Over the next 3 weeks, I will be introducing 3 of my absolute favorite western fashionistas. Not only do I love these ladies’ style, but I also love them!! Each of them and their sweet families bring something to the table in the agriculture/western industry. I love what they stand for and represent, I love the type of friend they are, I love who they are as people. In the upcoming posts, I will be introducing each of them to you. I will showcase their style, share their story with you and fill you in on their favorite places to shop, style inspirations and trends they’re loving. There is so much more to these ladies than fabulous wardrobes and pretty faces though and I will talk to you about how they are some of the best representations of the western life and style that I love so dearly.
Meet Amye-Katherine Staton, Katherine to those of us who know and love her. Katherine is first and foremost a believer in our lord and savior Jesus Christ. She is married to a professional steer wrestler and the mother to three fiercely independent little ladies. She recently became a realtor and I guarantee she will be a force to be reckoned with in that world. She is a health enthusiast, and I am truly inspired by her dedication to eating well and exercising regularly. She is a professional “shop small” gal and I love that so, so much. Katherine is all about her community and supporting locals. She’s your true blue “hometown girl.’ If you know the song “hometown girl” by Josh Turner, you know Katherine. She believes in holding herself accountable and being the best version of herself and she believes it’s a choice we should all be making every day. Be the best version of you and I can promise you she chooses every day to be the best version of her. She and her husband, Cade Staton, live on her family’s ranch just outside of Hamilton, TX, with their 3 daughters, Courtney, Margaret-Ryan & Kelly. Cade sells oil and fuel for Arnold Oil Company out of Austin, TX by day and is a professional steer wrestler by night. Katherine says his true talent is being on the back of a horse. He is known for making some of the best steer wrestling horses to ever grace the arena dirt. This talent comes naturally to him from both of his parents. His mother has an eye for those “once in a lifetime” athletes. Earlier, it was mentioned that their three girls are “fiercely independent”. These girls have been taught right from wrong and will have your back in any situation. They make Katherine’s world go round. She has always believed she was put on this Earth to be a wife and mother and she never gets tired of that job. I can assure you she is someone to look up to and admire as the most loving, caring wife and mother. Her family is beyond blessed to have her as their matriarch. Katherine says her mother, Amye Craig, was the perfect ranch wife. You could find her with a child on her hip sorting cattle or perhaps with a baby in the stroller working horses in the round pen. She has a way of bonding with a horse that makes you want to hear the conversation they are having in silence. Her father recently passed away and it was a huge blow to their family. Ken was an amazing husband and father who took care of his girls like no other. He taught them that anything worth doing is worth doing right. He always said “it’s all about looking good” which is something many women today may be offended to hear, but it’s one of Katherine’s favorite quotes. It is more than likely one of the main reasons she attempts to be sure she and the girls are always dressed and ready for anything with a smile on their face. I can promise you; she succeeds at this. She says, “you never know who you may meet, but honestly, call before you stop by the ranch because we are likely to be in our underwear”.
I asked her who is someone whose fashion inspires her. She said she loves Jennifer Aniston’s vibe in the movie “Rumor Has It” and she’s always loved Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy’s looks. She was a true “classic” and Katherine is into the clean cut but natural thing. Some of her favorite places to shop locally are Punchy’s, Saddle Rags and Silver Wings Boutique. All these stores are in Stephenville, TX. She loves Punchy’s because Jen (a favorite of all of ours!) has been dressing her since she was little. She knows where Katherine is self-conscious and pushes her out of her box just far enough, she still feels comfortable. Saddle Rags has great everyday wear and are also very helpful. She finds super cute kid’s clothes here as well and I could write a whole blog post on how perfect her girls always look! She goes to Silver Wings to find a pop of color to break up her denim and grey she would otherwise live in. This store really brings out her girly side.
Her favorite online boutiques are Buck Fergeson Originals, Shabby Sass Boutique, Tru Spirit Collective and Gypsy Bleu. Buck Fergeson is a favorite where many of her classic staple pieces come from. Staple pieces can be expensive, but she thinks of it as an investment you will have for YEARS. Having 3 girls, she knows they will be wearing these clothes in 10-20 years. Shabby Sass is owned by a “sassy girl” who is a timeless beauty, and the clothes reflect that. She finds a lot of fun clothes here and the owner can make you the perfect fitting vintage wranglers. Tru Spirit Collective always has that perfect tank top or tee you need to bring an outfit to life. It’s an understated hippie vibe unless you’re wanting to go all out hippie, and in that case, you’re covered there too. Gypsy Bleu always has the cutoff/ripped denim she’s looking for. Occasionally, she’ll throw in a rock n roll tee if she’s feeling spunky. She also finds lots of cute statement jackets here.
I asked how she puts her outfits together. She said honestly, she waits until the last minute to put something together because she’ll ruin it if she has too much time to think about it. She starts with a classic, which is usually denim for her. Depending on the event, she’ll add something trendy. She’s a ripped jeans and t shirt kind of girl, probably why I love her style, and you’ll usually find her in converse or barefoot. She does, however, feel the right leopard heel and light jacket can be life changing.
Some classic style staples she feels will never go out of style are denim, silver, fur and a big leather bag. I couldn’t agree more. You don’t have to be a cowgirl to wear denim. Silver will always be a classic and she prefers a sterling silver cuff. Some people add their favorite stone, but she loves a good classic silver base. Fur…the great debate in Texas. Haven’t all Texas women been questioned as to why we wear fur in these temperatures? Katherine’s mother once said, “I’ll wear fur to the damn frozen food section if I want to!” I couldn’t love that more!! Katherine says classy ladies wear real fur and yes, yes, we do. Bless your sweet heart if that bothers you. Big leather bags (also real) are LIFE for her, and she can’t count the number of them she owns. One of her mom’s good friends lived out of a leather bag and she remembers thinking it was like Mary Poppins in there!! You may find anything from snacks to a tire iron, to a parka!! Hopefully the parka had a genuine fur collar…. Some more current trends she’s loving are rompers, booties and high waisted jean shorts although she doesn’t see them as trends because she has no plans to stop wearing them.
I asked the girls to bring one staple piece and one trendy outfit they’re loving for fall. Of course, my girl focused on denim. Her staple was the perfect fitting jean with a few trendy rips in the knee, a frayed denim button down shirt with a front tuck, and you guessed it, leopard heels. She paired it with one of her mom’s favorite small and understated buckles and a beautiful Navajo pearl and cross necklace gifted to her by her great Aunt Mary. She sported an arm full of silver cuffs Cade collects for her as he travels all the rodeo towns up north and of course her Reads Jewelers wedding ring and bands that never leave her finger. This is an outfit she would throw on for Circuit Finals or a night out with the girls. It’s easy to wear and classic. The trendy option was harder for her because she tries not to be trendy, again, a main reason I love her unique style. She does Katherine, not anybody else!! She chose a baby doll dress in a super fun color for fall and paired it with her tall Old Gringo boots and a turquoise heart necklace. She threw on a silver concho belt, and this is an outfit she would wear if she was feeling extra girly or on a date night when she knew she wouldn’t have 3 little girls hanging off her. She feels this has medium rare filet, lobster mac and cheese, and a nice glass of cabernet written all over it. YES, girl, yes it does. Please let me be your date for date night.
