Usually when the words "western" and "wear" are pieced together, visions of Garth Brooks, TNN, and pointy boots go country-line dancing in the head. However, now that country artists are found in the front row of designer fashion shows (and Garth Brooks is having an identity crisis), someone out there has to pick up the slacks.
Lately it seems that quite a few rock and pop stars are fancying a little country flavor in their clothing, which in turn has found it's way onto the bods of nonfamous hipsters as well (or was it the other way around?). Regardless of whom instigated it, this style is more rock 'n' roll than country and western.
In it's simplest definition, "country rock" is the
idea of rock bands playing country music; cowboy sounds but with electrically charged instruments and pop melodies.
In the later years of the 1960's, as a reaction against studio-manipulated psychedelia, many bands decided to turn back to their roots and dig deeper into their original influences, which included everyone from Elvis Presley to Hank Williams. It was also a very natural path to follow for many artists of the period, like The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, and Bob Dylan, who were already well-versed in folk and roots rock.
Along with the new direction of their sound, came a new direction with their clothing. Every facet of western dress was experimented with at this time from flashy rhinestone studded cowboys to late-1800's Wild West-style to Native American feathers and beads. And although most of the folks who dressed West were also dabbling in western music, one didn't necessarily have to be immersed in the sound to don the clobber.
Usually when the words "western" and "wear" are pieced together, visions of Garth Brooks, TNN, and pointy boots go country-line dancing in the head. However, now that country artists are found in the front row of designer fashion shows (and Garth Brooks is having an identity crisis), someone out there has to pick up the slacks.
