How to Make a Men's Shirt Look Western

Western shirts have a distinctive style.

Men's western shirts have several features that make them look different from typical button-up shirts. The features of western shirts make them ideal for wearing to visit cowboy-themed entertainment events -- such as a country-western concert or rodeo --or simply for the enjoyment of wearing a shirt in the laid-back style of a cowboy. If you do not own a western shirt, there are several easily made adjustments that anyone can to do to make a men's shirt look western. Does this Spark an idea?

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Bolo tie
Collar tips
Leather, suede or denim vest
Red or blue bandana

Instructions

Western Look
- 1
  
  Chambray blue shirt.
  
  Choose a long-sleeved, button-down shirt in either an off-white, chambray blue or mild plaid pattern. Use a shirt with pearl western-style snap buttons for a western shirt that is a little dressier than those without pearl snap buttons.
- 2
  
  Wear a bolo tie around a shirt collar to increase the western look of a men's shirt. Match the bolo with a pair of collar tips, which are metal, triangle-shaped wedges that fit onto the tips of a shirt collar as a decorative accessory.
- 3
  
  Vests can make shirts look more western-styled.
  
  Slide into a leather, suede or denim vest to give a shirt timeless western appeal.
Wear a Bandana
- 4
  
  Add a bandana or western-style handkerchief around your neck to make your shirt look more western.
- 5
  
  Bandanas make a shirt look western.
  
  Open a bandana and lay it out flat on a work surface, such as a counter top. Fold two opposing corners of the bandana toward each other until they touch, forming the bandana into a triangle-shape. Smooth the fabric until it is flat.
- 6
  
  Lay the bandana in front of you in the shape of an upside down triangle. Roll a 1/2 inch of the longest side of the bandana toward you two times.
- 7
  
  Hold each end of the longest side of the folded, 3-sided triangle firmly and lift it up toward your neck. Tie the ends together in a knot behind your neck. Adjust the v-shaped bandana portion located at the front of your neck so the bulk of the bandana is visible above an open-collared shirt.