The Romance of the Old West Lives on
The attire offered by western clothing stores represents an iconic part of the American heritage. Although the limited history of the United States, particularly that of the cowboy, is highly romanticized, cowboy attire has been passed down consistently from generation to generation. Certainly, there is the rock n roll cowboy look that has little in common with the Old West or camping out night after night out on the range, the traditional platform remains. As such, the baby cowboy boots, toddler cowboy boots, and cowboys clothing in general still feature the typical cowboy hat, cowboy boots, and rhinestone shirts.
Although the attire provided by western clothing stores are more prevalent throughout certain regions of the United States than others, the influence of the Old West remains. However, it is almost as common to see rock groups sporting western clothing as country stars nowadays. Whatever the reason is for that, rockers apparently find the look cool, and fans find it appealing. In fact, some foreigners coming to the United States for the first time expect to find Americans sporting ten gallon hats and leather chaps. To their certain disappointment, this is not common as there are not western clothing stores on every block. However, it must be noted that the United States Olympic team dressed in urban cowboy attire during the opening ceremonies of the 1980 Winter Olympic Games in Lake Placid. Perhaps this was influenced by a certain John Travolta film and a cowboy craze during the late 1970s and early 1980s, but the influence remains.
Western clothing stores were incredibly popular during the 1950s and 1960s in the United States. During that time the Western was the stalwart film genre of the day. In addition to John Wayne and Roy Rodgers, the most popular American television programs included The Rifleman, Gun Smoke, Bonanza, and the Lone Ranger, among others. The fashions provided by western clothing stores are more than a passing fad, but a fashion cornerstone that is woven into the fabric of American culture. Those rhinestone shirts and Dingo boots do not seem to ever fall completely from fashion; and it is unlikely that they will any time soon. As long as the Old West and the attire of western clothing stores remain in public consciousness, there will alway be a place for western clothing.