8 INSTEAD OF getting sad- dled with the same old weekend grubbies, round up your ‘cowboy gear and get in on a popular casual-wear FASHION STATEMENTS The _ classic-yet-cutting-edge style of western clothing is a com- fortable alternative to your leg- gings and sweats, or jeans and T-shirts, and has more polish this spring. Whether you stay close to . “home on the range’’ or head out of. town, create your own western look with tooled feather textures, tough-guy shapes and_ ride-into- the-sunset colors. You can borrow ideas from de- signers, who have been: rein- troducing this trend for several seasons. . They steal ideas out of the Old West and mix them with basic streetwear to make them more wearable. The most popular looks com- * bine silver buckled belts with straight-leg jeans in white or in- bine for award-winning designs. western gear digo, buckskin pants, western boots, yoked crisp white shirts, horizontally banded cavalry. coats, American Indian serape skirts and Navajo blanket jackets. But to accomplish the genuine look, it’s best to go directly to the source, On a quest for the definitive cowgirl, the North Shore News recently took a trip to the Ameri- can Southwest, to Arizona and New Mexico, where the western woman has a confident style that goes beyond the clothes she chooses to wear. , . When a cowgirl in Pheonix, Scottsdale, Tucson or Santa Fe wears western clothes, she also wears an attitude of pride that is evident in everything she does, in- cluding the way she walks, tilts her hat, and sits on a horse. Authenticity is important in western gear, and the functional aspects of her clothing are just as important as fashion, but con- temporary fashion details’ ‘are in- terjected where appropriate. Her shirts must starch up well and keep a crisp, tamidered look for day or evening. Though men’s white cotton, blue denim and summer. suede black and tan shirts are worn by cowgirls, and worn well, they also like more feminine blouse styles. The blouses often have. western detail including the currently pop- ular dropped shoulders, ‘subtle “western embroidery and keyhole cutouts, with and without yoked fronts, and new cropped blouses that are cut to reveal the’ large silver-buckled belt at the waist is an option to tucking in or tying the shirt at the waist. No. shirts reveal the midriff, however, and they are long, not short sleeved, even in southern climates, White and wheat are the most Photo submitted DIAMONDS, GOLD, platinum and other precious materials com- Clockwise from top: neckpiece by Mary Ann Buis, “Arrowhead” pin by Jane Parker, ‘‘goid birch” neckpiece by Matthew Todhunter (Edmonton), brooch by Mary Ann Buis, and ‘‘Mother and Child’’ pin by Andrew Costen. “NEWS photo Mike Wekelleig STUDENTS OF Capilano College’s textile arts program put the finishing touches on a hand- nainted kimono. designed by Lori Prest, which was auctioned off at the Dragon Boat Festival Gala Dinner & Auction Thursday, March 24 at the Hotel Vancouver. Left to right: Donna Hamilton, Prest, Susan Lopatecki and Sarah Edmonds with their creation, East Meets West, on model Sandi Thomas. The Canadian International Dragon Boat Festival takes place June 18-20 at the Plaza of Nations, Pacific Place and on the waters of False Creek. popular colors, but rodeo shades of arena green and mustang red are also seen in both shirts and yarn-dyed denim jeans. The ‘‘cowboy cut’? jean is not too fitted or short, requiring a longer inseam and a slightly looser cut because a true cowboy and - girl like to ‘‘stack’’ their jeans. This means the jeans have an extra long length so when they are sitting in a bar, or in a saddle, the jean should never ride up over the cowboy boot or look too short. The cut isn’t-so snug that they can’t easily slide their hands into the pockets, which is a favorite casual stance of both sexes. And every westerner knows that jeans can’t be too tight to easily mount a horse. The denim is heavyweight, call- ed broken-twili, and retains its color rather than promoting a quick fade. The preferred colors are true-blue indigo and cattle- rustling black. Stitching details are also shown on ihe latest variety of western jeans, and double belt loops offer the option of wearing a thin belt or the wider western-style belt. The cowgirl stands sturdy and straight in her western boots, which are leather through to the lining and sole. Fussy’ details such as fringe, silver conches and boot jewelry are not’ worn, but tone on tone stitching, tooled leather appliques, . a metal lip at the toe and ponyskin or snakeskin at