STYLE : Getting Gussied Up : The right boots and a pair of black or colored jeans--not too tight--make The Look.

Mr. Blackwell would not agree, but for some people in Ventura County, there is no style but Western wear.

These people would argue that you can’t beat a flannel shirt, jeans and boots for comfort and practicality. Whether this garb reflects their agrarian roots or a horse hobby, in some circles it has become the “basic black and pearls” of California casual couture.

What most of these folks do not tell you, though, is that dressing up in cowboy clothes can also be fun--and sexy. And the growing popularity of country music and dance locally has created more opportunity for people to get gussied up.

This, in turn, has emphasized the difference between serviceable clothes and their high-fashion counterpart. Shirts are coming in brighter colors and bolder, geometric designs. Jeans are available in a variety of hues from fuchsia to black. And women’s clothes are showing more fringe, sequins, and other details.

But you don’t need to be a Roy Rogers or Dale Evans clone, and you don’t have to buy a rhinestone Nudie suit, to enter the country social scene. What you do need is a pair of boots and jeans, both essential components of The Look.

That is not as easy at it sounds.

The sales clerks offer one rule of thumb: jeans should not be so tight that you have to lie on the bed to zip them up. After that, you are pretty much on your own. To help you, here are some tips gleaned from the experts.

Urban cowboys wear Levi’s, but “real cowboys” wear Wrangler brand jeans. Wranglers are cut wider for riding a horse. Colored jeans fit differently because of the varying dyes.

It is wise, however, to buy your boots first. They will determine if you want a tapered-leg jean to tuck inside or a “boot cut” bottom to fit over boots. And buying the boots first ensures that you’ll get jeans that are long enough.

Experts say you should allow about two hours to find your first pair of boots. And the boot they recommend is the all-leather cowboy variety. They are more comfortable and last longer than boots with a synthetic sole because leather can be replaced. But you will need more than a few dollars and a new vocabulary to negotiate the transaction. Women’s cowhide boots start at about $100. But the more exotic skins, such as anteater and ostrich, can cost more than $1,000 in an off-the-rack men’s boot.

Working cowboys usually work and dance in “ropers,” a round-toed smooth boot that does not catch in the stirrups. “Concrete” or “drugstore” cowboys more frequently sport pointed-toe boots, or “roach killers,” so-called because they could squash a roach in the corner of any room. And the toes may be adorned with “toe bugs” (stitching) or metal.

To the uninitiated, boots feel different than shoes. So to make a proper selection, you should wear special “boot socks.”

Hats, while not de rigueur, can transform a man or woman into a vision from “Lonesome Dove.” Cream-colored straw cowboy hats are cooler in summer and fit within most budgets. Nevertheless, many people still prefer a blocked felt Stetson. Some people say you can recognize a real cowboy by how he “dips and rolls” the brim of his hat.

Other fashionable trimmings include removable silver collar tips, bolo or leather ties, jewelry, and long coats known as “dusters.” Feather or braided silver hat bands and T-shirts with the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Assn. (PRCA) logo are also popular.

WHERE TO SHOP

To locate stores that carry cowboy fashions, see the Yellow Pages under Western Apparel, Horse Supplies (tack), and Feed. The following is a sampling of stores in the county that sell country fashions:

Ventura

* The Wharf, 980 E. Front St. (805) 648-5035

* Korb’s, 6587 Ventura Blvd. (805) 642-1855

* Howard & Phil’s, Buenaventura Mall, 363 S. Mills Road (805) 654-8138

Oak View

* Long Horn Supply Co., 315 Old Grade Road (805) 649-1823

Oxnard

* Gordon’s Western Wear, 446 S. Oxnard Blvd. (805) 483-4933

Simi Valley

* The Country General Store, 2912 Cochran St. (805) 520-9020

Thousand Oaks

* Hilltop Feed & Ranch Store, 2727 E. Hillcrest Drive (805) 495-3516

* Howard & Phil’s Western Wear, 204 W. Hillcrest Drive (805) 494-7729