If you want to get the full experience of the Calgary Stampede, you’ll have to look the part. With the Stampede Parade kicking off this Friday, here are five essential wardrobe pieces to get your cowboy or cowgirl on.
Cowboy Hat
If you were to only get one thing, a cowboy hat is the absolute essential.
“It’s what sets us aside from everyone else,” says Jennifer Booth, public relations manager for the Calgary Stampede. “It could be white, black, brown, whatever you feel more comfortable in.”
Make no mistake, you’ll likely be feeling left out if you’re the only one who isn’t wearing this necessary accessory. With the heat ramping up in the middle of Calgary’s summer, Booth says your best bet is to go for the straw variety to keep cool.
Hats? We got hats!
Belt Buckle
Booth says dressing for the Stampede is all about flair, and the most common way to broadcast your flair is with a heavy duty belt buckle.
“There’s lots of different kinds of belt buckles you can get. There’s big ones the size of dinner plates, or there’s daintier ones for the girls,” said Booth.
But if you’re looking to make a statement, Booth says the bigger the buckle, the better.
Barrel racer Carlee Pierce’s belt buckle at the Calgary Stampede.
Cowboy Boots
They come in all shapes, sizes, and prices, but leather cowboy boots are another must-have. For maximum comfort during the long Stampede days, though, Booth recommends going conservative on the heel size, and to make sure you break in your boots or get a pair of cushioning insoles.
It’s cowboy boots and hats time again as Stampede goers waited for lemonade at Sneak-a-Peek on Thursday July 2, 2015.
Jeans
It sounds obvious, but jeans definitely tie your whole outfit together. The classic style of cowboy jeans are a straight-leg fit that slims up around the hips to keep excess fabric from rubbing up while riding a horse.
And if you want to go full on authentic, Booth says that Wrangler brand jeans are the go-to. The classic brand now comes in all shapes and sizes and, according Booth, “they’ll look good on anyone.”
Jeans are always in style.
Bandana
The last four items are all essentials, but if it’s a special look you’re going for, Booth says a bandana is the way to go.
“The bandana was used to keep the dust out of your face, but it’s evolved into a fashion piece,” said Booth, adding that there’s endless ways to wear a bandana.
But it’s not just for show either, a bandana around your face might do well if you’re siting up close for the chuckwagon races, where the riders will definitely be kicking up some dust on their way around the track.
Geea Atanase show a colourful bandana and bright cowboy hat.
