Mail from August 5th to August 28th. So stop by and stock up on your Wranglers for back to school.

Boot Fit Tips

Back to school always includes new shoes, and for some lucky ones, boots. Here are a few tips on proper boot fit.

The socks that you are wearing make a difference. I tell you this from experience. I have the Dan Post Cowgirl Certified Boot Socks and there is no way I can wear them with my caimen or lizard boots. They make them a little too snug as the lizard and caimen do not "give" as much as my buffalo or goat. Instead I wear a Thorlos liner, which is a lighter weight sock, making them a perfect fit. Always try on boots with a sock that is the thickness that you normally wear. Or if you are like me, adjust your socks as needed.

The next step is gauging fit. When putting your foot into a boot, it should "pop" in from the throat of the boot. If you struggle through the throat or your just foot falls in, the boot is likely not a good fit. It is also important that you try on both boots. Most people have slight differences in the size of their feet. It is always important to fit your larger foot. In some instances if the size difference is more noticeable, we have had to custom order two different sizes and widths of boots.

When the boots are on your foot should stand and gauge 3 things.

1. A properly fitting boot should be snug but not tight across the instep of your foot. The leather should not be extremely tight nor should it be extremely loose. You should be able to look down at your foot and see the welt stitching. If your foot is "falling" over the welt stitching, the boot is most likely not the correct width. Also, if your foot is sliding all around in the boot, the width is probably not correct. Your toes should have plenty of room to move comfortably and should not be cramped in any way, nor should you have room to slide your foot back and forth.

2. When you walk, there should be some slippage in the heel and up to 1" is perfectly fine. The heel slippage will subside once you have worn the boot and the boot becomes broken in. Slip in the heel seems to be a big concern to people that are new to boots, some heel slippage is not an indication of ill fit.

3. The boot should feel comfortable. If the boot does not feel right when you try it on, it is likely that it won't become comfortable after you wear it. It is possible to try on 2 pairs of boots made by the same company and have a completely different fit from each boot.

A pair of boots is a great addition to your wardrobe and can be your favorite go to for years to come. I highly recommend shopping for boots when you have the time to get properly fitted, because it makes all the difference.

What to Wear Wednesday

I can't believe it is August already, time for back to school. For the month of August I am going to focus quite a few of the posts this month on the things we have in that would be perfect for school. I am going to start with things for the teenage girl (since I have one of my very own :)

The first look comes from Cruel Girl. It features this darling v-neck, cotton- poly burn out tee with a sublimation print. It is lightweight and adorable layered with a white tank.

The Alysa Jean is constructed with a universal medium stone wash, lightweight 10 oz. denim. It is accented with baked creases and whiskers. This low rise, boot cut jean has metallic embroidery detailing that can be dressed up or down.

This look is by Rock & Roll Cowgirl. This jersey knit tee shirt has an all over distressed print. The front has the RR logo over feathers and foil swirl art. The back has a star over feathers and foil swirls. It is finished with crystal stones and rhinestuds.

This Rock & Roll jean is low rise, boot cut with a light wash. It is accented by heavy stitching and hematite rhinestones on the front and back pockets. There is heavy saddle stitching on the side seams and the jean is topped off by gun metal shanks and rivets.

Both of these outfits would be a fun addition to any girl's back to school wardrobe. Stop in and see all of the other great things we are receiving in daily.

Boot of the Month

The boot of the month for August comes to us from the Lucchese Cowgirl Collection. It is a red orly calf featuring a brown wingtip, heel foxxing and collar and on the quarter is a cream inlay. The entire boot has been stone washed for a unique, worn look. The stone washing process also gives the leather a soft, supple broken in feel.

The boots also feature the popular "W" toe and 8 heel, with the color combination that is very versatile this boot is perfect for riding, working and a night out.