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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 3, 1981)
Page 6 THE BATTALION TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 1981 Local / State Urban cowboys faddish but won’t weather the style By DAVID CALVERT Battalion Reporter The recent popularity of the television show “Dallas” and the movie “The Urban Cowboy” have set off a national craze for western clothing, boots and hats. But, the trend is not new to the Bryan and College Station area. Western wardrobe fits better in Texas and the Southwest. Many people in the area say they think the fad may pass in other parts of the country, but that the style will remain popular in Texas. Bill Spencer, a schoolteacher in Bryan, said jeans, boots and hats are a regular feature of his war drobe. “I have always worn blue jeans, and I was raised wearing boots,” he said. “For me, it’s not a big deal to dress this way.” Spencer also said he thought western wear would last in Texas, but he said he felt its popularity would fade in other regions of the country. “It seems to me these people who catch onto whatever is popu lar get bored with it after a while, ” he said. “I think western wear will disappear just like the discos did. “But I think the style has been here so long, it will stay. ” James Dukes, an oil-well work er from Bryan, said he thought people who weren’t really cow boys but who wore the clothing were fakes. “From what I’ve seen, you can tell the real cowboys from the pre tenders by how dressed up they are,” he said. “The people who normally go western stay pretty conservative. “But the pretenders are the ones who will wear outrageous, non-practical clothing,” Dukes said. “They’re usually the people with alligator skin jackets, ostrich skin boots and a huge hat with a lot of feathers.” Dukes said he doesn’t have any bad feelings for these people, however. “I can spot them a mile away,” he said. “It’s their money. If they want to spend it and look like that, that’s their business.” Larry Conlee, the general man ager of the three Court’s Western Wear stores in Bryan and College Station, said the price of western clothing has gone up partially be cause of its popularity, but also because of inflation. Conlee said the recent popular ity of Texan culture has had a large influence on the western fad. “With J.R. Ewing and ‘Bum’ Phillips on TV every week, it’s no wonder people have taken to the look,” he said. Conlee said the trend has also increased the demand for more stylish clothing. “Prices have risen, but another factor has been the manufacture of goods made from more expensive materials,” he said. “I now carry boots made from white ostrich MAKE THE HOME TEAM AND GET $4,000 FOR COLLEGE. Teaming up with your local Army Reserve unit really pays off. If you’re a high school diploma graduate and qualify, you may be able to get up to $4,000 in educational aid for college. Or an enlistment bonus of $1,500, whichever you prefer. And you can leam a valuable skill, too. Giving your “home team” a hand part-time can mean an extra $1,000 the first year. You can even begin while you’re still in high school, if you’re 17 or older and meet other enlistment qualifications. For details, stop by today. MEET TODAY’S ARMY RESERVE. SGT Fred Proudfoot 3500 B-7 Little York Rd Houston, TX Ph. 692-5197 TO: ALL AGGIES MSC TOWN HALL INVITES YOU TO GO HAWAIIAN WITH THEM STOP WED. MARCH 4 IS “BUFFET DAY” STOP COCONUT TELEGRAM RACE, RUDDER FOUNTAIN 11:00, 12:00 AND 1:00 STOP WEAR YOUR FINEST BUFFET BEACHWEAR STOP ORIGINAL BEACHWEAR CONTEST RUDDER FOUNTAIN 12:30 WED STOP. TICKETS AND ALBUMS TO BE AWARDED STOP. BE THERE ALOHA MSC TOWN HALL skin or lizard skin, whereas three or four years ago if you wanted boots like that, you’d have to have them specially ordered. This pro cess took more time and cost the customer even more money. ” Conlee said he thought the de mand for western wear would les sen, but he said he did not think the fashion would disappear com pletely. “People in Texas have been wearing this kind of clothing for a long time,” he said. “I don’t see them giving up on it now.” Although the price of the west ern wardrobe