OOTD: My Go-To Floral Minidress & Cowboy Boots Combo

I've got a quickie OOTD for you today; a simple dress and boots look. This has been my go-to casual look for a while now, and has become my version of "classic casual", although I hesitated to use the term "classic" here. In my age bracket I find that the word "classic" invokes something entirely more high-end and conservative than this look. Classic is a term that evokes sartorial images of loose, camel trousers, nautical striped tees, loafers and pearls, a really expensive and understated watch, or some other such uniform of wealth and respectability that is often associated with those of us "of a certain age."

That's not really me these days. While (depending on who you ask) an argument could be made for the respectability part (albeit definitely not the wealth), generally speaking I am not a person with a heavy day to day need for such understated refinement. I have come to prefer things I can easily slide in and out of, that will stand up to the weather, to having a big dog, to the countryside, and to my insatiable appetite for thrifting. And when it's time to get dressed, ultimately I still want it to be fun. I guess that's how I landed on this particular floral minidress and cowboy boots combo. Well, that and of course my love of all things Western.

This dress is my sample of The Jackie dress from HF Mercantile, layered underneath a vintage 90s Lee Jeans denim jacket from the vintage shop. The boots are a pair of thrifted hand-stitched mens Tony Lama boots that quite frankly are long past their prime, but I cannot bear to let them go, and use them as my "it's gonna be messy out there" pair that I don't mind getting beat-up.

This look has become my go-to for vacations, travelling, day-to-day, and just about everything in-between. It layers well from colder to warmer climates, works well for a casual vibe but is easy to dress-up in a pinch if need be.