What I Wore — Western-Flavored Weekend Style

My son celebrated his 12th birthday on Saturday, and my super awesome cousin Patricia helped me plan a whole day’s worth of surprise activities: a trip to a trampoline playground, a stop at an indoor arcade and bowling hall, lunch at a saloon-style restaurant, and a visit to a puppy shop where you could actually play with the puppies and pet them (so, basically, my son’s idea of heaven). Since I knew we’d be running from place to place, I wanted to put together an outfit that was comfortable and roomy but that still made me feel feminine and stylish. I love this season’s Western-influenced looks and, really, any excuse to break out my cowgirl boots is a good one, so I decided to go that route with my outfit for the day.

The central element of the look is a soft, distressed denim GAP shirt dress with buttons all along the central placket, long sleeves (which I rolled up) and two chest patch pockets. Since the dress is designed to have an essentially shapeless fit, I decided to give it a more streamlined appearance by cinching my waist with a brown faux leather belt from Target.

Next, of course, came the accessories, which were the key to giving the outfit some personality. I started by pulling on my favorite Frye Western boots and slinging saddle bag with ornamental stitching from DV by Dolce Vita (similar options are available at Target.com) over my shoulder, then slapped a leather cuff bracelet from Rebel Designs on my wrist, added two rings (one from Melinda Maria and the other from Nasty Gal), put on my go-to gold hoops (a TJ Maxx purchase many moons ago), and finished the look with a Cult Gaia turband (a cloth headband with a malleable wire tucked inside that allows you to wear the accessory in a multitude of ways) in a bandanna-inspired red hue with a white paisley print.

After that, it was all about a graphic liner (I love Urban Decay’s 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Perversion) and a bold red lip (I used the NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Pop Life).

Time to circle the wagons!