A Guide for Country-Casual Fashion

how to dress country casual

Southern-inspired fashion isn’t just limited to 10-gallon cowboy hats, bolo ties and shiny belt buckles. Today’s country fashion is more stylish than ever. And you don’t have to be from a small town to wear the look. Country music superstars like Miranda Lambert and Luke Bryan are setting new trends that anyone can wear. Here are some of today’s hottest looks:

Boot Scootin’ Boogie

Cowboy boots are synonymous with country fashion. From country concerts to everyday wear, versatile boots can be paired with nearly any outfit. And today’s country stars are no strangers to the long-standing fashion trend. Outdoor retailers like Cabela’s sell boot brands like Justin’s, Durango and Tony Lama. Not only do they offer the best styles, Cabela’s has partnerships with country celebs like Luke Bryan, Justin Hodge and Justin Moore, which makes them a credible country-fashion retailer.

Fabulous Florals

Country music superstar Carrie Underwood rose to fame after she was discovered on the hit show “American Idol.” Not only is Carrie famous for her amazing vocals, she’s one of the most stylish female singers in the industry. She’s known to wow audiences with her stage outfits and she owns the red carpet at events like the CMAs in beautiful floral-printed gowns. Carrie’s everyday style, even her fitness brand Calia, embraces fun floral prints and pops of color for a powerful and feminine look. From casual floral dresses to workout pants with fun prints, you can emulate Carrie’s style for any occasion, from a day at the gym to an evening out with the girls.

Lovely Lace

Not only does Miranda Lambert rock the stage, she’s known to rock lace in all colors and styles. From fun and flirty whites, pastel blues and reds to a sultry and sexy black lace, Miranda has been photographed in all of these lace looks. Consider a neutral-colored or pastel lace dress for daytime. Or if you’re searching for a country-inspired evening look, opt for something a little darker in black or navy. Lace dresses can be paired with leather boots, wedges or flat sandals for a casual look. Or you can pair a lace dress with a classy pair of heels in nude or black for a more polished look.

Forever Flannel

Luke Bryan is known for donning the traditional flannel shirt. Not only is the country staple engineered to stand the test of time out on the farm, more and more people are adopting the flannel trend in their own wardrobes. Both men and women can sport the versatile and comfy look. The classic button down is suitable for casual wear, or men can dress it up by pairing the flannel with a dark pair of denim jeans, leather belt, statement watch and boots or classic dress shoes for a more sophisticated look. Women can wear the look by layering the flannel over a classic white tank or, for a trendy look, tie the flannel around the waist and pair it with leggings and tennis shoes. Flannel shirts are made in all types of materials; for colder weather opt for a thicker material, or if you’re considering wearing the flannel trend in a warmer area, go for a breathable material that keeps you cool, comfy and stylish.

fashionado

Get the LOOK: Miranda Lambert's Hot Pink Hair at the CMA's!

Wednesday night, CMA Award Winner Miranda Lambert rocked the red carpet in a gorgeous and sexy, black Versace dress with a funky pop of pink color in her traditionally blonde hair. For her performance, she donned rocker-chic waves. Here’s how to recreate Miranda’s CMA hairstyles, as told by her mane man, PRO Beauty Tools Celebrity Hairstylist Johnny Lavoy

Johnny Lavoy on Miranda’s red carpet look: “I wanted to go with something sleek and sexy, with a pop pink for a little excitement. To get Miranda's red carpet look, I first dipped the tips of her hair in pastel pink hair dye. Next, I applied a volumizer and blew out her hair with the PRO Beauty Tools Professional 1875 W IONIC AC Motor Dryer using a large round brush. To get a sleek polished look, I first created a strong side part. Then, I used the PRO Beauty Tools® 1” Professional Ceramic Shine Digital Straightener to really smooth out her hair. Lastly, I used hairspray to hold the style.”

Johnny Lavoy on Miranda’s performance look: “For Miranda's performance look, I wanted to give her hair a little more movement. I started by using a beach spray for a little texture, then, I scrunched her hair while drying it with the PRO Beauty Tools Professional 1875 W IONIC AC Motor.  I love this dryer because of its quick dryer power, especially backstage when I'm only given a minute for a quick hair change! Then, I used two different sized PRO Beauty Tools Professional Gold Curling Irons to add additional texture. I alternated using the 1” and the 1 ¼” irons, which helped me created the perfect rock and roll, rocker-chic waves. Finally, I used hairspray to hold the look.”

