Frye Boots

Redneck fashion is the new frontier

By SYLVI CAPELACI, Style Editor

Picture sassy cowgirl Daisy Duke on the arm of a young modern-day Elvis.

Fashion's new frontier is all about sexy, milk-fed country gals and farm boys in tight jeans chomping on a strand of hay.

She has big bouncy hair, cheeky shorts and western boots made for stompin' -- there's nothing high society about her. He's sporting a checkered shirt tucked into super tight jeans. His hair is slim-sided and stacked on top -- you can just see him running a comb through his high-rise mane.

This call of the west is a hybrid of rockabilly meets cowboy with a rock and roll twist.

Inspired by retro redneck fashion and a boogie-blues beat, the new look is more suited to urban diners than a roundup at the OK Corral.

Fueling fashion's engine is The Dukes Of Hazzard movie remake of the popular TV series that ran from 1979 to '85.

Though fashion experts agree a rockabilly revival was simmering long before the film's release, it's now hit a hard boil.

"Western influences have been around for the last two seasons but what you're finding now is that art imitates celebrity," says Glen Jackson, director of sales for GAS Jeans Canada. "When a movie comes out showing those kind of clothes, it gets people talking."

The premium Italian denim company is right on trend for fall with overalls, miniskirts, western shirts, and skinny straight leg jeans in worked washes to give them that beaten-up cowboy look.

Underground culture

"GAS president Claudio Grotto doesn't wait for Hollywood," says Jackson. "He is travelling all the time looking for inspiration."

The hype surrounding Cousin Daisy's signature denim shorts has inspired legions of leggy gals to buy into the cutesy-country Jessica Simpson look.

"When Chip & Pepper's really short shorts -- like make an appointment for the bikini waxer -- arrived in the store, we all thought: 'Who's going to buy these?' " says Veronica Auyeung, manager of Over The Rainbow jeans boutique. "Every single pair sold out. I believe in the hype of celebrities."

The idea, says Auyeung, is to take these movie pieces -- like the cut-offs for which Simpson reportedly tried on 25 pairs to find the perfect fit -- and translate them to your own style.

Over The Rainbow womenswear buyer Genia Albi says the rockabilly trend is really evolving from the Boho look. "Girls are keeping it natural with wavy hair, they're still layering on the necklaces but, instead of wearing their five-pockets with Uggs, they're wearing them with Frye or cowboy boots and a denim vest. Vests with jeans is huge for fall."

Like the Duke boys, Bo and Luke, Auyeung says for guys, fitted western shirts in plaids or checks and slim-fitting jeans and jackets are hot.

Mark Whyte, director of international sales for Silver Jeans, says it's the narrower bottoms on jeans which is a throwback to '50s rockabillies. "Europe and Japan are leading the charge to straight leg jeans. Though there is nothing new about ripped and distressed denim -- we've all worn that -- what's new is combining this beaten-up fabric with the narrower bottoms."

Patti Johnson, director of merchandising for Levi's Canada, says the iconic brand definitely looked at '50s rockabilly for inspiration. "What we got from that was a slim, square-fit jean -- though not nearly as tight fitting as Elvis'. It has a straight leg, a higher natural waist, is made from a rigid denim in a dark rinse, which also replicates the '50s."

Johnson says there's a huge rockabilly underground culture happening today and the uniform is basically skinny jeans, cowboy boots, plaid shirts, a good heavy leather belt with big statement buckle and the hair, of course.

Hillbilly hair that rocks

Men's hair trends are often identified by the celebrity sporting them. Elvis, James Dean, The Beatles, Yul Brynner, Sid Vicious and George Clooney all became iconic heads of the hair industry.

Who's next, you ask? When celebrity stylist Kevin Mancuso was in Toronto recently we learned he had more than a thing or two to say about what's hot and who. Read more...