WESTERN-STYLE WEDDING GARB LASSOING FANS IN THE '90S.

Byline: Barbara Mayer Associated Press 

It's the '90s, so a cowboy can put on his Stetson and his best boots, grab his gal and step lively down the aisle.

For the '90s look - give or take a century - the gal may be wearing boots and a cowboy hat herself. The boots will be white and the hat will have a tulle bow and veil attached.

Far-fetched? Maybe, but a fringed white lace wedding dress, white boots and a tulle-draped white western hat were an instant success all over the country when shown in a western-wear mail order catalog in the spring of 1995.

"We sold about 1,300 dresses, about five times what we would normally expect," says Fred Wojcik, president of Cheyenne Outfitters of Cheyenne, Wyo.

The mail order company also sold something like 500 white wedding hats and quite a few pairs of white boots. For the fall catalog, released this past summer, a denim wedding outfit was added, and it did well, too.

Now, Cheyenne Outfitters has issued a separate 12-page wedding collection catalog. There are six styles of wedding dress, ranging in price from $100 to $220. There is also clothing for the groom, bridesmaids, flower girls and ring bearers, and wedding accessories such as fringe-wrapped toasting glasses and a cowboy and cowgirl cake topper.

Sales of western wedding wear have been best for the catalog house in Texas but also surprisingly strong in the Northeast and Midwest, says Wojcik. A number of those who ordered followed up by sending the company snapshots of their western-style weddings.

The photos show that when the bride goes western, the groom does, too, says Wojcik. Grooms typically wear a short tuxedo jacket or a long frock coat with black denim trousers and a dress shirt and string tie (all offered in the catalog), as well as black boots and a black cowboy hat. Crushed "broomstick" skirts and party blouses were standard attire for the bridesmaids.

Wojcik says that western themes for weddings seem especially popular for second weddings when, he theorizes, people want to do something out of the ordinary.

Another reason why a western wedding might be popular?

"It's very affordable, not only because the clothes are less expensive but also because the food and service can be informal and cost less," Wojcik says. "The wedding can even be held outdoors."

He ought to know. Wojcik married Debbie Nolen in June 1995, in a western-style outdoor wedding. She wore a western dress, the white tulle cowboy hat and white wedding boots from the catalog. He wore the frock coat in the catalog and black jeans, a black hat and his best black lizard boots. The best man and maid of honor also wore western gear.

The western wedding fits into what bridal magazines refer to as costume and theme weddings. They're a growing trend, but far from the major one.

"To tell you the truth," says Rachel Leonard, fashion editor of Bride's, "most brides want to look like the all-American girl. In the '90s, that tends to mean wearing a dress of relative simplicity, understated and with clean lines. The ball gown, the princess line and the sheath are the most important silhouettes."

Representative of that trend are dresses by Amsale Aberra, an Ethiopia-born American designer who prefers simple lines with fine fabrics and subtle detailing, such as a slender Alencon lace sheath with a silk chapel train or a full-skirted satin gown over a tulle underskirt accented with silk flowers. "I want a bride to be able to look at her wedding photographs on her 20th wedding anniversary and see an elegant gown as beautiful as ever - not a trendy, fussy period piece," says the designer, whose line bears her first name.

Leonard says that one of the newest trends is for bridal dresses to have a color accent. It could be contrast piping on a white dress, colored embroidery at the neckline, or a silk flower on a bustle. Some dresses are even subtly colored in very pale pink or blue. Or the color may come in a pastel veil worn with a white dress.

Another fashionable direction is for body-revealing and body-baring dresses such as sheaths, halter tops, bare backs and dresses with cutouts at the shoulders or neckline.

Yet another bridal look is a sedate, high-necked dress with long sleeves. The style was popularized in the 1950s by brides such as Grace Kelly and Jackie Kennedy.

Those who crave a vintage look often go with lace, says Leonard. The dresses are new, but they have an heirloom look from the turn of the century or a little after. Vintage-style accessories such as ankle boots and strap buckle shoes are favorites with dresses such as these.

If the storybook wedding appeals, however, not to worry.

"There are lots of fantasies out there - medieval, Victorian, western, southern belle or Cinderella princess are some of the most popular - and the manufacturers cater to them." Leonard says.

Of course, those fantasies do have a fairly steep price tag. The average price of a wedding dress across the country is $750, with better dresses priced between $1,000 and $2,000, and up. There, are, however, more options in stylish dresses at lower prices, says Leonard.

Styles for attendants mirror those for the bride. Sheaths and other body-revealing styles are popular, but so are ladylike dresses that recall the '50s. More fashionable clothing that can be worn for other occasions is growing in popularity. This season, for example, there are chiffon pants with a lace top for bridesmaids.

New colors for attendants include chartreuse and lilac. But the old standbys of pink, red shades such as coral and fuchsia and navy blue are continuing trends.

Manufacturers are experimenting with dapper Hollywood looks for grooms and male attendants, says Leonard. High vests that show under the jacket and lapel insets of satin stripes are newer looks. Mandarin collar shirts worn with a jewel rather than a tie are another fashionable direction.

Advice for prospective brides choosing a dress?

"If you are getting married on a ranch, western wear makes sense," says Leonard. "If you are getting married at the Rainbow Room, wear something glamorous."

CAPTION(S):

PHOTO

Photo New looks for spring weddings include this shantung silk gown with halter bodice, $735, from Collection Alfred Angelo, available at local bridal salons. His Perry Ellis tuxedo is accented with a V-collar shirt and a Viscount vest.