Play something country

I am a born-and-raised New Yorker. I am a devotee of whitefish salad on a bagel and hot dogs of questionable origin served from carts on the sidewalk. I learned how to drive on the Grand Central Parkway, also known at New York City's Autobahn, and take great pleasure in haughtily informing people that New York City's pizza makes that of other states taste like saltines covered in ketchup. By fourteen I was riding the subway by myself, learning how to cross the street without getting run over by a gypsy cab and had already been pickpocketed twice - a true rite of passage for any New Yorker. I grew up in apartments lacking a washer and dryer, dishwasher, driveway or backyard. I loved the hustle and bustle, the dodging of tourists clogging the sidewalks, the screech of the subway hurling itself through tunnels.

And then I moved to Texas. Living here often feels as if I've been relocated to a foreign country. Texans are a completely different species compared to New Yorkers.  New York City contains a lot of people living in a small space. They have smaller cars and smaller homes. People say everything is bigger in Texas, and that's evident in the lifestyle and personality of Texans. Why own a compact car when you can drive an SUV? Why live in a house when you can own a McMansion? Why own a sleek wardrobe of all-black when you can deck yourself out in jeans emblazoned with rhinestones on the ass, shiny crocodile cowboy boots and hair reaching towards the heavens? Texans fearlessly embrace a bold gesture, whether in the form of a hug, an accent, or a piece of jewelry. As I posess a rather bold personality myself, I am proud to call myself a Texan. I love living here and honestly can't picture myself living in New York ever again. It's a nice place to visit, though.

Yesterday, my husband and I spent the day in Fort Worth, birthplace of big hair and western attire. Here are people who press their jeans, wear overalls to lunch, spend hundreds of dollars on a belt buckle, and wear clothing loudly featuring the Texas flag. Going to Fort Worth provides the perfect education on Texas fashion. Tooled leather, pressed Wranglers, Stetson cowboy hats, and clothing in Longhorn orange or TCU purple are de rigor. I passed store after store selling furniture carved from antlers and custom-made cowboy boots that cost more than my mortgage payment.

I was tempted to break out my own cowboy boots for the trip, but decided on a more subtle approach.


Old Navy cardigan and skirt; J Crew button-down; Gap tights; Justin boots.