The Local newsletter is your free, daily guide to life in Colorado. For locals, by locals. Sign up today!
Long before tourists came to Colorado to devour edibles with enough THC to stun a steer (just eat half, man), visitors flocked to Denver for the National Western Stock Show. Established in 1906, the 16-day Western extravaganza—which this year begins on January 7 and features everything from a rodeo to an art exhibit—still attracts more than 686,000 attendees a year. What’s the best way to join the herd, city slicker? Start by replacing those skinny jeans and Vans with some Colorado-bred cowboy gear. Donning one or two of the items here (all five might be a tad much) will have you looking more like a rancher—and less like a hipster who can’t tell the difference between a mud clot and a cow pie—in no time.
Clockwise from top: Ranch Ready cowboy hat with distressed leather band, $375, Greeley Hat Works | Clyde Collection No. 102 bag, $345, BuxieJo Bags | Women’s Roper Belle metallic square-toe cowboy boots, $102, the Western Company | Blue chambray Sawtooth Western shirt, $86, Rockmount Ranch Wear | Victory Bronco belt buckle, $260, Johnson & Held