Urban Cowgirl

I just revisited one of my favourite movies, 'Urban Cowboy' with John Travolta & Debra Winger. Aged 25 (but looking all of 17), Winger is aboslutely stunning as fresh faced, fiesty Sissy, who falls in love with & marries Travolta's rather appealing Bud within days of meeting at Gilley's road-house. There is also a great cameo by Jerry Hall & her sister, looking stunning as a pair of talk drink of water come-hither bar-flys who seduce Bud.

Aside: Andy Warhol escorted Jerry Hall to the premiere in Houston. From Andy Warhol Diaries, June 4, 1980: "And then John Travolta arrived with thirty people....And he's so good-looking. He had on a black silk shirt and a bright green linen jacket and black pants, and his eyes are so blue.")

Such a cheeesy but cool love story. I nearly welled up when the launched into 'Looking for Love' during the final scene, when Bud rescues Sissy from the evil Wes and puts her 'Sissy' license plate back in his ute window - aw.

The cowboy fashion fused with 70's cool is fantastic. As Sissy, Debra winger looks stunning in simple strappy tank top & fitted shirts with spray on boot-cut jeans and black cowboy hat. The mechanical bull scene is outrageous - now see where the Kylie Minogue's Agent Provocateur ad inspiration came from! The foil to Sissy's 'down-home cowgirl' cool is 'posh girl' Pam, whose outfits are ever so chic cream & beige tone suits and tight Western style shirts, & especially the Cher-style suede fringed vest (which, unfortunately, I cannot find a picture of - you'll just have to rent the movie!)


I'm all about plaid shirts at the moment. If I could wear a cowboy hat other than ironically or as a costume - I would! Must be all those years growing up watching Westerns with my Dad. I drew horses constantly and wrote & illustrated books about my own Annie Oakley-style heroine. I always loved fringed suede vests & jackets, cowboy boots & bootcut jeans having my first pair of 'cowboy boots' aged 6 - they were camel, and oh so cool.

My fave piece at the moment is Kate Sylvester's butter-soft charcoal & blue 'Hilary' Shirt. Beautiful. I rather love the fringed bag from D_luxe - but will have to make do with my fantastic bargain chocolate coloured fringed suede shoulder bag Glassons in 2008, & my fab black leather fringed Cher half-breed style necklace I just got on sale from Max!

And it seems the cowgirl look is seeping back into fashion. Particularly on the heels of the excellent new move 'Crazy Heart' - (see it! Jeff Bridges & Maggie Gyllenhaal are brilliant) -people are rediscovering 'Cowgirl chic'.

The latest Vogue UK has a fabulous shoot with Lily Donaldson called 'Fringe Festival' starring fabulous fringing from Alessandro Dell Acqua's Spring 09 collection.

And let's just throw Kate in, because I love her - this shot is from the 2007 Just Cavalli shoot she did with Pete Doherty.