Why Texans Dress Like Cowboys

[Ilsa]

241. I went to school in south Texas. The boys (and handful of girls)

that dressed like that were up early in the morning. Lots of them were feeding farm animals or tending to 4H animals or FFA stuff so they could earn money for college. More than once I heard a teacher remind a student to go clean the cow turds off their boots so they wouldn't stink up the classroom. Many took welding and Shop so they could help their farmer/rancher dads with chores or tend to regular maintenance on the truck or tractor. Some of the male teachers had farmland or ranches to tend after school, so they wore cowboy boots too. Once broken in, a well-fitted pair of boots are nice.

There are real people who dress this way for comfort for the job they do every day. A well made straw hat keeps the sun from burning off your nose while letting in air to cool your head ("three holes&quot . There really are ranches with cactus and javelinas and fences to be mended, hay to baled, so tough denim jeans help protect the body. To me, it's surprising that more people don't dress this way if they have jobs outdoors.

Now, I have no use for dressing like a cowboy in the city of Houston or Dallas, etc. It's just imitation. Like other forms of imitation. But how is this any different from people wearing garments similar to rock stars, rappers, a super model, etc? Is it because it isn't money blown on something new? Why would I give a shit if the Amish want to dress like they are in another century? Is there a law against cultural identity, or should we all be uniformed and homogenous?