Don't Fence Me In
I am about as much of a city girl as you can get - I don't like camping, or bugs, or being outside in places where you can't pop into a store to use a bathroom and get a bottle of water - but I grew up on the high plains of Colorado, and as the daughter of a man who listened to nothing but old fashioned country music, Western style is still pretty close to my heart.
Not that a real cowgirl would have much use for a dress this tight, or a hat this fancy, but I did get a distinctly prairie vibe off of this outfit, so I'm just going to run with it.
I picked this dress up recently from a friend (the same one who asked me to help her photograph some of her pieces), and it's pretty perfect for the damp, chilly weather we've been having lately. I probably could have used a pair of tights with it the day that I shot this, actually, but otherwise it's pretty cozy.
I'm not the best at dating vintage, but from the label and the silhouette of it I would guess 1940s, maybe even WWII era - it's got a distinctly utilitarian feel to it that I associate with that time period. I love the deep, rich green color of the dress, and as an added bonus it's a perfect match for this much loved, seldom worn hat.
The morning I shot these, I didn't have to be to work until a bit later than normal, so I got up early and stopped at a park on my way in to take some photos. There was an older man out walking his dog who had a thousand questions about what I was doing, how I started wearing vintage, how I did my hair. It would have been funny if I hadn't been in such a time crunch! It really makes me miss summer, because people don't have nearly as much to say when you're shooting at 5:30 in the morning.
Wearing this style out and about made me kind of wish I had some other, more authentic Western gear to pull out of my closet when the mood strikes. A nice pair of cowboy boots, anyway.
Are there any styles that you don't often wear, but have a certain fondness for?
Dress: 1940s Vintage
Hat: Vintage Underground
Shoes: Asos
