• There are few things cuter than a little girl dressed as a cowgirl.cowgirl up image by Wendy Hotalling from Fotolia.com
  
  Every girl likes to dress up, and cowgirls have always had a certain appeal to all ages. Baby girls and grown girls, however, have different requirements in their cowgirl costumes. Whether your need is for the cute little baby cowgirl look or the red-hot cowgirl vamp, you can create your perfect cowgirl look with just a few accessories.
  
  

Infant Cowgirl Costumes

• The simplest way to make an infant cowgirl costume is to start with a basic brown or denim skirt. If you can't find cowboy boots in your baby's size, use brown knee-high socks. Follow this with a little plaid shirt, a vest matching the skirt, and a toy cowboy hat. Use brown denim or faux leather cloth to make a little belt, and stitch the belt onto the shirt or skirt. Do NOT leave the belt loose, as it can be a choking hazard. Instead of accessorizing with a gun or rope, give your little one a stuffed baby-safe plush horse to chew on.
  
  

Little Girl Cowgirl Dress Up

• If you have the boots and the hat, it's simple to come up with a little girl cowgirl costume. Start with a plaid shirt and denim skirt, top with a leather fringed vest, and add a toy gun belt. For children over the age of 5, you can also cut the handles off a jump rope and coil that around the gun belt for a lasso.
  
  If you can't come up with a fringed vest, it's simple to make one. Using a sleeveless shirt that fits loosely on your little girl as the pattern, cut the back and two sides of a vest from a piece of felt, allowing about 1 inch at the top and both sides under the arm for a seam. Allow about 4 inches extra at the bottom for fringe. Stitch the shoulder and two sides together, fitting it to your little girl when finished. When you're happy with the fit, cut fringe by snipping 1/2-inch wide strips from the bottom of the vest. Add a stick horse to the costume if you wish.
  
  

Adult Cowgirl Costumes

• An adult cowgirl costume allows for many more accessories, but you can keep it as simple as you like. You'll need to buy the cowboy hat, boots and holster, but you can get away with a child's holster as long as it will fit on your waist. A denim skirt, especially a full knee-length skirt, gives you that perfect cowgirl air. Top your outfit with a plaid shirt, or with a white boy-cut shirt with a bandanna tied around your neck.
  
  You don't have to wear a vest, but it really helps bring the cowgirl costume to life. You can't get away with the felt-vest dodge used in the little girl cowgirl costume, so you'll have to find a fringed leather, faux leather or denim vest that looks good with the rest of your costume. If you like, add a length of rope to the belt for a lasso. Go easy on the makeup; a wholesome, clean-cut look is better for this costume.
  
  

Sexy Adult Cowgirl Costumes

• For the sexy adult cowgirl, keep the cowboy hat, bandanna, boots, and holster. Swap out the skirt or jeans for Daisy Duke shorts or a denim miniskirt. If you don't have Daisy Dukes, make some by cutting off a pair of tight jeans at about 5 inches below the crotch; put on the shorts, then roll up the bottoms in 1-inch rolls as high as you can get them to go. Make sure your holster is slung lower than the bottoms of your shorts or skirt, and strap it to your leg if you have an extra length of leather.
  
  The top of your sexy cowgirl costume depends on how sexy you want to go. One option is using a men's plaid or denim shirt, tying the bottom ends just above your bellybutton, then unbuttoning the top as far as you dare. Another is to wear just a leather or denim vest, either fastened mid-chest or taped down with double-sided costume tape. Braid your hair on both sides, or put in two cute pigtails tied with a bow, to finish off the look. Don't overdo the makeup; work toward a fresh, natural look.