Alright ladies, now you know!

fashionado

Project Runway with Miranda Lambert

[caption id="attachment_19679" align="aligncenter" width="440" caption="Country music star and Grammy winner, Miranda Lambert joined Nina Garcia, Zac Posen and Heidi Klum in the judges circle. "]

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Country & Rock collided on

Project Runway

when the designers were challenged to create stage and red carpet looks for country music star

Miranda Lambert

. For this episode, the designers split into teams of two and for the most part, I'd say they all played very well together. No big surprises. No big drama. Imagine that... a Project Runway episode about fashion and

it's

challenges.

project-runway-fashionado

Amanda crawled from under the bus her "team" threw her under to create this judge's fav fringed dress. It fit well and had great movement. Amanda didn't win the challenge but I was happy to see her kick butt.

project-runway-fashionado

Another judge's fav. Benjamin's red carpet look was beautiful but I just wasn't crazy about it. For some reason, the bedazzled fringe dangling from the bodice really bugged me!

project-runway-fashionado

Daniel got served a big fucking slice of humble pie! His cocky and overly confident attitude in the workroom was too much. Look at me, look at me. I'm so fabulous. This technique is the best. Look at me... UGH! Hopefully, being in the bottom put his ego in check and an abundance of talent is all we'll see from Daniel from this point forward.

*Sidenote

, does anyone else hate that ridiculous moustache?!!

project-runway-fashionado

Kate's red carpet look is a little much with the red leather. I like the dress and appreciate the effort but the hardness of the leather fights the flowy chiffon bottom. I would have used the red leather sparingly. Also, notice the gold stud work on the shoulders? Perhaps Kate ran out of time, but there just wasn't enough of them. They look like an afterthought. I want to see more from Kate. My advice to her: EDIT.

project-runway-fashionado

The ruching and structure of the bodice is very nice and I like that the belt adds a flattering touch of sparkle to the look. I am just not crazy about center slits AND why is the model holding up the dress?!! If she can't work a gown, she shouldn't be on the runway.

project-runway-fashionado

This was painful. Not the dress so much as Matthew's demeanor. The dress wasn't awful but it didn't scream Miranda Lambert. The real problem was Matthew's lack of confidence and self esteem. It was hard to watch him speak and question and doubt himself. He was sent home. Hopefully he'll get some help.

project-runway-fashionado

Are you kidding me? A denim skirt for a red carpet look! Like the judges, I have to question Michelle's taste. The leather vest was rockin' fab, Miranda like it and Heidi pointed out that they are judging the complete look, not individual pieces. The vest was painfully over-shadowed by the floor length denim skirt and bib necklace. Zac Posen said the necklace was so distracting it looked like linguini dangling.

project-runway-fashionado

The Native American-esque leather fringe is dramatic and fabulous. Now, all Patricia needs to do is create a dress to go with it... not this one. She needs a dress that works in unison with the fringed accessory. Right now I am seeing two, very distracting things happening. It's just not working. I think that Patricia is starting to get consumed with her heritage and is compromising good design.

project-runway-fashionado

Yay for Richard! He was so genuinely happy to win the challenge and he deserved it. Not only was it a terrific looking dress with plenty of appeal and movement, but Richard truly "made it work." [Tim Gunn should be very proud!] The dress was made of mesh making it too revealing. At the last moment, in a stoke of genius, Richard cut up the Mood t-shirts he bought with their budget money and created a lining. Perfect!

project-runway-fashionado

This dress is boring. Stanley struggled with it and it shows. Do I really need to say anything else?

project-runway-fashionado

Samantha's look was not a hit with the judges. I didn't love it, but I liked it. The colors are too dark so a lot of detailing got lost. The leather vest is HOT!

project-runway-fashionado

Poor Tim Gunn almost suffered a stroke or something in the workroom with Tu Suthiwat's dress. Thank God, Praise the Lord that the advice Tim offered was taken, otherwise the model would have looked like a balloon cartoon with the blowouts Tu Suthiwat wanted to make in the chest and hip areas. And though the final result isn't bad, he didn't really consider the client. This is not a look for Miranda Lambert.

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