Blogger Interview with Western Glamour

When I started Cashmere & Camo, one of the things I never anticipated was the amount of amazing individuals I’d get to meet. One of them in particular is Danielle Hayes, founder and editor in chief of Western Glamour. As a self professed personal style addict, Danielle’s fun and fearless flare is emulated throughout the content of Western Glamour and she has this uncanny ability to strike a chord with me whenever I read a People & Places post. After all the support and mentorship she’s provided to myself and other fellow bloggers I definitely consider her the type of friend you could drink a glass of wine with and share some laughs. Which is why I wanted all of you to get to know Western Glamour a bit better with this little interview…

Meet Danielle! Founder of Western Glamour

C&C: Compared to your previous site the Haute Cowgirl, can you tell us about the new format of Western Glamour and what readers can expect?

DH: Western Glamour is Haute Cowgirl all grown up. When I first started blogging (over 7 years ago) I did it simply as a fun side hobby to help pass the time while my husband was away at horse shows. Haute Cowgirl was my first jump into actually making it something that was more than just a personal fashion diary of sorts. At that time, I thought my vision was completely evolved but I soon realized that I wanted to fine tune things even more. Western Glamour is really representative of what I would like to see more of in western fashion. WG is all about personal style and being fearless when exploring fashion and I guess even being fearless in life.

C&C: We all know a fashion sense shifts with life, how would you define your current style and how has that changed over the last few years?

DH: My personal style has always had multiple personalities. I love high quality timeless pieces and I have moments that I am very committed to classics. But the other side of me is very rock n roll inspired. I have always believed in self-expression through fashion. Being the mom of two young children (Taylor almost 5, Chloe 2 ½) hasn’t really changed my style at all. I am still drawn to edgier looks and I really do wear heels everyday unless I am at the barn or horse event. The biggest change over the last few years is my comfort level and willingness to just be me and stand out from the crowd. Even if I raise a few eyebrows, I am ok with that.

Danielle with budding fashionista and daughter Chloe

C&C: What are some current trends you would advise cowgirls to steer clear of?

DH: Someone is going to hate me after I say this but…Please lose the bling belts and burnout tee combination. It’s been worn to death and I personally am ready for a new trend. There is so much possibility in western fashion; so many new influences to embrace. Great tooling, painting, and beadwork. I personally dumped all my bling belts 2 years ago. And the burnouts I own I pair in unexpected ways.

This lady knows shoes!

C&C: Through the eyes of Danielle, you always offer candid, inspirational advice or commentary in a “Here’s how I see it” manner. If you had any advice to give the young, modern western ladies coming up, what would you tell them?

DH: I have so much I would love to tell young women. And one of my favorite parts of WG is sharing the crazy life lessons I have learned and keep learning daily. But my biggest advice for any young woman is “Be true to you” I have changed course so many times. And the main reason I have found myself doing this is I wasn’t always true to what I love or believed in. I allowed myself to be swayed by people telling me that either I pushed the envelope too much or that I needed to portray something different. By allowing myself to believe all those outside voices, I found myself lacking passion and the drive that I am really proud of possessing. If you love tattoos, get one or 20. If you find your dream is to finish college then run away and join the circus, then do it! Life is way too short not to live it fabulously and fueled by passion. Use your head but don’t ignore your heart!

With Betsey Johnson

C&C: Christmas is coming! What can readers expect to see for holiday fashion from Western Glamour?

DH: I have so much planned for the holiday season!! Special gift guides featuring my amazing sponsors, new video features, and several new photo shoots that I have styled just for the site. My biggest goal for the season though is to showcase my sponsors and other small businesses in a really beautiful and creative way. We will have a really fun holiday look to the site by mid-November and I am even contemplating a virtual party to celebrate the season.

Thanks so much to Danielle to take the time out of her busy schedule to sit down with C&C. If you haven’t checked out Western Glamour yet I think you’ll really love the magazine issue format as there is a new issue with multiple posts every week! You can also find Western Glamour on Facebook and Twitter!

Related Posts