What You Need to Know About Women's Spring/Summer 2011 Western Wear Trend

From Roberto Cavalli to Ralph Lauren, 2011 spring/summer clothing collections offer up reverence for the old west. Back in the day this look was purely functional but the styles for 2011 are playful and easily matched with other trends and styles for a multi-faceted wardrobe.

Some of the Western themed items you'll see:

Maxi prairie skirts

Maxi prairie dresses

Fringe accents

Large belts and large belt buckles

Suede jackets

Knee-high and calf-high cowboy boots

Destructed jeans (though not classically western, these have become a centerpiece of the current western trend)

Traditional and Not So Traditional

While Ralph Lauren chose to keep western wear traditional in his 2011 collection, featuring fringed suede jackets and ankle length prairie skirts, some like, Roberto Cavalli, chose to take liberties with the style by teaming high-end chic pieces with modernized western accents.

If you're not a western wear kind of gal you may want to opt for a more Cavalli approach to the classic western look, by pairing one small western element to an otherwise non-western outfit. Try adding a fringed jacket to your little black dress (lbd) or a pair of cowboy boots to your favorite miniskirt.

Accessories

Fedora/Cowboy Hats: One big thing I've seen in the stores lately is a modified cowboy hat that seems to have been genetically morphed with a fedora; these are ok but a fedora looks best as a fedora and a cowboy hat as a cowboy hat, but that's just my opinion. This new breed of hat, let's call them cowdoras, looks like a fedora with an ever so slightly enlarged brim. I guess the logic there was that women who don't like the western wear look may still buy the hats if they had a smaller brim and those who are sick of the fedora trend after its 2+ year stint may go for this updated version.

Large Belts/Belt Buckles: There are several different western belt styles out there to complement your western maxi skirts and dresses and destructed jeans: wide leather hip belts for dresses, classic waist belts with super large buckles for jeans, and skinny or wide belts bejeweled with enlarged buckles or with silver stud accents for a western/biker combo.

Turquoise Jewelry: Turquoise is popular in American Indian jewelry and played a big role in the 60s/70s boho look so it's only fitting that it grace the current western styles. Large oval rings, earring studs, and chunky bead necklaces are all good choices and easily findable right now.

A little goes a long way though with this eye-catching accessory, so choose one turquoise jewelry item or pair one large and one subtle piece together to show off your western themed ensemble.

What You Need to Know About Women's Spring/Summer 2011 Western Wear Trend

If after reading this guide you're still stumped for how to incorporate western trends into your wardrobe, just take a look at how Ralph Lauren and Roberto Cavalli did it and remember there's always one fail-safe look: jeans, a tank, and cowboy boots.

Happy Shopping!

Disclaimer: The image for Ralph Lauren's 2011 collection was obtained from Paula Darnell's article, "Ralph Lauren 2011 Spring Fashion" on About.com.