Holiday Dressing, the Bozeman Way

Holiday dressing in Bozeman calls for a little romance with the American West. Start with the landscape: tobacco suede, holiday-inspired pattern play and traditional accessories updated with a modern take all feel right at home against snow-covered mountains and wide-open skies. To capture the spirit of the season, we turned to Bozeman style insider Liv Longin, whose approach to Western dressing is equal parts personal, practical, and effortlessly chic.

For Longin, the magic of Montana holiday dressing lies in finding the sweet spot between getting dressed up and staying true to the Western lifestyle. It's a sentiment that sets the tone for a holiday wardrobe where beautiful investment pieces, rich textures, and a little Western flair all have their place.

This is the place to embrace pieces with provenance and personality. A long fringed suede coat over a lean plaid dress feels decidedly Western. Step into suede boots, add a tooled leather belt or vintage-inspired silver and turquoise jewelry, and let each piece tell a story worth talking about. For evening, fringe can come along, too, particularly when it arrives on an unexpected, tassel-happy clutch.

At this time of year, throw restraint to the wayside. No one can tell you that you don’t need the hat, the buckle, the boots and the fringe all at once.

Take the full look to Bar 72 around Thanksgiving, lose the spurs for a neighborhood holiday gathering, or pick it apart and pair with denim for Bozeman’s Christmas Stroll or Winter Art Walk. Out West, there’s always somewhere worth dressing for.

A. Riley Suede Fringe Trench Coat, Susanna Chow NYC, $1,495, susannachownyc.com 

B. Crystal Midi Dress in Painted Plaid Brown, Cara Cara, $795, caracaranyc.com 

C. The Oak & Acorn Bolo, Somewhere, South, $375, somewheresouthusa.com

D. 15 Stone Circle Cluster Earrings, John Henry, $1,299, johnhenryco.com 

E. Tony Lama Dakota Brown Embossed Belt, Pinto Ranch, $60, pintoranch.com 

F. Tassel Boxy Clutch in Moss Green, Simon Miller, $375, simonmillerusa.com 

G. Melia Cuff, Julietta, $295, shopjulietta.com 

H. Grit Pic Verde Suede Jenny, Kemo Sabe, $995, kemosabe.com 

And while there's plenty of room for a little holiday extravagance, Longin reminds us that the most memorable Western looks are often the ones that feel the most personal. “One of my favorite things about Bozeman during the winter is seeing how people from all over the world interpret Western style,” she says. “There’s always a conversation about what’s authentically Western, but I’ve never believed there should be a rulebook.” It's a perspective that makes mixing traditional Western staples with modern pieces feel not only appropriate, but encouraged.

For Longin, that means building a wardrobe around pieces worth returning to year after year. Think a beautiful suede skirt, a favorite concho belt, well-loved boots, and a statement fur coat that looks just as good thrown over cashmere for errands as it does for dinner in Big Sky. She's particularly fond of mixing textures, pairing worn flannel with velvet or leather with cashmere to strike that distinctly Montana balance between rugged and refined. This holiday season, she's revisiting a Lela Rose set from an event earlier this fall, adding her concho belt, beautiful jewelry, and heels for an entirely new occasion.

It's that same sense of individuality that makes Western fashion so appealing far beyond Montana. From New York to Los Angeles, denim, boots, and fringe continue to find new interpretations, but their roots in craftsmanship and American heritage remain. And when it comes to holiday dressing, Longin believes the best pieces are the ones that have a life beyond one occasion. After all, there's something distinctly Montana about getting dressed up without looking like you've tried too hard.

A. Dorothy Suede Maxi Coat, Susanna Chow New York, $1,495, susannachownyc.com 

B. Marley Suede Jacket, Simkhai, $1,295, simkhai.com

C. Vintage Concho, Lela Rose, Price Available Upon Request lelarose.com 

D. Bonnie Suede Midi Skirt, Simkhai, $1,195, simkhai.com

E. Antiqued Silver Necklace Bolo MT1864, $350, montanaterritory.com 

F. Pendant Earrings, Isabel Marant, $550, revolve.com 

G. Josephine Boots in Black Cherry, Lucchese, $895, lucchese.com

H. Rory Belted Alpaca Blend Cardigan, RRL, $1,200 net-a-porter.com

I. Plaid Linen Fringe Skirt, Lela Rose, $1,090, lelarose.com 

J. Plaid Linen Metallic Embroidered Shirt, Lela Rose, $1,090, lelarose.com