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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
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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.
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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,
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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
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Battali
Cal