Western Clothing Styles for Kids

Emulating the show-ring stars they admire, Western young riders are showing off a few new fashion items this year.

By Dale Leatherman

Boys are wearing "classic tailored shirts, heavily starched and often sporting a subtle monogram or embroidered figure, and picking up shirt colors in their saddle blankets," she says, "topped with a fine-quality felt hat or a smoothly woven straw."

A new look for women and girls this year is hip-length tunics in bold colors and patterns, with French cuffs and tall collars, according to Suzanne Vlietstra, president of Hobby Horse Clothing Company. The tunics fit neatly over the tops of chaps, eliminating the concern over keeping your shirt tucked in. Show blouses are stretchy and often worn over a slimming camisole. Tops with tiny sequins or polished fabrics that reflect the light are also popular.

Rocky Mountain Clothing's Southern Thread line, a "Western-inspired brand with a rock-and-roll edge," was inspired by the Austin music scene, according to Doyle. "We noticed a lot of people wearing vintage shirts, so we came out with snap shirts in vintage styles with lots of wallpaper prints and solids and a few plaids. The jeans in this line all have a well-worn look, with a low rise and boot-cut legs. There's also a variety of T-shirts with humorous sayings, which we see a lot of on the music scene."

In describing Roper USA's Western fashions for kids, Ginger Wallace says, "We take our big-people fabrics and styles and make them in little-people sizes. We have shirts and jeans, but the newest and freshest is our outerwear. We do bib coveralls with matching barn jackets in fun colors like pink, sage green and blue. Everything is canvas, completely washable and lined so it's warm and functional. And we do caps that match."

Roper USA also has sturdy Chuck Barn Boots for kids, as well as synthetic, faux leather Western boots styled just like their parents, but with brighter colors to choose from.

Ariat International, the official boot of the Wrangler Pro Rodeo Tour, pioneered the concept of cowboy boots with athletic shoe technology. It offers an extensive selection of authentically styled Western boots for young riders of all ages, including boots for work, show or dress, and hot pink or blue FatBaby styles for little kids.

Ariat built its reputation on boots, but has also become a major player in clothing. For children, there are several take-downs of adult styles in outerwear made from the same high-quality technical fabrics. Some have a mainstream look, like the Barn Princess Hoodie for girls and the Skull Hoodie for boys. Children's belts are new this fall, as is the boys' apparel category.

Clothing and riding gear manufacturers will no doubt continue to target women, who do most of the shopping, but they're increasingly cognizant that women are also shopping for the men and youngsters in their lives. And if guys do wander into a store in search of equestrian apparel, they'll find more choices than ever before.

This article is a tie-in to the winter 2009 edition of EquiShopper magazine.