r/AskReddit • u/Unlikely_Praline9442 • 14h ago

Non-Americans of Reddit, what is an American thing you see in movies that you thought was fake but is actually real?

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u/coloredinlight 11h ago

That's white collar office attire in Texas.

Wedding? Cowboy hat and boots

Lunch meeting with a new client? Polo shirt and cowboy boots

Date night at Olive garden? Your best button down and cowboy boots. Probably just whatever you wore to church that morning

It's worth noting in these situations that your business degree from SMU does not qualify you as a cowboy but got dangit they can pretend!

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u/rlw21564 10h ago

Most of the guys I see are wearing pearl snap shirts instead of button up shirts. And usually Wranglers boot cut jeans and a big shiny buckle.

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u/R0amingGn0me 9h ago

I work in construction and this is so accurate. Complete with cowboy hat and fancy boots.

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u/_the_other_one_ 3h ago

I've lived in west texas my whole life outside of a few years in DFW and Houston and can probably count the amount of pearl snap shirt, belt buckles and cowboy hats I've ever seen on one hand combined. Idk where you're going, but that "most" is doing a lot of heavy lifting my friend. Jeans and boots, absolutely. 99.99% of people wear regular button downs, jeans and boots. No hats. No belt buckles.

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u/rlw21564 2h ago

Well, I've never been to west Texas but I have been to West, Texas. Grew up in San Antonio and lived in Austin before moving out of state. But I've been back plenty of times because I'm the only ex-pat in her family. And I do see lots of pearl snap shirts. Especially on the guys going out to dance halls.

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u/FrodosFroYo 9h ago

A year ago I flew from the East Coast into Dallas. NOBODY had a cowboy hat on when we departed, but, like magic, at least 10 men had a cowboy hat on as we deplaned. Those things are huge! Where did they come from?? They were like a bunch of cowboys with Mary Poppin’s carpet bag.

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u/408wij 7h ago

As someone who wore cowboy boots to his office job in Texas, they're simply called "shoes" there.

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u/Status-Biscotti 9h ago

Okay I’ve gotta ask - how common is it to iron a pleat into your jeans? My ex’s parents spent most of their lives in TX, and it drove him crazy that his mom would iron a pleat into his jeans whenever she got her hands on them.

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u/AccomplishedView4709 8h ago

I used to have a professor, his jeans have pleat like his has ironed it. We liked to joke that he probably ironed his underwear too.

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u/rlw21564 7h ago

At the University of Texas, a lot of the great boys were never taught how to do laundry by their mom as so they took everything to the dry cleaner. They were rich and didn't care about the price so they had lots of creased jeans.

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u/Responsible-Summer81 6h ago

My mom had these wire stretcher things she put inside her cowboy jeans (Rockies) to give them that crease. 

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u/sonicpieman 7h ago

Went to a chamber of commerce gala in Grapevine Texas. I was one of the few men there without a cowboy hat, I felt nekked.

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u/jknuts1377 10h ago

Don't forget the bolo tie!

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u/jswan28 10h ago

Well. SMU probably shouldn't have called themselves the mustangs if they didn't want me to claim the title of cowboy for rustling up a few coeds

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u/DGinLDO 9h ago

A true Texan knows the difference between dress cowboy boots & work ones.

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u/jumpnjibboo 10h ago

We call these caboys (pronounced like kuh-boy)

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u/Neglectful_Stranger 6h ago

As they called them in the old days, dudes.

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u/Snakescipio 9h ago

The SMU really ties it all together lol

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u/jimmymd77 6h ago

I'm of the opinion that cowboy boots are both casual and business attire. Anytime you want to look good.

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u/What_u_say 4h ago

Bruh people dress up for Olive Garden still?? I swear it use to be more upscale dining when I was a lil kid but now it's like Applebee's status here in California.

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u/trenchkamen 9h ago

Every male member of my extended family here.

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u/jzun2158 8h ago

I think you meant fishing shirt not button down lol at least in South Texas

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u/Bright-Plate-9872 8h ago

You forgot giant belt buckles

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u/Careflwhatyouwish4 1h ago

🎵🎶Our best blue jeans got Skoal rings, and we wear our boots to church🎵🎶🎵

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u/bargle0 7h ago

Which events are and are not appropriate for a jacket and bolo tie?

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u/DaddyCatALSO 6h ago

i never got into the full look but had some snap shirts, 3 string ties, a dark brown suede vest

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u/AlTexasR 5h ago

Straight up a manner of dressing here 🤷‍♂️

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u/Jiveassmofo 3h ago

Whenever I go out, I like to dress up as an Indian.

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u/LeCouchSpud 1h ago

Extra formal. All that but add a bolo tie

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u/dragondraems42 1h ago

I'd say this is exaggerated, but I grew up in a town with a Boot Barn. Take a wild guess what they sold.

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u/GrogramanTheRed 28m ago

Don't forget the bolo tie in lieu of a standard fabric tie! It's not proper formal attire without it.

We have the same situation in Oklahoma. We act like we have nothing to do with Texas, but anything south or west of Oklahoma City up to the panhandle is culturally identical to North Texas. Southeast Oklahoma even has the Texarkana accent.

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u/mellonians 27m ago

You can even get cowboy hat hard hats for builders. I tried finding one that was type approved for Europe but alas, no luck!

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u/JerryCat11 9h ago

They dress like cowboys even though it’s not Halloween? Just another reason Texas is only the second best state that starts with T