Crystal Wise
This fall, we’re channeling that era of country when Conway Twitty was topping the charts, and sequins, colossal collars, and Nudie Suits were a staple of Sunday service — we exaggerate, of course.
This was when mutton chops were known simply as male grooming, and it took far more than a cowboy hat to fit in at a local honky-tonk. You had to full-on express yourself with your garb — shyness and a touch of misplaced insecurity were no dang excuse.
When you compare the colorful country duds of the 1960s to those straight-laced, monochromatic, buttoned-up, mop-top-matching squares of the pop/rock world, it’s obvious who was having all the fun. Starting in the 1950s, when it came to fashion, country had an undeniable leg up on everybody. While multiple genres would later imitate (but never surpass) the glitz and glam of country-western, we know who influenced ya. You’re welcome, disco.
- STYLIST: Tiffany Ortez-Parish
- PHOTOGRAPHER: Crystal Wise
- MODELS: Isabel Crowe, Feliziana Davis
- HAIR AND MAKEUP: Novak Hair Studios
- WORDS: Brian Kendall
Shot on location at Nickel City, 212 S. Main St., Ste. 100 *Special thanks to Katherine Hennessy for your trust and hospitality.
[Editor’s note: This photo shoot was done in partnership with Fort Worth Camera as part of this year’s Fort Worth Foto Fest, during which the magazine’s director of photography, Crystal Wise, led a workshop on editorial photography. Some of the following images were photographed by students who attended this class. They all have proper attribution.]
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Rebekah Claborn
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Rebekah Claborn
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Rebekah Claborn
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MITZI AMES
I’ll buy some brand-new clothes and dress up fancy
For my journey to the wilder side of life
Tammy Wynette, “Your Good Girl’s Gonna Go Bad” (1967)
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Crystal Wise
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Bailey Willis
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Caroline Wolf
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MITZI AMES
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Caroline Wolf
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Crystal Wise, Caroline Wolf, Mitzi Ames, Bailey Willis, and Rebekah Claborn
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Crystal Wise
And then she painted my eyes and lips
Then I stepped into a satin dancin’ dress
That had a split on the side clean up to my hip
Bobbie Gentry, “Fancy” (1969)
Crystal Wise
A kaleidoscope of colors, you can toss her round and round
You can keep her in your vision, but you never keep her down
Dolly Parton, “Eagle When She Flies” (1991)
Katelynn Ewing
The women all look at you like you’re bad
The men all hope you are
Loretta Lynn, “Rated X” (1973)
Crystal Wise
You want my dress below my knees
And never up above ‘em
She wears her miniskirts up high
And on her you love ‘em
Jeannie C. Riley, “I’ll Be a Woman of the World” (1968)
Crystal Wise
All the cowboys strained and craned to see
Her sequined skirts would swirl and twirl
And catch the light and sparkle
And Belinda’s eyes would wander restlessly
Bobbie Gentry, “Belinda” (1971)
