Southwestern Inspiration in this Season’s Fashion Trends

October 16, 2014

Fall is the perfect opportunity for all you style-savvy people out there to unleash your inner-fashionista and get in on this season’s hottest trends – Southwestern style, sheepskin and the ubiquitous fringe boot. It all started with New York Fashion Week earlier this year, when everyone from Chanel to Kenneth Cole, BCBGMaxazria and Cushnie et Ochs geared up for fall by introducing pieces inspired by Southwestern style, including fringe messenger bags, sheepskin coats and even felted wool jackets and poncho dresses. Now that fall is finally here, you too, can break out that fringe and fur, and show off your Southwestern side!

Okay, so Southwestern patterns aren’t exactly a new trend; the Navajo print has been used for centuries in both apparel and accessories, but Aztec prints have worked their way into the fashion industry in the past few years, both on the runway and off, and Southwestern inspired pieces like sheepskin coats and fringe boots have come back with a vengeance. In fact, Southwestern style has become such a fashion staple in recent years, that some of today’s most fashion-conscious celebrities, like Blake Lively, Kate Hudson and Reese Witherspoon have recently stepped out in cute fringe boots and other Southwestern-inspired pieces.

One of the best things about fall is that you can experiment with different styles, layering unique pieces and trying out new trends. But if you’re not quite ready to don a poncho dress and wide-brimmed hat, wearing a cute pair of fringe sheepskin boots with skinny jeans and an Aztec-patterned top is a great way to try out this Southwestern fashion trend without looking like you’ve stepped into the wild West. Top your outfit off with a cozy sheepskin vest for women, and you’ll be ready for any type of weather the fall season may throw at you.

Although Carly Cushnie, Michelle Ochs, and the other New York fashion designers who looked to Texas and other Southwestern states for style inspiration this fall, say it’s a coincidence that their individual pieces played into a broader trend, it’s no accident that sheepskin, Navajo prints and Aztec patterns ruled the runway this year. Mixing together different textures, patterns and styles makes for an all-over interesting outfit, whether you’re a runway model or a high school student, and by incorporating one or more Southwestern-inspired pieces into your wardrobe, you can up the cool factor of your own outfits this fall!