The fashionistas of Winter Texans gathered in one place last week to enjoy fashion, food and camaraderie.
A full house saw that bell bottoms never went out of style, that western wear can be casual, formal and anything in between and that bright colors and leopard print clothing are just as in style today as they ever were at the 23rd annual Summer Time Fun Style Show at Victoria Palms.
Four local stores – Boot's 'n Jeans, Jewels by Jazz, Lionel's Western Wear and Wells of Weslaco each paraded their fashions, worn by other Winter Texans, up and down the runway in the banquet room at Victoria Palms. There were bellbottoms, fancy shawls, cowboy hats and belt, and plenty of boots with bling during the two-hour event that was catered by Victoria Palms Catering.
Each of the four fashion stores described each piece that their five or six runway models were wearing, from sophisticated to creative and everything in between.
Leah Wells, of Wells of Weslaco, said that the show provided an opportunity for family-owned enterprises to not only show what they have available but also what they offer for each Winter Texan and other customers.
“We offer personal service, something you don't find in chain stores,” Wells said. “We have unique and different styles. We buy with Winter Texans in mind, for their lifestyle needs.”
Wells of Weslaco has been a downtown staple since 1933 and Chuck and Leah Wells are third-generation owners.
“We keep up with today's styles and carry unique fashion that are what shoppers are looking for. We carry swimwear, resort wear, accessories and inspirational gifts.”
To make sure the men had a part in the show, Martin Masso of Boots 'n Jeans, dressed up Rex Kirchhoff, John McCutcheon and David Powers in a variety of cowboy hats, from denim to leather to straw, dress shirt, snap up shirts and jeans, belts and some shiny, eye catching belt buckles, among other accessories.
“We have everything a family needs when it comes to Western Wear,” Masso said. “We carry all the name brands and we work with the customer to find the right look at fit for what they want. We're there to serve people and make them look great.”
Lionel's Western Wear and Boutique opened up some eyes with a pair of big, multi-colored crazy pants, some designer bell bottoms and some “super shiny boots.” Sandy Pena of Lionel's affirmed that bell bottoms were in fashion, that crazy pants weren't exactly crazy and that there are a variety of looks that Winter Texans can check out, especially in the local stores.
Jewels With Jazz showed off some – you guessed it – jazzy jewels, a folded up hat that's easy to take wherever one goes and plenty of bold colors.
From the professional night life look to casual to all out wild and crazy, the runway models, emcees and those in attendance were given some up close options with the local fashion underground world, with a wide range of clothing and accessories for the next time they have an event to attend, or just want to relax at home.