‘Never really gonna go out of style’: Western wear celebrated at Cowboy Christmas

Gracelynn Decker got her cowboy hat custom steamed at the Boot Barn booth just to her liking on the first day of Cowboy Christmas, the official gift show of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.

Decker, 16, and hailing from South Dakota, knows a thing or two about rodeo herself. Being on her high school’s rodeo team, Decker does barrel racing, pole bending and cutting.

“Rodeo is our state sport,” said Decker.

Western wear for Decker isn’t about being flashy, she said, “it’s just like jeans and a nice shirt.” And, of course, the perfect hat, which her new dark green Serratelli hat will go great with her collection at home.

Cowboy Christmas started without a hitch Thursday, taking over the South Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center. The gift show attracted 375 exhibitors to Las Vegas during this rodeo season. The gift show will run through Dec. 13 and is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

On Thursday, the hall was crawling, or rather galloping, with cowboys, cowgirls and rodeo aficionados looking to get their outfit right for the rodeo events in the coming weeks. The hall was filled to the brim with actual brims, boots and other western wear retailers, as well as speciality offerings like saddles and whips.

Tim Kleckner went whole hog on his outfit, sporting a pair of $3,000 Roy Rogers-inspired, custom cowboy boots from Rocketbuster Boots. His turquoise and silver cuff was $1,800, which he said is “the most expensive piece of jewelry I’ve ever bought.”

Kleckner said he’s always had an affinity for western wear and travelled all the way from Wisconsin just for the gift show.

“Cowboy boots are never really gonna go out of style. I mean, well, depending on how you wear them,” said Kleckner.

Like the one Kleckner had on his wrist, turquoise jewelry could be found all over Cowboy Christmas. The blue-green stone is a pillar in the western community, with people wearing it on their person anywhere they can: rings, necklaces and even in-laid accents on belts and bags.

The stone has become widely associated with the American West due to its significance to Native American tribes. Nowadays, the legacy remains and has become a staple, with cowboys and cowgirls who are dripping in the blue-green stone.

At Visible Faith’s booth it was no different. Based in Llano, Texas, Visible Faith makes handcrafted turquoise jewelry.

Sydney Bottom, who works at the jewelry, echoed these sentiments.

“I think the significance of turquoise has become really popular,” said Bottom. “It’s been worn for years and years, and it never gets old, almost like, the older the turquoise is, the cooler that it is.”

Contact Emerson Drewes at edrewes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @EmersonDrewes on X.