Should’ve Been a Cowboy

I don’t do this often but I am totally going to jump right to it and geek out over some (aka. all) of the items I am wearing in this post. Every piece here I’m completely obsessed with. Sometimes when you are styling an outfit you chose pieces that go together more than based on how much you love them. A lot of statement pieces I love would obviously be way too much when put together so I don’t even travel down that road.

We were in Palm Springs when we were shooting this look, because Pioneer Town deserved more than one shoot. We would have done even more if it wasn’t +45 degrees celsius! This Tory Burch dress, even though in their pre-fall collection,  was a perfect desert piece, very airy, light fabric and obviously visually perfect. The tones on this piece are so easy you can style it with absolutely anything, it’s neutral but with a little bit of color so you could really go either way. Accessorize it with a statement Kate Spade earning for a bolder look or dress it down and make the dress itself the focus. I chose my shorter Toga booties because they were a twist on the standard cowboy boot, as much as I love to be a cowboy every day, 1. 45 degrees doesn’t mix well with fully covered feet in tight spaces and 2. there are people out there who want to play safe when it comes to the cowboy trend, these boots are the perfect combo of modern and classic, plus added comfort thanks to the low heel. I actually obsess over Toga boots on the regular, they are a bit harder to find but places like Ssense.com, TNT and Selfridges stocks them on the regular.

Let’s talk about the hat. For those of you who have been around since the beginning you know how much I love a good hat. Millenaries are totally a re-emerging trade that is coming back with a vengeance. When we travel to places like LA and NYC there is a handful of artists handcrafting beautiful head gear for celebs and fashion lovers alike. In Calgary our answer is Smithbilt and they are by far my favourite! They will create a custom hat as per your specifications but you can also choose from their assortment of ready-to-wear styles. You can go as big or small as you want with it. This year I went for the fully customized version, I chose the color, the brim size, the crown style and the band! Holly Allen, the women’s designer took me through the process step by step and created the perfect hat, complete with a string so I don’t have to wear it when the sweat is dripping down my face on a hot summer day! The price point is the best part, Smithbilt offers very competitive, if not better than anywhere else I’ve been and the quality surpasses them all. It’s hands down Calgary’s ultimate heritage brand!

The bag! We all know that Coach has elevated basically everything they are doing atm. Stuart Vevers saved the brand and made it cooler than EVER! The spring tea rose customization is offering customers a hands on experience to create their dream bag and right NOW the sales are INSANE!!! Snatched this fringe dinky for half price and it’s been THE perfect Stampede accessory! It comes in a moss green color that will be coming home with me very shortly.

There is seriously nothing better than finding that PERFECT piece of clothing that will help express my love for Western Wear, especially even, when it’s a contemporary designer or a modern cut! It just goes to show how much fashion borrows from the past and in Calgary, specifically, gives fashion girls hope that they can do Stampede right AND look awesome doing it! Shop all the pieces below, most of them are actually now also on SALE!!! It’s never too early to start putting together your outfits for Stampede 2018! GIDDY UP!

wearing: tory burch carlotta dress, smithbilt hat, coach bag, aldo accessories choker, toga pulla boots, brave leather bracelets