In the ‘80s you had the release of “Urban Cowboy,” a movie staring John Travolta that quickly revamped the country music and fashion scene in the United States.
Around that time, you also had artists like George Strait, Garth Brooks and Reba McEntire, who energized the country music scene from old-fashioned country music to a new style that put the genre on the front lines of entertainment.
Now in present day, country style is back due to the popularity of country music. According to an NPD Group study, country music was America’s favorite genre in 2012, winning with 28 percent of the vote.
UTEP alumna Isabel Regalado said that geography has a lot to do with the style here in El Paso.
“I feel like people are starting to appreciate different types of music, they lean more towards country since we live in Texas and live in a borderland city,” Regalado said.
Regalado grew up living a country lifestyle because her family owns a ranch in Clint, Texas. She said that she grew up wearing country apparel and wearing boots because of her background and it has carried over into adulthood.
She likes the idea that this type of fashion and country music is becoming popular amongst college students.
“I think it is a good thing,” Regalado said. “I think maybe if it was rap it would be a bad thing because if you think about the music, it is about home, family values and the love of freedom. There is a lot to the music.”
Rocketbuster is a local boot shop that designs, cuts, carves, stitches and assembles their boots in a warehouse in the Union District of downtown El Paso. Nevena Chrisit is the owner of Rocketbuster Handmade Custom Boots in El Paso and she said that although there aren’t many college students who are customers due to the cost of the custom-made boots, she is aware of the country western trend.
“Country western style as a trend comes and goes. I believe the appeal of our boots lasts forever because it is classical vintage Americana, just like rock ‘n roll,” Chrisit said. “Our greatest appeal these days, in a homogenized society where many stores and restaurants are exactly the same in every state you visit, is that we offer wearable works of art that set our customers aside as unique individuals. We like to think of them as big jewelry.”
Now, with artists like Blake Shelton on popular television shows such as “The Voice,” and Taylor Swift breaking music world records with country music, fashion is in the spotlight.
In January of this year, it was announced that Garth Brooks would be getting his own fashion line of jeans and shirts called Garth Brooks Sevens, inspired by the signer himself.
Amanda Guillen may be reached at [email protected].
