I can remember back in high school and recall all the “cowboys” in school. We called them “Ropers” and I could count on one hand who they all were. I’m talking about every day wearing the jeans, boots and button down shirts. On occasion they’d throw in a t-shirt, but for the most part, they epitomized what a cowboy looks like. Now keep in mind, I grew up in the suburbs of Dallas. A typical middle-class neighborhood. The only horses or farms to be seen for miles was one lone hold out up the street (who ended up making a mint in the late nineties when they finally sold to the GB tollway). It wasn’t a huge area for “ropers”. Still, these guys belonged to the 4-H club—even had to get bussed mid-day to another school for that group/class. These were guys who wore it because it was a part of who they were and wanted to be. At the time, I have to admit, I thought they were a little bit out there for not trying to blend in better. Because they did get mocked occasionally. Still… they didn’t let it sway them. (me I was blender, as best as I could be—not a follower, just a “please don’t see me” … but that’s a whole ‘nother post for self esteem and whatnot)
Cut to just a few years later and wearing western clothing was “trendy”. Country music started going main-stream with the likes of Garth Brooks and then Faith Hill and her hubby Tim (okay so I am dating myself—you can probably narrow down when I was in high school). It seemed it was *cool* to wear Wranglers and boots and straw hats. I’m not knocking the wardrobe choice. When I was a kid I had the best of both worlds, I suppose. I lived in said suburbs—wore the uber-disastrous parachute pants and earlier than that my attempt at a Valley Girl at the age of eleven, I’d say it worked out to be totally tubular, but all I was rocking was plastic shoes that made me feet sweat. Then I could take off my jellies and head out to my grandparents’ for the summer in west Texas and rock the boots and jeans with no fear of what the other kids at school would say. Never once did they see me.
Anyhoo, back to the trend… Right after high school I moved to Fort Worth and I can remember seeing more and more cowboys. It took me a while to figure out which ones were the real deal versus the ones who bought their shiny belt buckles in a little shop near the college. There was something about the way they moved. The not-authentic dude lacked actual cowboy swagger and little too much spending parent’s money swagger—not that I am that judgmental… LOL okay maybe I was a little, but I was a teenager. Still, by then the cowboys were everywhere. I can’t say that I was terribly disappointed, because it did bring out a culture that was otherwise ignored by folks I knew, so it did open eyes despite the fact they have been around through just about every fashion revulsion, every fad and must-have for this season since before jeans had zippers. Sure, it is still a fashion trend as much as it was a way of life. But if you watch and listen, you can always spot the real deal in the crowd.
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