If Redding Rodeo Week makes you want to tap your inner cowboy or cowgirl, here are some tips for dressing like the pros.
Rodeo event attendees don’t have to worry about dress codes, said Asphalt Cowboy Dave Tappan. “You’ll see a lot of shorts, Hawaiian shirts and flip-flops.”
That said, part of the fun of going to Redding Rodeo Week events is the chance to dress like those who ride the range daily — or a Hollywood version of it.
Minimum for a western look includes a cowboy hat, leather belt and cowboy boots, according to Western attire fashionistas. The trick is to know which styles of each are right for Shasta County and Redding weather.
Here are some dos and taboos to dressing like a real Northern California cowgirl and cowboy.
1. Wear the right jeans
You can wear any jeans to the rodeo, Tappan said, but if “you want to be a cowboy, you’ve got to wear Wranglers.”
Boot-cut jeans are preferable, but make sure they have the proper amount of “stack.” That’s the spot where the bottom of the pant leg meets the top of the boot. “It needs to be wrinkled (just) a little bit,” Tappan said.
Avoid low-riders. Cowboys keep their pants up and never show off their undies.
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2. Make sure your cowboy, cowgirl hat is heat-friendly
Felt is fine to wear to the rodeo, but a Western-style straw cowboy hat is preferable in Redding’s summer heat, Tappan said.
3. Top off your attire with the right Western shirt
Western-style shirts with pearl snaps down the front are appropriate for men and women to wear with their jeans.
“A riding cowboy usually wears long sleeves for protection (from sun and getting scratched up), Tappan said. That’s why many cowboy work shirts have long sleeves.
Women can also wear a flowy summer dress or sundress with their boots and hat for going out, but work or casual clothes usually mean jeans.
What you are going for is a classic, timeless look. That’s Quincy Eldridge’s take. She designs boots and clothing for local riders like famed barrel racer Nellie Miller. Before she started her business, she was on the rodeo team at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
“Cowboys are rocking the classic denim on denim staple that never goes out of style. You will mostly see dark washed heavy starched jeans with a solid-colored long sleeve button up. The trend has definitely shifted backwards to the roots of the American cowboy and where it all started,” Eldridge told the Record Searchlight in 2021.
4. Match your boots to the rodeo event
A cowboy boot usually comes midway up the calf of the leg, and has some kind of embroidered Western-style decoration on it. After that, the wearer can make any number of style choices.
Different heels are designed for walking or riding.
Boots can have rounded, pointed or squared toes. “The rounded toe is usually associated with a work boot,” Tappan said, while “a pointed tow with going out on the town.”
5. Cowboys and cowgirls aren’t afraid to accessorize
For men and women, a good sturdy Western-style belt is a good choice. (See the low-rider warning above.)
The buckle is a rodeo tradition, Tappan said. That’s because competitors often receive them as trophies.
He’s quick to add you don’t have to ride a bronco to get a buckle. Silver and turquoise jewelry — fake or real — is a cowboy and cowgirl classic, as is a neckerchief.
Jessica Skropanic is a features reporter for the Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. She covers science, arts, social issues and news stories. Follow her on Twitter @RS_JSkropanic and on Facebook. Join Jessica on Record Searchlight Facebook groups Get Out! Nor Cal , Today in Shasta County and Shaping Redding’s Future. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today. Thank you.
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: How to dress for Redding Rodeo Week and stand out like the pros
Reporting by Jessica Skropanic and Ethan Hanson, Redding Record Searchlight / Redding Record Searchlight
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