Western Glam: How to Wear the Trend Without Looking Like You're Wearing a Costume

Western style is having a moment—but you don't need to dress head-to-toe like you're headed to the rodeo to have a little fun with it.

The best version of Western glam is just that: a little Western, a little glamour, and a whole lot of personality.

Think turquoise with a crisp white shirt. A great pair of jeans with an unexpected statement accessory. A touch of fringe, a fabulous boot, or a beautifully embellished bag that gives an otherwise simple outfit something to talk about.

Because the goal isn't to wear a costume.

It's to make the look your own.

Start With One Statement Piece

One of the easiest ways to wear a trend without letting it wear you is to choose a single statement piece and build around it.

That's especially true with Western-inspired style.

A bag like my Turquoise Trails hand-painted tote can bring turquoise, texture and a Western influence to something as simple as jeans and a white blouse. You don't need cowboy boots, a hat and a fringed jacket to finish the story.

The bag already told it.

That's one of the things I love most about wearable art. As I talked about in Wearable Art: How Hand-Painted Bags Transform Any Outfit, the right bag doesn't simply carry your things—it can completely change the personality of what you're wearing.

Let the Glamour Come From the Details

Western glam doesn't have to mean rustic.

In fact, some of my favorite Western-inspired designs combine traditional motifs with completely unexpected materials—glass, beads, metallic accents, rhinestones and dimensional embellishments.

My Black & Gold Jeweled Cowboy Boots tote is a perfect example. The cowboy boots give it that unmistakable Western attitude, while the black-and-gold palette and jeweled details take it somewhere much more glamorous.

Pair something like that with an all-black outfit and suddenly Western feels sophisticated rather than themed.

It's also a reminder of why the details matter so much in my work. In From Studio to Street: How My Designs Come to Life, I shared more about the process of taking an idea from the studio and turning it into something you can actually carry.

Mix Western With What You Already Own

You don't need a Western wardrobe.

You probably already own most of what you need: denim, a white or black top, a simple dress, a favorite jacket or even a great pair of trousers.

Then add the personality.

Try turquoise with neutrals. Pair an embellished Western bag with a simple black dress. Let fringe peek into an otherwise classic outfit. Or carry a bold cowboy-boot design with jeans and a blazer.

That contrast is what keeps the look modern.

And more importantly, it keeps it you.

I've always believed that the things we use every day don't have to look like everyone else's. That's really the idea behind The Art of the Everyday: Why Your Bag Should Be As Unique as You.

Western Style Doesn't Have to Be Brown

This may be my favorite rule to break.

Western-inspired fashion can absolutely include traditional leather, tan and earthy shades—but it can also be pink, turquoise, black, gold, red or just about anything else that makes you happy.

That's where the glam part gets fun.

My Western Glam Collection brings together my own take on the trend: hand-painted boots, turquoise-inspired designs and plenty of dimensional details, all interpreted through the colorful, slightly unexpected lens of Dana's Uncommon Glass.

There are no rules saying Western has to look one particular way.

Wear the Trend. Keep Your Personality.

Trends are supposed to be fun. They can introduce us to a color, shape or style we might not otherwise have tried.

But I don't think any trend should make you look like somebody else.

Choose the pieces that make you smile. Mix them with things you already love. Add as much—or as little—Western as feels right.

And if the finishing touch happens to be a hand-painted tote with a little sparkle?

Well, you probably already know how I feel about that.

Hand-Painted. Heart-Filled. Always Uncommon.