has risen since be coming popular, many people still buy it for other reasons. Michelle Burgoon, a senior at Bryan High School, said she still wears jeans and western shirts be cause of the comfort and easy care. “Blue jeans are so much easier to take care of,” she said. “You don’t have to always be careful when you’re wearing a pair. “If I’m wearing a skirt or a pair of slacks, I have to be careful not to get them dirty. With a pair of jeans, I don’t feel so guilty if I spill something on them.” Lisa Long, a nursing student from Austin, said she liked the western look, but, she said, it was something she was raised on. “I was born and raised in Texas,” she said. “I think it has taken the rest of the country long enough to discover the look. "I wear jeans and soft cotton shirts because they’re a lot more comfortable than polyester or some of the other fabrics clothes are made of. ” Long added, however, that she had seen examples of people who had taken the style too far. “It’s kind of like the disco fad, ” she said. “It seems like people are trying to outdo each other, and in the process, are getting more out landish. “The gaudy hatbands, belts and rhinestone shirts sometimes look more like clownsuits to me.” Mitchell MacGrady, manager of a local bar, checks out shark skin boots before buying them Monday. He said he isn’t surprised at the in- Photo by Carolyn Ok crease in prices for western wear, considerin' the demand for the goods that shows like “Dal las” have created. Ovicleo Presents X ! TH€ GROOVE TUB€ TONIGHT 7:00 P.M. ROOM 350 MSC Bobby Ewing wins election, welcome United Press International AUSTIN — Bobby Ewing of television's “Dallas” series won elec tion to the state Senate in last week’s episode, and the real Ten 1 Senate took note of that election Monday. Sen. Oscar Mauzy, D-Dallas, announced at the end of the sessionlic had an “open communication to Bobby Ewing,” then proceeded to read it to his colleagues. “Whereas, many of us feel that we also arrived in the Texas Senate by virtue of a soap opera; “But whereas, unlike you, an abundance of oil and gas has W nothing to do with our rise to power — nor influential bankers, ruthless developers, potent sons or voluptuous women; ft “But whereas, the Senate of the great State of Texas is rich with diversity, we welcome you to our number for the added dimension yw will bring to us who subscribe to the simpler abiding virtues of humil ity, thrift and kindness to our brethren,” Mauzy’s statement said, 0^0 V VC Another one of the professionals found at jfiniEAC U AM 209 E. University 846-4771 Mauzy asked Lt. Gov. Bill Hobby if the statement should t« approved by the Senate as a resolution, or merely issued to Ewingasi signed statement. “I think it should be in the form of a simple communication,” Hob! replied. “And I think it should be filed in an appropriate place. Earlier, Hobby had suggested that Ewing and Sen. Hector Urik, D-Brownsville, who was elected in a special election last week, should draw straws to determine which would be lowest in seniority, but said since Ewing did not attend Monday’s session Uribe would rankasthe senior among the two. IKE FES T* * a Rompin’,stompin’ barndamce * beerbust^ FRIDAY, MARCH <o*8pnv*&RAZos Co. Bwliou ^ Tabor. Rt>.(® East By-pass 7^ ASH WEDNESDAY SERVICE 11:15-11:50 A.M. ALL FAITHS CHAPEL SHORT LITURGY AND HOLY COMMUNION MICHAEL MILLER, UCM CAMPUS PASTOR PRESBYTERIANS — UCC — DISCIPLES EVERYONE INVITED. .-J MAGGIE BUCKS 6- MAX Lots of Barbecue Ice Cold COOR.S Beer From B-C’s of Bryan ^TICKETS' $3 Advance • Available at Texas Aggie Book-store, or Members ofTTKA • $4 at the door They’re liere! free: PICK ONE UP IN THE STUDENT GOVERNMENT OFFICE HOUS plan for i demandii to a cell, The f District ji in the nat He order The jc Texas De 30,000 pi substanda Lawye already h< Tt Unit< COLL March tra crease in t in Texas, i A&M met Texans no only its fu In fact, cates torn; the clouds so reacting alone coul Texas crease in t in March peak durir when twi many as or Oi CORPl day said remove th that wash beaches. Capt. C mander, s on Port A “We cl more oil v “There wr there are up. verec quart was i a ge, be a aeria the i Bill Battali Cal