the toe are de rigeur to the real cowgirl. They are not too fashionably pointed, for obvious reasons, because she really wears her boots. She'll pull them on for work, shopping, hiking, and dancing at her favorite nightclub. The silver-buckled belt is essen- tial to the look, especially because true cowgirls show their prized large rodeo belt buckles wherever they go. A girl may wear a man’s belt which is cinched tight, then left to hang down in front casually. American native. motifs inspire silver buckle designs, as well’ as - classic western themes, shown in patterns and motifs that we gener- ically refer to as the Navajo look, but may actually be Hopi, Apache or-of any tribe in the area, Belts are often accented with comfort . silver bolo ties, silver cuff links in a man’s shirt, and earrings. She spends her accessory budget ‘on a good stetson nat. A fine quality felt western hat in brown or black is an essential item in any cowgirl’s wardrobe. It may ,xt silver conches around the crown cr be worn plain. A serious: cowgirl wears it sfanted-down on her head, and a weekend cowgirl tilts it up and back slightly. The only way to wear the hat is with a ponytail or with short hair. For nights on the town, colorful clothing, high heels, patched or stretch denim, ruffled or tiered western skirts, an abundance of. jewelry and makeup «are. never seen. Cowgirls keep it understated. They may wear a casual, long, gathered skirt with their boots and shirt, and big silver earrings, but that is as dressy as it gets. And by the way, the relaxed western pubs where they choose to spend their time havea friendly, outgoing atmosphere: that assures strangers they know how to have a hootin’ good time. clean and Diamonds Today winners seek FASHION-FORWARD jewelry that could easily be taken from its art gallery showcase and added to any woman’s wardrobe is currently being couver’s firier jewelry stores. Though the designs would never ° be mistaken for costume jewelry, their statement-making details, wearable shapes and unpretentious size allows even a casual observer to envision the possibility of one slipping into her jewelry box. The jewelry collection represents the best of the prestigious Dia- monds Today Awards competi- tion, a biennial event recently held in Toronto which recognized 17 Canadian jewelry designers in- cluding three goldsmiths from Vancouver. The Diamond Information Cen- tre’s competition challenged the talented artisans to seek inspira- tion from the sea, the sky and the earth for their fine jewelry cre- ations in its ‘‘Beyond Nature’’ theme. The innovative interpretations focus on living creatures native to land and water. Favorite choices include fish, birds, trees and shells. displayed at -several of Van- The selected design renderings were recreated in Giamonds, of course, and gold, platinum, bronze and semi-precious materi- als in two categories — one featuring stones with a. minimum total weight of two carats and the second using stones no larger than six points. The Vancouver winners include Mary Ann Buis, who was recognized in both the small and large stone categories; Andrew Costen, winner in the small stone category; and Jane Parker, also a winner in the small stone catego- ry. Buis, owner of the 12-year-old firm Catbalue Gold and _ Silver- smith, took her training in Amsterdam and now specializes in custom-designed jewelry with clean, simple lines and perfect proportions. ' Costen, who owns Bustopher Goldsmiths, has been creating fine jewelry since he was 16, apprentic- ing in England where he lived un- inspiration from the sea and sky til he moved to Canada 10 years ago. He has won several awards in- . cluding a double win in this com- petition previously. Parker is relatively new to the industry, beginning her career ‘in 1985, She now designs for Brinkhaus Jewellers’ Vancouver and Calgary stores, and has previously won both Diamonds Today and Dia- monds Internationa] awards. Each of the 200 jewelry designs submitted were judged on the basis of wearability, originality and the nature theme adherence. Unlike the Diamonds. Interna- tional Awards competition spon- sored by DeBeers, which was held in late 1992, the chosen pieces in this event were jewelry first, then art, and the prices are not as pro- hibitive, averaging $5,000 as op-. posed to $30,000. The 17 winning pieces, many of which have already been sold to fashionable Canadian women, are on display at Brinkhaus, 705 Hornby St., from March 22 to 28; and at Catbalue, 1832 West First Ave., from March 29 to April 5. — Carol Crenna