The western starter kit

If you want one boot that will not be a mistake, this is the one most first-time buyers end up in. Ariat publishes a full-grain leather upper, Goodyear welt construction, a 12-inch shaft and a 2-inch western heel, with its Duratread outsole and a removable Pro Performance insole. The reason it suits a beginner is the combination: the welt means it can be resoled instead of thrown away, and the cushioned removable insole means it is wearable on day one rather than after a month of pain. It is sold in a square toe and in narrower shapes, so you can pick the toe that fits your foot rather than taking whatever the model comes in. At the usual street price it sits in the middle of the market - above the mall-brand boots that are glued together, below the handmade tier you do not need yet.

What you give up: You give up character. This is the Toyota Camry of cowboy boots - nobody in a boot shop will be impressed, and the leather will not develop the patina a $400 calfskin boot does.

There is one genuinely correct answer to what jeans to wear with cowboy boots and it is this one. Wrangler has made the 13MWZ Cowboy Cut since 1947 and describes it as classic lines at the waist, thighs and knees, slightly flared to fit over boots, in heavyweight 100% cotton with reinforced felled seams, five pockets, the W-stitch and seven belt loops. The slight flare at the hem is the whole point: it is cut to fall over a boot shaft without bunching, which is the thing every other jean gets wrong. It is also the official ProRodeo competition jean, which is as close to a standard as western wear has.

What you give up: You give up modern fit and softness. Heavyweight rigid cotton is stiff for the first few washes, and the high rise and roomy thigh are not a current silhouette.

The pearl snap is the cheapest piece of the western look and the one that does the most work. Wrangler's western snap shirts carry the details that make the style read correctly - pearl snaps instead of buttons, pointed front and back yokes, W-stitched pockets and a spread collar - and they cost a fraction of what a boot does. Buy one in a solid color before you buy a print: a plain shirt works at a wedding, a concert and a bar, and the print you like now will date. Size with the sleeve length in mind, because western cuts run long on purpose so the cuff stays put when your arm is down.

What you give up: You give up fabric quality at this price. It is a hard-wearing cotton blend, not a soft premium weave, and it needs ironing.

If you are buying one hat and it has to work at a concert in July, buy straw - and the Cisco is the straw hat that comes up most. Resistol lists it as a 6X straw with an average 4 1/2-inch brim and a crown about 3 3/4 inches front by 5 1/4 inches back. The reason it suits a beginner is that straw is cheap enough to learn on. You will sit on your first hat, leave it on a car seat in the sun and get caught in rain in it; doing all of that to a straw hat costs a fraction of doing it to 6X felt. Sizing is the one thing to get right - measure your head and buy the size, do not guess between S/M/L.

What you give up: You give up formality and lifespan. Straw is a warm-weather hat, it will not take a season of hard use, and it cannot be reshaped like felt.

A western belt is wider than a dress belt, usually 1 1/2 inches, and that width is what makes the outfit hold together - a narrow belt with boots and a pearl snap looks like someone borrowed the wrong pieces. Nocona's leather belts are the common honest starting point: full leather, tooled or basket-stamped, with an interchangeable buckle on most models. Interchangeable matters, because the buckle is the part you will upgrade later and a belt with a snap-off buckle lets you do that without buying a second belt. Size up two inches from your trouser waist, not your jean size.

What you give up: You give up refinement. Tooled leather at this price is pressed rather than hand-carved, and the finish will crack at the fold eventually.