Go Western

 
Saturday, the plan for the evening was to go to Opus Merriweather, an outdoor art event. I was excited to attend, but totally bummed about how to dress. I wanted to wear something appropriately artsy, but the weather was going to necessitate wearing a coat, so practically any outfit I could come up with would be all but completely covered up. The only part of me that would be reliably visible was my feet, and I didn't have anything I could wear on my feet that would be suitable for walking around in the probably – thanks to rain the previous night – very muddy woods. Anything... except ... (it took me a while to remember them even though they were sitting in plain sight on the floor of my closet) ... my brand-new pair of very artsy-looking rubber cowgirl boots!

I literally cannot think of a better pair of shoes for such an occasion, and they happened to have popped into my life at just the right time!

When I was in Nashville back in April, I tried and utterly failed to acquire a pair of Western boots. I was dead-set on only buying a used pair (so as to not directly support the leather industry), but the shops that were selling used boots were not selling any that fit both my feet and my style. I left Nashville with no boots (except a non-Western pair I picked up at a thrift store, but that's another story for another time!) and a slightly heavy heart.

My mild disappointment turned to full-on dismay when I later learned that Western boots are trending for fall 2018! Always an Unfashionista, I was so close to having been ahead of the curve, but now, as usual, I wasn't even on the curve at all (I did have a pair of cowgirl boots once, but I grew tired of them and sold them).

Fortunately, my dearth of Western boots was recently remedied, when I went to the Columbus Day sale at the thrift store. I struck gold when I found these ones.

Although the shape says cowgirl through and through, they are actually rubber rain boots. I've been declining to buy rain boots whenever I find them for years now, opting instead to slosh around in my ancient, not-so-waterproof-any-more hiking boots, because rain boots honestly have a very short usable season (too hot in summer and too cold in winter) and they take up a lot of space, and the last pair I had sprang a leak after only a handful of wears. But when I can get some rain boots that also happen to help me fill a different void in my wardrobe, I'll take them!

So I got my cowgirl boots, I got my rain boots, and I got artsy boots! The snazzy green damask-like floral design was icing on the already scrumptious cake! These shoes were truly a jackpot find for me—on-trend Western boots, but with a practical yet gaudy twist! And only $2.75 after the 50% discount!

OK, so I was wearing them for Opus, no question about it, but what to wear on the rest of my body?

I hunted around in my possessions for something else green to mirror the green on the boots. There wasn't much...a slightly off-color camisole, a too-bright green scarf, and, um, yeah, nothing else. Nothing else... except... the green corset that I'd just put in my to-sell closet!

I'd had pretty much enough of this corset. I've worn it with a couple of Halloween costumes, but it's much too campy for everyday use. It's also a little too large, and the laces are only pretty on one side. It is, however, specifically labeled as "Western Fashion" right on its tag, and I was wearing Western boots, so I figured I might as well do a modern take on the old-time saloon girl aesthetic.

A black undershirt and black skinny jeans were next, and earrings that quite perfectly matched the pattern on the boots.

Knowing that I would need help staying warm, I picked a winter coat in a complementary shade of burgundy. The coat has ridiculously wide lapels that put me in mind of a sheriff's coat in a Western film.

From utter despair a few hours before the event, I switched to being completely thrilled about pretty much everything I was wearing. Even though it was cold, I got to spend the first hour or two with my coat open so the corset got to be seen. I did get a few compliments on the boots over the course of the evening, and they protected my feet admirably from the mud that I had correctly predicted! All in all, I was pretty happy with how this outfit turned out.