Wardrobe: The Cowgirl Staple

From my observations typical Scottsdale fashion is to wear whatever you feel comfortable sweating through as temperatures are steadily in the 90s for several months at a time. Many people choose athletic ensembles of loose yoga pants/shorts, tank tops, and some sort of hiking sandal (this exists). Some ladies try to go fancy with a sundress and I saw a few people try to wear long hair down – this is like wearing a fur coat on your back, by the way, not recommended.


That being said, I also noticed a wide array of cowboy type western wear. I saw a lot of cowboy boots and snappy button-ups with denim skirts and even full length jeans – in temperatures reaching 110 degrees, talk about dedication! So I decided it was time to investigate this cowboy fashion, especially the denim. With Alyse in tow, we set out to discover the fashion world of the Wild West.


Our research lead us to Saba’s Western Store, the preeminent western wear outfitter of Phoenix. We were greeted by JJ Stark and Marsi Beltran at the Shea Blvd location, who agreed to educate us on how a proper cowgirl jean should fit and what the latest trends are. In my mind I was expecting a high-waisted Levis with a huge belt buckle, but this is not what modern day cowgirls find stylish. There are three important aspects to the right pair of jeans: boot-cut, great fit on the ass, and as much bling as possible.


In my normal life I do not like anything that looks like it might have been bedazzled. I have one pair of shoes with glitter on them and often have to remind myself to add jewelry before leaving the house. I wear simple things, usually in black, grey, or tan. So in the fitting room, surrounded by very low-waisted, blingy denim I started thinking this must be a joke. I tried on the first pair, JJ was sure these would be perfect for me. They seemed too long and too shiny. But then I turned around. My ass looked fantastic. I’ve never seen it look that good in jeans before. I kept looking back in the mirror smiling. After trying on at least ten more pairs, I kept coming back to this one, Rock & Roll Cowgirl by Wrangler. It was like trying on multiple wedding dresses when you knew it was the first one all along. The same thing happened for Alyse in a pair of Miss Me. We had no choice but to leave with them, bedazzled ass and all.



Special thanks again to JJ and Marsi for making our shopping trip so fun!

This is how I styled them back in DC...