Frat Party What-to-Wear Series: Western/Country/Cowboy Party

College is the time for frat parties. A time when it's okay to wear a skin-tight minidress and five-inch heels. A large proportion of frat parties are "themed", whether it be "80's Dance Party", "Blacklight", "CEOs and Office Hos", or "Catholic School".

In this post, I will present three outfits on what to wear to a frat-favorite theme: The Cowboy/Western/Country Party (AKA Hoedown).

During your school year, there will inevitably be such a themed party. Generally, guys arrive in wifebeaters while girls sport cropped plaid shirts, cutoff minis, and cowboy boots. These parties also involve plenty of hay, potentially even a few farm animals, country music (hello Taylor Swift!) and lots of kegs.

According to my experience, 60% of girls will show up in plaid shirts, maybe another 25% in white tanks, a few in sundresses, and the rest won't dress up for the theme at all. In my opinion, plaid shirts and white tanks are boring. So below are two much more unique outfit ideas and one traditional "country" look.

Southern Belle

Strapless Crochet-Trim Layered Dress, $38 Thrifting in Tulsa Boot, $80 ASOS Nude Feather Clutch, $42 Jungle Bangle Stack, 14 GBP FALLING LEAVES NECKLACE, $17 ROCK 'N ROSE | Contemporary Vintage Jewellery & Headwear, 22 GBP OPI YODEL ME ON MY CELL NAIL LACQUER (15ML), 12 GBP

I'm a girly-girl, so this is definitely my personal favorite out of the three looks. The overall feel is very effortless and pretty with some boho chic mixed in. I absolutely adore breezy, mini-sundresses: they're so very flattering and incredibly versatile. This off-white crochet-trim piece is super cute and very affordable. It can be dressed down for a country themed party or dressed up for frolicking around town on a balmy summer night.

Playing on the earthy theme, I added stacked wooden bangles and a leaf pendant to the outfit along with a monarch butterfly headband - a perfect warm-weather headpiece. Instead of the traditional cowboy boots, I opted for a pair of heeled country-inspired booties. Since the dress is very feminine, the boots add a little bit of edge.

Finally, accessorize with a pink feathered clutch and electric blue nail-polish - a shade that will pop against the light-colored dress.

Classic

Zoe, $49 Acid Wash Frayed Short - Teen Clothing by Wet Seal, $10 Old Navy Womens Slouch Ankle Cowboy Boots, $40 Feather Clutch Bag, 35 GBP Ambra's Gold, Silver & Gunmetal Studded 16 Piece Bangle Set, $48 Green feather drop earrings, 10 GBP Beauty Exclusives - Cosmetics - Nordstrom, $18

This outfit here is the quintessential country-themed frat party look - the outfit that I mentioned is worn by probably 60% of the girls. Actually, I fashion-ized the look a little bit - a lot of girls actually wear the trashy version of this outfit, which consists of stomach-bearing tie-front plaid shirts that are generally sold as Halloween costumes. Although the top and bottom pieces here are pretty classic, what makes this particular outfit stand out are the accessories.

First, start with a plaid shirt, preferably in red-and-navy checkers or dark green-and-navy. Pair them with your favorite worn-in, faded denim cutoffs and some classic cowboy boots.

Now comes the tricks: rather than looking like hundred of other girls that night, don on a pair of eclectic earrings: these blue-green feathered drop earrings are definitely unique yet still goes with the overall look of the outfit. Play on the feathered theme with a black feathered clutch - an accessory that adds some edginess to this all-American look. Glittery blue nail-polish works great against the red shirt and stack on some silver and gun-metal studded bracelets for a tough, cowgirl vibe.

Edgy Cowgirl

Popper Crop Tee, $10 Women's AE Studded Denim Shortie (Light Authentic Indigo), $20 Apt. 9 Jetta Slouch Western Boots, $80 Turquoise 'Mia' studded clutch bag, 21 GBP ASOS Eclectic Wristwear Set With Wooden, Engraved Metal And Colour..., $25 Lauren by Ralph Lauren Multi Bead Long Chain Necklace (Nordstrom..., $25 Amazon.com: OPI Alice in Wonderland Collection Nail Polish, Off With..., $3.18 Torn's Black Leather Long Fringe Vest: Fly or Bye? | Flypaper - Stuck...

This is by far the trendiest outfit choice of the three and is perfect for a girl who likes to stand out from the crowd. It builds off of the wifebeater-and-shorts look but transforms it to a whole new level fit for the runways. The cropped white top was a huge trend this summer and the fringed vest is a big hit for fall.

Start off with a basic white cropped short-sleeved shirt. If you don't own one, you can even create a DIY version by cutting up an old white shirt. Don't cut off too much if you're uncomfortable with revealing your stomach - even a little bit of cropping makes a huge difference. For some extra bonus, fray the ends of the shirt (look up "how to fray fabric" on instructions as to how to do this). Then add some worn-in, faded denim cutoffs, a wardrobe staple for all college girls.

Next up is a fringed vest. They are being sold at high end department stores this fall but can also be found at your local Forever21 and Target. Add some slouchy western boots - preferably with a short heel - for a fashion-forward vibe. Throw on a stack of mixed bangles - metal and gold works wonderfully - and finish off with coral-red nail polish and a contrasting clutch.



Which outfit is your favorite? What do you usually wear to country-themed frat parties?