The Shops of Santa Fe Show Off a Western Style

Much of Santa Fe’s social and commercial life centers around the Plaza, a well-groomed park ringed by one- and two-story buildings, in the traditional ochre and pink that give the town its characteristic look. The people who bustle by on business during weekdays or amble along for a Saturday or Sunday stroll have a distinctive look, too. Call it Western.

Santa Fe comes by its Western style naturally. This capital of New Mexico is the meeting place of three cultures--Native American, Spanish colonial and English pioneer--that are said to have built the West, through years of struggle and eventual cooperation.

The citizens have tremendous civic pride. They also delight in their city’s endorsement of individualism, especially where style and the arts are concerned. Don’t expect to see the same old denims and cowboy boots. Santa Fe’s Western style offers much more variety and elegance.

Surfeit of Silver

Leathers and suedes abound, as do satins and silks. Outfits are frequently accessorized with silver--a lot of silver--in the form of belts, beads and bangles. The clothing is expensive, but of unquestionable quality and durability. As high as price tags might seem, you would have to add at least a third if you bought these garments elsewhere. Santa Fe has become one of the headquarters for the best in Western dress, and several of its trading posts are reliable sources for the latest styles and greatest variety.

On the Plaza, the shop called Salamander (78 E. San Francisco) features the lamb suede fashions of designer Greig Porter. Women’s skirts ($275), both straight and full, fall below the knees and have fitted or elastic waists. Matching tops are mostly padded at the shoulder, with long or short sleeves and various collar styles, including V-neck ($195) and cowl ($300). Matching slacks ($225) and jackets are fringed or not. For men, there are fine vests ($110), jackets and hats. The clothes come in a variety of colors: turquoise, pink, buff, brown, seafoam, blue, green, fuchsia and more, and Salamander will make any of their styles in any of their colors by special order in several weeks’ time.

Just off the Plaza, at La Fonda Hotel (itself a Santa Fe tradition), you’ll find Suzette International, containing the fashion collection of Suzette. Born in France, but over the past years a resident of Santa Fe, she has developed a Western look all her own. Suede and leather ensembles are abundant, but the shop also features special silk and satin blouses (around $200), hand-painted with geometric patterns derived from Navajo designs, and matching skirts or slacks. Flowering cacti are hand-painted on cotton dresses and pantsuits. There are also men’s and women’s mink sweaters and suede wraps dripping with mink, fox and raccoon tails, to protect wearers from the nighttime desert chill, and hand-painted aprons.

Elegant but Earthy

In Spirit of the Earth (211 Old Santa Fe Trail, in the Inn at Loreto), the impressive catalogue of clothes emphasizes elegant but earthy styles. In addition to a good stock of Laise Adzer’s desert-inspired layered ensembles and some imports from India, Latin America and Africa, there are lamb suede mix-and-match items in nine colors--full and skinny skirts ($330), tank tops, broad-shouldered jackets ($290) and slacks with stretch waistbands. Spirit’s accessories are superb. Concho belts, treasured in Santa Fe, are leather bands strung with engraved silver ($400 and up) or brass ($135-$240) oval ornaments, some with chunks of turquoise or other semi-precious stones.

Primarily a Gift Shop

Also at the Inn at Loreto, across the arcade from Spirit, Swinging Winds is primarily a gift shop, but also sells thickly gathered Navajo broomstick skirts ($78) in cotton floral prints. Next door, Handwoven Originals has interesting shawls, T-shirts and fringed and beaded leather patchwork bags by Carole Williamson ($125-$990).

Sturdy leather bags and boots are handmade at Desert Son (725-A Canyon Road). Footwear ranges from suede and leather Indian desert boots ($40-$68), moose-hide moccasins ($38) and beaded suede baby moccasins ($8, and they’re so attractive that you want to buy them) to Larry Mahan’s fanciful Texas cowboy boots in calf, snakeskin or ostrich. The store also has vintage concho belts, many of them obtained through pawn, and intricate beaded bracelets ($22-$32), hair ties ($10) and key rings ($21).

Suede and Shearling

The Overland Sheepskin Co. at 217 Galisteo is known for sturdy and stylish shearling coats and jackets (around $600 and up), sheepskin parkas ($500-$600), car seat covers ($100) and pelts ($40-$50). The store also has more exotic items, including suede ponchos with fur trim ($800), beaded and fringed Kit Carson jackets ($840) and vests ($205) and, for women, suede ruffled skirts ($285) and matching jackets ($195). Most items are available through mail order, but the advantage of visiting the shop, or the company’s headquarters near Taos (three miles north on Highway 3), is for their sales, with reductions up to 40%

On the highway to Taos, about 10 miles north of Santa Fe, is Viva, the factory and shop of Char-Sher Designs, run by two sisters who have brought a new dimension to suede and leather clothing. For men, there are lamb suede shirts in 35 colors ($370), and leather shirts based on Civil War patterns ($470, including buttons made from Indian head nickels) or fringed leather jackets ($684). Women will find suede slacks with fringe ($370) and matching broad-shouldered jackets with fringe ($490) and skirts ($330). Many of the women’s fashions are hand-stenciled with floral patterns in metallic hues, including an opera coat in black suede, calf length and adorned with stenciled flowers in purple-silver ($2,400). Char-Sher’s clothes are expensive, but at Viva the prices are about one-third of what you would pay for them at top department stores and boutiques. Additionally, you’ll find a much larger selection of styles and a fashion-savvy staff to help coordinate your Western look.