Students sport the Western look
It’s more than a clothing style – it’s a way of life.
At least, so say students in the College of Agriculture who don their Western garb on campus.
“It’s kind of a habit,” said Tyler Tuttle, sophomore in animal science, who was sporting a black cowboy hat and belt buckle.
Dave Eddington, junior with a minor in horse production who was clad in boots and a tucked-in flannel shirt, said Western clothing is less of a fashion statement and more of a practical manner of dress.
“It’s probably the way they live,” he said. “It’s a functional way of dressing.”
Not all students in the College of Agriculture wear Western on a daily basis, but those who do certainly stick out on a campus full of more trendy fashions. At times their clothing can even serve as a reminder to other students that USU is traditionally an agricultural school.
Everyone has seen the stereotypical ag student. Wearing either a cowboy hat or baseball cap with a John Deere or auto parts store logo, these students’ favorite jeans are often either Levi’s or Wrangler’s with neat button-down shirts tucked into them. Boots and big belt buckles complete the outfits, with maybe a vest or denim jacket in colder weather. Aneesa Harash, sophomore in social work, said she knows when she sees a guy in tight jeans wearing a belt buckle he’s probably a cowboy.
Though the popularity of this style of dress has gone down over the years, according to Lyle “Doc” McNeal, professor in the animal, dairy and veterinary science department, those who have worn Western since childhood often stick with it.
“I’ve worn hats all my life – and boots,” McNeal said. He said he wears his distinctive hat to campus every day – except in summer, when he wears a straw hat.
McNeal said there is a bit of an in-group/out-group dynamic with those who wear Western. He said it’s even possible to look across campus and identify someone he knows based on the way the crown of his or her hat is crushed.
“Mine’s called the Gus,” he said, taking off his hat and showing the crush. “After the character from ‘Lonesome Dove.'”
He said he guessed only about 15 to 20 percent of his students are coming off farms nowadays and have the habit of Western wear. Over his 29 years in the College of Agriculture, he said the amount of students dressing in Western has definitely gone down.
“I think the Western style hasn’t changed much for a long, long time,” said Taylor Payne, junior in animal science who was wearing boots with his straight-leg jeans. Though Payne said neither he nor his wife wear Western frequently, they consider themselves country people.
“(Western clothing) shows their heritage,” he said. “I think they don’t care what people think about them if they wear a cowboy hat to class.”
Kurt Addison, senior in psychology, said he definitely notices students sporting the Western look.
“It is distinct,” he said. “You see them in clusters sometimes. I think it is somewhat an in-group/out-group thing because with agriculture people, they can probably relate a lot more because they had similar upbringings.
“They seem a little more free-spirited,” he said. “More relaxed. They’re out doing activities, they’re a very proactive group.”
-elizabeth.lawyer@aggiemail.usu.edu